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It’s the Little Things…

Posted September 21st, 2011 / By Matthew Carlin in Contributors, Opinion, Resources, Tips

I’ve seen alot of people try to learn motion graphics and videography, and I’ve obviously learned it myself in the past. I’ve also seen alot of videos posted on the internet as a result of these learnings. One thing that I’ve noticed is what separates the better videos from the others are the little details in the video.

waveform

What do I mean by the little details? Well what I mean are things like, a little bit of easing on those keyframes when the object moves, the composition of the shot, the tightness of the edit, the little bounce as the layer comes into frame or the way a particular shot is lit.

These are the things you develop and learn the more you do motion graphics or make videos, and these are the things your peers will look for when watching your video. Don’t worry about not spotting these straight away, your eye will develop for these things with your experience.

So next time you make that video what should you be looking out for?  Well how about some of the following.

  • Composition of the shot
  • How shallow or deep your depth of field is
  • The lighting
  • Tightness of your edit
  • Pace of your edit
  • The music or sound effects
  • Sound Levels
  • Easing in your animation
  • The timing of your animation (is it too quick or too slow)
  • Have you added motion blur (this tends to make things look better when they move)
  • The colour scheme
  • The typography
  • The story

Remember to have a think about all these things when you start and as you work through your next project. Is there anything else you would add to the list?

Hi, I’m from Nottingham in the United Kingdom. I’ve been writing about motion graphics on Motion Design Love for a while now, as well being a Video Editor and Motion Designer by Day. I probably spend most of my waking hours either doing something with motion graphics or thinking about stuff I can do with motion graphics. I’m looking forward to writing some great articles for Fuel Your Motionography, I hope you’re all looking forward to reading them!

 

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1 CommentNo Reactions

  1. Eric
    21 Sep 11 at 8:59 am

    Being precise can drive you (or a perfectionist like me) absolutely crazy!
    However, your point is a very valid one. Putting some thought into those little extra details does differentiate the difference between a professional and an amateur.

    The people who leave the project at the first draft (rough edits, no color correction, no precision passes on animation, very basic graphics, etc.) can make a living in the video world. I know many of them. But the people who excell, win awards and feel proud of their product, pays attention to the little things and is willing to put in the WORK that is necessary as a professional videographer! (Yes, WORK. Just like any other job or career, this takes WORK and lots of it. Moreso than many other industries.)

    Reply

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