Motion Media Design (MOME)

From advertising to entertainment to live performance, motion media is all around us; these days, if there’s a screen, there’s animation. In this course students explore the vast styles of design and animation inherit to motion media design through hands-on, project-based learning. Through creating short-form animations, students learn the basics of design principles and typography, animation principles and keyframe animation, and compositing principles and compositing techniques.

From advertising to entertainment, motion design plays a vital role in the appearance and experience of imagery in media. In this class, students explore key aspects of motion graphics, from concept to design to animation. Students apply typography and design principles, foundational compositing, and animation principles to create professional-grade work using industry-standard software.

The motion designers of today construct their design work using the aesthetic paradigms established by the rich history of motion design. Students research the evolution of motion graphics, from the non-narrative experimental films of the early 1900’s, to contemporary motion design in its many forms. Students develop a broad contextual knowledge of historical works and trace the influence of new technologies and key media artists, all of which define the contemporary motion design field and set the stage for future innovation.

A critical role of the professional motion designer is creating concepts that address specific communication challenges. In this class, students learn how to develop concepts, create storyboards, design pitches, and ultimately how to advocate for their creative decisions. Students practice compositional strategies, typographic principles, visual communication principles, and design presentations in industry-standard software through iteration and critique.

The success of professional motion graphics animation hinges on the quality of the movement, image polish, and transitional pacing. In this class, students expand their design skills and animation proficiency with a focus on strong core concepts and designs, refined animation pacing, effective motion transitions, and thoughtfully composited final work. Through the creation of motion design projects using industry-standard software, students examine the impact of their creative vision within the larger context of the motion design field in preparation for integrated motion design.

As multi-disciplinary professionals, motion designers integrate a range of professional skills and software together to produce effective graphic solutions. In this class, students extend their existing motion and compositing technical skills into more complex design problem solving and advanced motion techniques. Using industry-standard software, students strengthen their animation timing, transition pacing, and final image compositing through integration of multiple techniques together, preparing them for future upper-level coursework.

From live entertainment to architectural installations, motion graphics are used to transform environments using projection mapping and other screen-based systems. In this class, students explore diverse practices in spatial motion design, ranging from projection mapping on sculptures and architectural surfaces, to screen systems for installation contexts. Using industry-standard technology, students develop and deliver high quality motion designs for physical spaces.

Professional concept-driven designs lead to impactful motion graphics animations. In this class, students explore advanced conceptual approaches for motion design, including lateral thinking and divergent to convergent design processes. Students develop projects with multiple conceptual approaches, practice analyzing and pitching their ideas, and finally transform the optimal idea into a fully realized motion design project.

Students explore experimental animation and image-creation processes to expand the aesthetics of their professional work. By studying historical techniques used by avant-garde and experimental media artists in their time-based work, students create original animations that sharpen their critical and conceptual abilities. This approach ensures students achieve proficiency in both traditional methods and alternative production protocols.

The fusion of motion graphics with audio heightens visual perception and elevates emotional impact. In this class, students explore the dynamic and complex relationships of synchronization, elevating their visual approaches and motion techniques through strategic integration of sound and design. Students explore the approaches used by both historical visual music and contemporary music videos by making projects that apply their aesthetics to motion design through audio-visual fusion.

The development of professional motion graphic projects requires critical resources: human talent, computer technology, and financial assets. In this class, students explore the coordination of creative, technical, and logistical processes in motion design production. Students examine budgeting, scheduling, team management, and client communication across 2D, live-action, 3D, and hybrid pipelines. Through case studies and applied projects, students develop production plans and resource strategies, preparing them to manage motion design projects from concept to final delivery.

Art direction in motion design requires careful interpretation of client briefs and turning design challenges into opportunity. In this class, students simulate the professional workflow by developing design pitches across a variety of styles. By producing portfolio-quality work under realistic industry constraints, students broaden their technical expertise while emphasizing the collaboration and communication essential to professional production..

Scripting and procedural systems enable the creation of scalable, repeatable motion design solutions. In this course, students explore code-based methodologies to develop custom motion graphics toolsets and automated systems. By integrating these workflows across industry-standard software, students apply systems-based approaches to solve complex motion design challenges.

