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Looking Forward with Our New Brand Manifesto Video

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Join the Movement. This is the School of Motion Manifesto.

We recently had the bucket list-level pleasure of commissioning Ordinary Folk to create a brand manifesto video for us.

I pitched an early version of this idea to Jorge years ago, during the first Blend conference, but at the time neither of us were ready for such a huge undertaking. A few years later, the stars aligned — and this is the result:

Directed By: Ordinary Folk | Creative Direction: Jorge R. Canedo E. | Production: Stefan Green | Script: Julie Rybarczyk | Design: Jay Quercia, Nuria Boj, Loris F. Alessandria | Animation: Jorge R. Canedo E., Victor Silva, Greg Stewart, Joélie Sémoulin, Jordan Bergren, Manuel Neto, Claudio Salas, Jose Peña | Featuring Animation from SOM Alumni: Taylor J Peters, Deanna Reilly, Francisco M. Quiles N., Abbie Bacilla | Music & SFX: Ambrose Yu | School of Motion Production Team: Joey Korenman, Reaghan Puleo

School of Motion: Fired Up to Be the Best

Since School of Motion launched Spring 2013, we'd been shooting toward a single goal: to be the best online motion design school on the planet.

It's a nice-sounding goal...but, it's pretty vague:

  • What does it mean to be the "best" online school in a specific creative field?
  • How do we decide if we've achieved that goal?
  • How do we know if our training is better than that of our competitors'?
  • Why qualify it by only trying to be the best online school?
  • Are we admitting we can't compete with traditional art schools?

I think not.

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Just a few of the School of Motion crew

Why School of Motion isn't an "Online School" — It's a School

Over 12,000 artists from more than 100 countries have taken our courses.

There are working motion designers in the field who have no "formal" training other than School of Motion classes. Many of our alumni have landed full-time employment as well as freelance gigs through our network, and we're actively expanding our efforts to help studios and other companies recruit talent from our student body.

There are School of Motion alumni meetups all over the world, most of which are organized by alumni with no help from us. We have a culture, inside jokes, and our own language.

We are a school, in every sense of the word.

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School of Motion's Clear Vision for the future

It's with this in mind that we proudly release our manifesto video — at once a declaration, and a hint of what's to come.

Throughout the past several months, we've been working behind the scenes on a total rebrand. Our new visual identity — developed by some very talented folks — will be rolling out toward the end of the year, along with a completely redesigned and revamped website.

Meanwhile, we've been refining our vision:

School of Motion is a compelling alternative to traditional four-year art schools.

I believe, deep in my bones, that we are on to something.

If you've never taken one of our classes, you may not realize how unique our model is, especially compared to the traditional "passive" video course. We provide a level of human interaction, feedback and motivation that simply isn't offered anywhere else on the internet — in any field.

Before releasing a new course to the public, we labor over it for up to a year, ensuring the quality is unmatched.

We provide the tools and training for motivated students to progress at a rate that far exceeds that accomplished at any other online or traditional school.

We bring together the top artists and instructors in our field, and scale their genius through technology and a truly one-of-a-kind teaching model.

We recreate, as best as we possibly can, the camaraderie and competition you feel when learning the same things at the same time as your classmates.

And we do all of this at a price point that allows you to learn professional skills without taking on a level of debt that severely handicaps your career from day one.

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Onward and Upward

Our manifesto video was a mere tip of the spear for us.

We relaunched our website with a major redesign, along with some incredible new courses. We expanded our full-time staff to over 30 team members and two incredible Creative Directors: 3D Creative Director, EJ Hassenfratz; and 2D Creative Director, Ryan Summers.

We teamed up with Holdframe to launch a new series of instant-access Workshops so you can learn from some of the leading artists and projects in the industry.

It's been over eight years since we launched School of Motion... and we're just getting started!

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for being a part of our community.

We're here to help you achieve your goals, so please reach out if we can do anything to help push you to the next level.

Like this Manifesto? Then check out this Workshop!

This project was one of the best learning experiences we've had in witnessing top-tier artists collaborate to create a motion design masterpiece. That's why we had to bottle up all of that knowledge into one of our first Holdframe Workshops!

In addition to the video walkthroughs, this Workshop includes various project files that were used directly in the production of these films. From initial mood boards and storyboards, down to production project files.

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EXPLORE ALL COURSES ➔

Dive into real-time 3D with our Unreal Engine beginner's course by Jonathan Winbush. Master importing assets, world-building, animation, and cinematic sequences to create stunning 3D renders in no time! Perfect for motion designers ready to level up.

Explore this Course âž”

Unlock the secrets of character design in this dynamic course! Explore shape language, anatomy rules, and motifs to craft animation-ready characters. Gain drawing tips, hacks, and Procreate mastery (or any drawing app). Ideal for artists seeking to elevate their craft.

Explore this Course âž”

Elevate your freelance motion design career with our guide to client success. Master a repeatable method for finding, contacting, and landing clients. Learn to identify prospects, nurture leads, and develop a thriving freelance philosophy amidst chaos.

Explore this Course âž”

Rev up your editing skills with After Effects! Learn to use it for everyday needs and craft dynamic templates (Mogrts) for smarter teamwork. You'll master creating animated graphics, removing unwanted elements, tracking graphics, and making customizable templates.

Explore this Course âž”

Stand out with Demo Reel Dash! Learn to spotlight your best work and market your unique brand of magic. By the end, you'll have a brand new demo reel and a custom campaign to showcase yourself to an audience aligned with your career goals.

Explore this Course âž”

Illuminate your 3D skills with Lights, Camera, Render! Dive deep into advanced Cinema 4D techniques with David Ariew. Master core cinematography skills, gain valuable assets, and learn tools and best practices to create stunning work that wows clients.

Explore this Course âž”

Master After Effects at your own pace with Jake Bartlett's beginner course. Perfect for video editors, you'll learn to create stylish animated graphics, remove unwanted elements, and track graphics into shots. By the end, you'll be equipped for everyday AE needs and more.

Explore this Course âž”

Revolutionize your Premiere workflow with customizable AE templates! Master creating dynamic Motion Graphics Templates (Mogrts) in After Effects to speed up your team's work. By the end, you'll craft easily-customizable templates for seamless use in Premiere Pro.

Explore this Course âž”
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Not sure where to start?

If you’re a beginner, here are some great courses to help you get started:

After Effects Kickstart

Dive into the fundamentals of motion design with our most popular (and recently updated) After Effects course.

LEARN MORE

Photoshop + Illustrator Unleashed

Master the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator and gain invaluable insights in this introductory level course.

LEARN MORE

Design Kickstart

An introduction to the design principles behind all great work.

LEARN MORE

More Advanced?

If you’re a more advanced student looking to up your game, here are some great options:

Animation Bootcamp

Learn the art and principles of creating beautiful movements in Adobe After Effects.

LEARN MORE

Design Bootcamp

Learn to design for motion in this intermediate-level, project-based course.

LEARN MORE

Cinema 4D Basecamp

Learn Cinema 4D from the ground up in this exciting introductory C4D course.

LEARN MORE

Now is the time to learn the skills you need to advance in your motion design career: