There are a lot of blogs that look at web design trends and logo trends but few that look at trends in motion graphics. I thought I’d take a stab at it and look at a few of the more recent design trends in the motion graphics world. Trends in motion graphics just seem to be part of the business; many clients tend to ask for something that looks like this or make it look like that but with a twist. Most people in the motion graphics field are aware of these trends and are usually able to pull them off in a unique and visually interesting way.

As I was putting these trends together, I found a similar theme in all of them, a good portion are using effects to make the overall look feel more organic, handmade and just a natural part of the piece. Which in the end is part of what motion graphics and vfx tries to accomplish, making it look real when its not. These trends should be studied and improved upon. We all pretty much have the same tools available to us and recreating something isn’t what being a designer is about, you don’t have to follow to be coined “cool” in the business. So lets jump into it.

Bad / Old Video

This effect or trend is used to add some texture and animation and to give the viewer a feeling that this piece of animation was made years ago. With this de-quality of the video you can also get some surprising colors and interesting patterns. One of the more recent music videos that had a unique effect and took the bad video look to a new level was the video by Kayne West - Welcome To Heartbreak. This process of data mosh was talked about on motiongrapher in detail, so I won’t go into it. But the video mosh topic / trend might be its own unique thing and maybe should be or will be it’s own motion graphics trend soon. Falling in with the old video look is all those retro logo animations made famous by the Justice video DVNO. If you’re looking for a couple tutorials on this check out GrayMachine or Grey Scale Gorilla.

Animation Interacting with Footage

Maybe the two most famous for this look are Motion Theory’s HP spots and Digital Kitchen’s Finish Line spot. This technique bridges the line of motion graphics and visual effects. Footage is usually shot on green screen or rotoscoped and then other design elements are tracked into the scene with them. The look is a visual mash-up of real people and imagery that help you imagine what the world would be like if you had this product.

3D Type

3D typography seems to be an increasing trend these days. This trend I feel has happened as more and more people are getting into the world of 3D and since type is one of the easier things to create in 3D, its natural people tend to make type pieces as some of their first animations. I don’t think you could do commercial motion graphics and not know how to do interesting things with type, it is used in just about everything thats trying to communicate some kind of message.

Stop Motion

Stop motion isn’t something new and the people that have been doing it for years like PES are amazing at it. Just most recently there seems to be a growing use of it in commercials. Stop motion is another one of those techniques that give your animation an organic feeling.

Sketches / Paper / Handwriting

Maybe one of my favorite design trends of the last few years. You almost have to step away from the computer and draw something on real paper to get this look to be just right. I think it also gives the piece you’re working on a more personal touch.

Paint

This trend was big when I first was getting into motion graphics in 2002, I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t jump on board and use it all the time. It usally consisted of dripping paint and paint being splattered on the screen. This style comes and goes and has somewhat simmered down as a trend until recently. The paint trend of the early 2000’s isn’t the same as it is now. The look now is more real as more people are seeing what 3D programs can do to make paint do all sorts of things.

Trapcode

Not all Trapcode plugins get used as heavy as other. Shine, 3D Stroke, Particular and Form are maybe some of the most used plugins besides the default drop shadow. Just about every post house I have worked at in Chicago has had all of the trapcode plugins installed and they expect you to know how to use them.

Finally a trend that I am happy that I haven’t seen for a few years.

Deerhead

The deerhead trend was just one of these odd design trends that I never got behind.

Thats a look at just a few of the trends there are many others, this was just a look at some of the more recent ones that were on the top of my head.