Whenever you are watching a show and wonder how they created the show’s cool title sequence, you can usually thank a motion graphic designer for that. Whenever you are watching a commercial and you see cool special effect, chances are that a motion graphic designer created that effect. Motion graphic designers are in high demand in the television and movie industries. What directors and filmmakers can’t say or do using the media of digital film, motion graphic designers can create on a computer. Also, motion graphics has advanced to the point where some of the graphics are entirely realistic. Here is how to become a motion graphic designer in film and TV.
One of the best parts about today’s technology is that it is widely available. That means that people interested in going into the motion graphics industry have many of the tools right at their fingertips. This means that you don’t necessarily have to go to school or take courses to become a motion graphics designer. With your home desktop computer or laptop, you can easily download the programs yourself and start practicing. When it comes to motion graphics, practice definitely makes perfect.
Once your have a pretty good grasp on the technical side of things, you want to hone your skills. And while you are honing your skills, you also want to build up a portfolio. If you are trying to get a position with a television studio or movie production house, you better have an impressive portfolio, or you will most likely be turned away. If you look online, there are many animated infographics jobs you can apply for. If you don’t have much of a portfolio to get those jobs, you could make your rate extremely low – just to beat out the competition and land an entry level position or contract.
Next, you want to arrange your portfolio and you want to get your business plan down. One of the many mistakes that motion graphics designers make is not having a plan when it comes to how they work. For instance, will you work as a free agent and with a number of different TV and movie studios on a contract basis, or do you want to work for a company that exclusively creates graphics for film and TV? Both have their pros and cons. Working for yourself can get pretty busy, but you can make more money. Working at a studio can be steady work, but it can be hard to move up in the industry. So, make sure you figure out these details before you start marketing your services.
Lastly, make sure that your online portfolio is in tip-top shape. It might be wise to test your portfolio on a number of different web browsers and even devices. For instance a potential client might be looking at your website on a smart phone or tablet, and if your website is not compatible, you could risk losing a potentially big job. You should also include your phone number and email in the contact section of your website – a big client will want to call you right away if he or she likes your work.