Throughout its history, motion design has been a hybrid practice, combining creative approaches from traditional animation, film, graphic design, and more. In this class, students integrate the use of stop-motion animation to produce commercial motion graphics. Students collaboratively produce motion design projects from concept to completion using stop-motion animation techniques while employing industry-standard techniques and technologies.

The parallel history of traditional animation has been of critical importance to aesthetic and technical approaches to the evolution of motion design. Students in this course explore the rich history of hand-drawn animation, from celluloid to digital approaches. Students collaboratively produce motion design projects from concept to completion using hand-drawn animation techniques while employing industry-standard software and characters.

Live-action production is one of the most utilized creative assets in professional motion design. In this course, students evaluate critical professional skills in camera operation, lenses, filters, lighting, and motion pacing through editing. Through hands-on creative production, students are introduced to the technology behind lighting and exposure, employing the aesthetics of cinematography and editing in live-action footage and digital animated production using industry-standard equipment and software.

Typographic design and animation skills are considered critical for any professional role within the motion design industry. In this class, students carefully examine and employ the historical and contemporary use of typography for design in motion graphics. Students create motion design projects that employ typography as a primary communication asset, thereby preparing students to use typography effectively in their upper-level coursework.

The use of 3D computer-generated imagery in motion design is industry-standard practice in the contemporary field. Through exercises and projects, students explore the foundations of 3D motion graphics production including modeling, texturing, lighting, animating, and procedural technology, which are covered in industry-standard software environments. Students use 3D CGI to produce motion graphics, exploring complexities of abstraction and realism for common professional deliverables.

The motion design industry thrives on collaboration and students benefit from a greater understanding of their role in the field. In this class, students are introduced to the multifaceted business of motion graphics including issues of professional communication and presentation, intellectual property, employment markets, work agreements, and financial compensation. While developing a strategic framework for their portfolio, students examine industry structures and requirements, discovering overlapping areas in media production.

In the development of their portfolio, students produce a capstone project that is completed throughout two terms. In this first class of the sequence, students develop their concept, create their storyboard, and design pitch for their senior project. Students execute the preproduction phase of the project within the careful framework of support of their professor and with regular critique and studio practice to support excellence in their previsualization.

Real-time technologies in motion design provide highly responsive solutions for live media environments. In this course, students examine the use of industry-standard, real-time technologies to produce professional-grade motion design projects. Through research and development exercises, students master these emerging tools to create collaborative, dynamic visuals that respond to the demands of live production.

Interactive technologies allow for the creation of motion graphics that respond to live input, such as cameras, spatial scanning, audio, sensors, real-time data, and emerging input systems. In this class, students explore the potentials of using live input for the creation of reactive and responsive interaction motion graphics. Through collaborative research, students develop technology solutions that manifest into interactive motion graphics, such as immersive and spatial media environments, as well as performance-based applications including theatrical productions and live events.

A motion designer’s ability to carry brand personality and visual language across multiple deliverables is essential. Utilizing case studies and analysis, students explore core branding and marketing strategies through the lens of motion design production. Working collaboratively, students create a motion branding system in which they employ their concept across multiple design and animation deliverables to demonstrate proficiency in branded motion systems.

From title sequences and music videos to games and apps, 3D motion design is ubiquitous. In this class, students integrate advanced motion design techniques to generate professional-grade, 3D content. Using industry-standard technology solutions, students create models, textures, lighting, and then animate and track 3D motion content for a range of communication applications such as infographic, advertisement, and entertainment.

Title sequences introduce films, television shows, and events, and are markers of prestige for the studio involved in their production. Using a variety of creative approaches, students explore historical and contemporary design concepts utilized in developing title sequences. Students create a portfolio-grade title sequence project that exemplifies their mastery of typography, visual layout, animation techniques, technical and legal requirements, and compositional prowess.

In the development of their final portfolio, students engage in the production of a capstone project, completed throughout two terms. In this second and final class of the sequence, students execute the production phase of a project, including animation production, postproduction, and final delivery. Students are supported through collaborative research and development, critique, organization, and production scheduling, ultimately creating a final project that showcases their artistic vision and exemplifies their professional skills.

Motion design internships offer students valuable opportunities to work in a professional environment and gain firsthand experience, preparing them for their career. In an approved internship setting, students typically spend one quarter working with a professional supervisor and a faculty internship supervisor to achieve specific goals and objectives related to professional motion design.

