This is a question I have been asked many times, when in any social situation you care to mention. “Motion graphics” I reply. Their face looks expressionless. “I’m a motion graphics designer”. Nothing. “I design graphics, well graphics that move, for err.. tv commercials, promos and stuff”. I can tell at this point that they think I am a geek who does some weird thing on computers that has no relevance to anything. I used to find this strange ignorance intriguing and reveled in showing them something that would illuminate their confused mind.

Now, because I’ve been in the thick of the motion graphics industry for almost ten years, I find it surprising that it is still a largely unheard of discipline in the real world (as opposed to the production world). Motion graphics are literally everywhere, on every screen medium there is; in TV shows, in virtually every TV ad, at the cinema, on websites, on youtube, at live events, in theatres, on phones….in short, everywhere. Every time a brand is visible on a screen anywhere, motion graphics is involved. The average consumer will see some motion graphics approximately 436 times during the average day (ok, I made that up, but it’s probably not far off).

So, at what point will motion graphics be as mainstream as say, website design, graphic design, video editing or even animation? Perhaps soon. Motion graphics is constantly evolving and constantly morphing and incorporating more and more disciplines, from stop frame animation and cartoons, to sonic visuals based on sound. Maybe it struggles to maintain it’s own identity as an art form, as it can be so wide in it’s application. One thing’s for sure, it is certainly more mainstream and more developed an industry across the pond in the U.S. with New York and Los Angeles leading the way. Kids can study motion graphics from a relatively young age now in the U.S, and there are some huge talents emerging who are barely out of school.

With an industry so fast moving and so quick to adapt to new technology, I’m sure motion graphics will be a term with which more and more people are familiar in the UK too. And with more familiarity will come more young talent and more people interested in joining this amazingly artistic and creative industry. And who knows, maybe one day people will ask “So, what do you do?” and when faced with my stock reply, come back with “really, my son is doing that in school” or even better “me too!”