Ten 2019 Motion Design Projects That Pushed the Limits of Animation, Design and Storytelling.
The MoGraph industry has never been bigger or stronger, with more and more motion designers pioneering new forms of artistic expression, establishing a new era in creative, visual storytelling.
Our Favorite MoGraph Projects of 2019
It's never easy to decide what to share in a given week or month, so narrowing down a full year's worth of extraordinary efforts was somewhere between 12 and 52 times as hard... In other words, there are plenty of projects that probably also deserve inclusion on a Best of 2019 list — but we simply couldn't fit them all!
We hope that these 10 picks do serve as some inspiration for your 2020 and beyond.
BLEND OPENING TITLES
Created By: Gunner
Conference titles are known as an opportunity for motion designers to get especially creative; but, what would you do if you were asked to create titles for a room full of the world's best motion designers?
The average artist would avoid such a challenge, but Gunner rose to the occasion on behalf of Blend — with a conference intro that illustrates the cross-disciplinary nature of the best MoGraph works.
Blending creative styles with classic Gunner quirk, the Detroit dream team shows us that when you combine incredible animation, design and sound, magical things happen.
AICP SPONSORS REEL
Created By: Golden Wolf
Ever wonder what would happen if Terry Gilliam became a Disney animator? That's Golden Wolf, a studio heralded for its work with the largest creative brands in the world — and an uncanny ability to seamlessly bridge the gap between traditional animation and motion design.
Golden Wolf's AICP Sponsors Reel fits their motif, with a splash of wit and satire, making for a captivating take on the plight of the working designer.
MONSTER INSIDE
Created By: SOMEI et al.
Fast paced, flashes of color, divergent and blending styles, "beastly energy..." This montage to music, combining the efforts of nine unique artists, is everything the younger generation wants in an animated video (and we're pretty big fans, too!) — a smart move for a new, gaming-focused mobile phone brand.
FENDER PEDALS
Created By: Gunner
Guess you can't outgun (or outguitar) Gunner.
Leveraging the power of music in this commercial project for Fender Pedals, Gunner uses individual cutscenes to lead you through a desert journey to the temple of tone.
HALF REZ 8 TITLES
Created By: Boxfort
There's no question you'll want to attend the next Hi Rez conference after watching the Titles for 2019's eighth anniversary.
Created by the Boxfort collective, based in the same Detroit building as Gunner, this 2D and 3D collaborative creation is an engaging, animated urban journey — and, like our manifesto video, fortified with insider easter eggs.
OUT OF OFFICE
Created By: Reece Parker et al.
What happens when you step away from your computer? Do your clients sweat? Do your prospects turn to your competitors? Will your office catch on fire!?
Don't worry, an all-star cast of creatives has your answer.
The Out of Office collaboration from School of Motion instructors, Teaching Assistants and alumni is a fun example of the strength in simplicity, as well as the joy that can be derived from working on — and watching — a (non-commercial) passion project.
STAR WARS: THE LAST STAND
Created By: Sekani Solomon
Here's what happens when a talented fan gets their hands on Hollywood intellectual property.
With the help of some friends, Sekani Solomon used Cinema 4D, Houdini, Nuke, Redshift, X-Particles and the Adobe CS Suite to assemble an explosive short film.
MTV EMAS 2019 OPENING TITLES
Created By: Studio Moross
Studio Moross was tasked with constructing the opening titles for the MTV European Music Awards, and what the London-based crew concocted stands out as a striking juxtaposition to the quirky pastels that dominate today's collective MoGraph aesthetic.
We're not certain the musical artists would approve of being reduced to simple silhouettes, but we love the concept and the execution.
SUBSTANCE
Created By: Jamaal Bradley
The beauty and soul of the debut short film by MoGraph and video game industry veteran Jamaal Bradley is exemplary of animation's unique ability to achieve compelling, life-like results.
Based on true events and directed, written and produced by Bradley, the fully animated SUBSTANCE explores the divergent paths of two Black brothers in an American city. It debuted on the festival circuit in early 2019 and has been lauded critically ever since.
SCHOOL OF MOTION: JOIN THE MOVEMENT
Created By: Ordinary Folk
As the commissioners of this masterpiece by Ordinary Folk, we're obviously a bit biased; however, the industry response tells us we'd be remiss if we didn't include our Join The Movement brand manifesto in this year's best-of list.
Tasked with communicating our core values and key features through animation, Ordinary Folk fused 2D and 3D to create an epic masterpiece that caught the attention of Abduzeedo, Stash and the Vimeo staff, among others.
Plus, JR Canest and crew worked with School of Motion alumni on the design and animation that runs throughout.
We've never been more proud of a MoGraph project.
Holdframe Workshop: A motion design masterpiece
Get the full project breakdown in A Motion Design Masterpiece Workshop. In this workshop everything from the art direction to happy accidents and learning lessons Ordinary Folk discovered are covered by the artist themselves. This workshop is instantly available and provides over 3 hours of video workshops to go along with 7+ GB of project files.
Get Free Advice from These Artists
What if you could sit down and grab coffee with the creative leads at Gunner or Ordinary Folk? What if you could pick the brains of some of the brightest motion designers in the world? What questions would you ask?
This is exactly what inspired Experiment. Fail. Repeat, our 250-page free ebook featuring insights from Gunner, Ordinary Folk, and 84 other legendary MoGraph studios and artists.
Create Your Own Incredible MoGraph Projects
There's no magical formula for creating animations to rival the projects that made our Best of 2019 list; success in the MoGraph industry takes artistic prowess, dedication, and a fundamental understanding of visual storytelling.
Fortunately, all of this can be taught and, if you've ever dreamt of creating world-class motion designs through real-world projects, in-depth lessons and critiques from industry pros, we highly recommend School of Motion. Our courses will not only help make motion graphics more approachable they'll inspire and empower you to transform your creative concepts into tangible, beautiful products.
