# Motion Graphics & Video Editing Portfolio Development Canonical URL: ## Overview Everyone wants to have a cool video for their presentation, website, or social media channel. YouTube is the most popular social media platform, with 81% of adults in the United States as users. While TikTok (a platform devoted entirely to video) may only count 21% of U.S. adults as users, that's still almost 60 million people. Video, whether live or animated, is the most engaging way to get your message to as many people as possible. And this is where video editors and motion graphics designers come in. #### Learn Motion Design & Video Editing Principles Video editing and motion graphics design are growing industries. Creating engaging and meaningful videos or designs requires technical knowledge of the software programs involved, as well as knowledge of workflow, an awareness of current and past visual styles and trends, and an ability to critique your own work and that of your collaborators. You'll learn the principles of motion graphics and the best practices to create unique motion graphics from concept to completion, resulting in projects worthy of inclusion in your demo reel to show potential clients. #### Build Your Demo Reel In this in-depth portfolio course, you'll create several projects for your demo reel. This course is a self-driven, project-based course designed to support you and enhance your skill set as you work to develop original, high-quality projects for your demo reel. Students receive ample one-on-one support from the instructor, as well as targeted lessons that center on the projects they are creating. Each day, the instructor sets high-level goals and provides inspiration and guidance, but much of the learning takes place through discovery, as determined by each student’s individual goals and creative direction. Assignments will be critiqued by the instructor and during group critiques. You'll then revise your work as needed and finish the assignment either in class or outside of class as homework (you should expect to work outside of class). The instructor is available throughout the course to provide feedback and advice, both during and outside of class. #### Learn Where It All Came From Modern video editing grew out of the professions of film and television editors. With the explosive growth of the internet and the affordability of video-making equipment starting in the 1990s, knowledgeable video editors have become more necessary than ever. Motion graphics (also called motion design or MoGraph) is a growing profession with its roots in animation and graphic design for film titles. Creating engaging and meaningful moving images from live video or animated graphics requires technical knowledge of the software programs involved, as well as a knowledge of efficient workflows, an awareness of current and past visual styles and trends, an ability to critique your own work and that of your collaborators, and above all, the ability to craft an engaging story for the viewer. #### Why Should You Take This Class? This class will prepare you for a career in the video editing and motion graphics industries. While they are separate specialties, motion graphics artists and video editors often find themselves working in the same shops and on the same projects. Even when not working together directly, they have many similar workflows and software tools. In this instructor-led, informational course, you will learn the skills necessary to create a portfolio and function as a working professional who makes a living creating video. #### What Will You Learn? This course teaches you fundamental motion design and video editing concepts, as well as how the industry works. You'll learn the types of projects you will work on, the opportunities available, and how to market yourself and find a job as a motion graphics artist or video editor. And perhaps just as importantly, you'll learn what red flags to look out for while looking for your next gig. ## What you'll learn - Expand your knowledge of video editing & motion graphics concepts - Learn about the history and current state of the industry, understand the connection between design, motion graphics, & video editing - Learn how to present your work and how to incorporate feedback from others - Expand and develop your demo reel ## Schedule - Jun 15, 2026 – Jun 17, 2026 — NYC - Aug 10, 2026 – Aug 14, 2026 — NYC - Sep 29, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026 — NYC - Oct 9, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026 — NYC - Dec 3, 2026 – Dec 7, 2026 — NYC ## Instructors ### Dan Rodney — School Director, Instructor, & Senior Course Developer Dan Rodney has been a designer and web developer for over 20 years, creating coursework and leading innovative training initiatives at Noble Desktop. He teaches courses covering Figma, HTML & CSS, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Power BI. Dan has also been at the forefront of integrating AI into design and business workflows, spearheading Noble Desktop’s latest AI course offerings. In addition to teaching and curriculum development, he writes custom scripts for InDesign (Make Book Jacket, Proper Fraction Pro, and more) and works with automation and AI-driven tools in his free time. You can find Dan on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, and at danrodney.com. Learn more about [Dan Rodney's](/dan-rodney) background and expertise. ### Jerron Smith — Program Director & Senior Instructor Jerron has more than 25 years of experience working with graphics and video and expert-level certifications in Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and Illustrator along with an extensive knowledge of other animation programs like Cinema 4D, Adobe Animate, and 3DS Max. He has authored multiple books and video training series on computer graphics software such as: After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash (back when it was a thing). He has taught at the college level for over 20 years at schools such as NYCCT (New York City College of Technology), NYIT (The New York Institute of Technology), and FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology). Learn more about [Jerron Smith's](/jerron-smith) background and expertise. ### Stephen MacGillivray — Instructor Stephen teaches classes in the Motion Graphics and Video Editing Certificate programs. In addition to his work with Noble Desktop, Stephen teaches Nonfiction and Fiction Video Production, Motion Graphics, and Introduction to Film Production to grades 9-12 at LREI, a private K-12 school in New York’s Greenwich Village. In addition to teaching media classes, he runs his own production company, Indian summer Media. Through ISM he works as a freelance producer, specializing in documentary style films. Stephen holds a B.A. in Classics from Concordia University in Montreal and an MFA in Screenwriting from Columbia University. While an accomplished professional his most beloved project has been raising his two young daughters, Margaret and Grace. ### Michael Venzor — Instructor Michael Venzor is a multi-disciplinary filmmaker, video editor, and motion graphics artist with over twenty years of professional experience across television and short films, commercial projects, and educational media. His background spans the full post-production pipeline, including editing, animation, visual storytelling, and workflow design. A dedicated educator and mentor, Michael has spent years teaching video editing and animation to students of all experience levels, helping them build both technical proficiency and creative confidence. His teaching style emphasizes real-world workflows, thoughtful problem-solving, and clear communication, empowering students to develop skills they can immediately apply in professional environments. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $1495