Motion graphics are used in movies, TV shows, sports broadcasts, commercials, and videos.
There are three primary career paths within video editing: people who edit the video clips themselves, those who create the graphics for those videos, and others who design the aesthetic of the videos being created. Each of these roles is important in its own right and can be found in different niches within many different industries.
Motion Graphics Designers add graphics and animations to videos. They use video editing to enhance the video clips with graphics, change the speed or lighting of the video, and add sound effects. Some Motion Graphics Designers concentrate on special effects while others focus on accents and intro or outro reels.
Video Editors and Video Managers edit videos for everything from TV to YouTube, movies to documentaries. They create stories by compiling and cutting down video clips. They adjust color, lighting, and tempo to create the desired look and feel of a project. Then they set the compiled video to music. On larger projects, a Design Director will determine the aesthetic of the project.
A Designer often creates the visual elements that go along with a video that is being edited. They build the branding, colors, symbols, and typography used in videos. They also work before the video is filmed to establish the setting and aesthetics. They often edit videos and still photos pulled from videos to match the aesthetic of the project and create promotional graphics.
Video editing is a useful skill to learn, especially if you want to get into any visual arts, but on its own, it is not enough to get you a job. You’ll have to learn industry best practices for your specific niche of video editing, whether that’s videos for social media or sports broadcasting. You should also learn relevant tools such as Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
Motion Graphics Career Options
Here are a few career paths for which you’ll likely need Motion Graphics skills in order to succeed. We also include additional info about their average salaries, their day-to-day responsibilities, and a link to learn more about each career.
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Designer
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$80K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$77K / year
Designers work in a wide variety of industries and specialize in just as many media. Most designers create digital assets, but some designers work with hand-drawn sketches and illustrations. They start with an understanding of the best design principles and functional aesthetics. Common fields for designers include web, apps, print, fashion, animation, advertising, and UX design.
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2D Animator
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$68K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$56K / year
2D animators develop storyboards, characters, and backgrounds to bring stories to life in 2D. Working with software such as Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and more, 2D animators provide creative support to art directors in a variety of industries. 2D animators can work for studios or design firms, or as freelance, independent contractors.
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3D Animator
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$85K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$88K / year
3D Animators take ideas and turn them into three-dimensional images and animations. Using their understanding of human and animal movement, 3D Animators can create rich, realistic experiences. 3D Animators work on movies and games, as well as some websites and online media. 3D Animators create amusement park experiences such as those at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
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Motion Graphics Designer
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$77K / year
Motion Graphics Designers, sometimes referred to as MoGraph professionals, use visual effects and animation to create artwork for television, film, tech devices, software, live video, video games, applications, and the web.
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Animator
Indeed.com Avg. Salary
$45K / year
Glassdoor Avg. Salary
$54K / year
An Animator is responsible for creating dynamic and visually engaging sequences in various forms of media such as films, video games, and advertisements, through the meticulous crafting and manipulation of individual frames of animation or 3D models to convey lifelike movement and emotion. They often collaborate with art directors and storyboard artists to bring characters and scenes to life through precise timing, character design, and special effects.