Professional motion design projects originate from effective design approaches that address the creative problem. In this class, students evaluate the role of visual design concepts and typography principles as applied in the field of motion design. Through a series of iterative practical class projects and critiques, students effectively utilize storyboarding and previsualization techniques to emphasize motion relationships, translating static design principles into motion design preproduction.

Quality of movement, image polish, and transitions frame the success of professional motion design projects. In this course, students analyze and apply animation techniques and methodologies within a motion design framework. Students create motion design projects using industry-standard software, animating and compositing a variety of visual assets, examining the impact of their creative vision with the larger context of professional motion design practice.

All aesthetics are historical products. In this course, students examine how contemporary motion design has emerged from the avant-garde's aesthetic and how technical innovations have become commonplace. The non-narrative experimental films of the early 1900s provide the foundation that has evolved through technological changes to define the conscious practices and awareness in the present. Students identify how designers employ aesthetics that derive from historical works by studying key artist/designers, technologies, and specific works that define motion design in film, television, video games, and new media.

Creating effective concepts and appropriate designs for creative challenges is a critical role for professional motion designers. In this class, students explore the development of concepts, creation of storyboards/design boards, previsualization workflows, exploratory spatial or sequence-based visualization, and ultimately how to advocate for creative decisions. Through creating design projects, students practice visual communication strategies, typographic principles, composition principles, and design presentations to support motion design, interactive media, and emerging digital experiences.

The historical relationship between traditional cinema and motion design frames the hybrid practice of contemporary motion graphics. In this class, students develop competencies in camera operation, lenses, filters, lighting, and motion pacing through editing. Through hands-on collaborative creative production, students examine the exposure triangle, learning how to employ the artistry of cinematography and editing in live-action footage and digital animation production using industry-standard equipment and software.

Professional motion designers integrate a range of professional skills and software into graphic solutions. In this class, students develop technical skills for animation and compositing to execute more complex design solutions. Using industry-standard software, students practice animation timing, image compositing, and transition choreography, preparing them for creating higher fidelity industry-standard work.

Innovative spatial design, when integrated with motion design, artfully manipulates perceptions of space in physical environments. In this class, students explore spatial motion design, including projection mapping on sculptural and architectural surfaces, and other screen-based systems for installations. Students collaborate on projects using industry-standard software and equipment to develop motion graphics that exist within physical space.

3D computer-generated imagery skills are industry standard in contemporary motion design. In this class, students explore foundational 3D production techniques including modeling, texturing, lighting, animation, and procedural systems. Students use industry-standard 3D CGI software to produce motion graphics, exploring abstraction and realism for common motion design challenges.

From music videos to advertisements, a synchronous relationship between visual kinesis and auditory design is paramount to the creation of compelling content. In this class, students explore the relationship between auditory and visual senses, advancing their motion techniques through fusing sound with kinetic graphic language. Using industry-standard techniques, students create a collection of works focused on audio-visual fusion.

Critical thinking and analysis are essential skills for creative leadership and teaching. In this course, students examine historical studies, contemporary art, and visual theory in a seminar concerned with media theory applications. Students analyze media and translate theory into practice through both their own studio work and classroom discussion, stimulating critical thinking.

Successful motion designers and art directors create design pitches in a range of styles to meet the parameters of creative briefs. In this class, students sharpen their creative and technical expertise through a focused application of advanced design strategies for producing compelling visual concepts. Students create multiple portfolio-grade design pitches under industry-standard constraints, practicing professional collaboration and communication.

Developing professional motion design projects requires unique perspectives of critical resources: human talent, computer technology, and financial assets. In this class, students investigate motion design production as a complex, interdisciplinary system shaped by the strategic integration of human, technological, and financial resources. Students examine budgeting, scheduling, team structures, and client dynamics across 2D, live-action, 3D, and hybrid pipelines. Through case studies and practice-based projects, students develop production frameworks that respond to shifting creative, technical, and logistical conditions. Decision-making, adaptability, and articulation of production strategies are emphasized throughout the course.

Professional motion design roles demand proficiency in typographic design, animation, and compositing. In this class, students examine the historical and contemporary use of typography in motion design, employing their learning in animated content. Students use industry-standard techniques to thoughtfully use typography as a primary communication method, preparing for typographic usage in future portfolio work.

From live concerts to virtual sets, modern media demands instantaneous production. In this course, students produce motion design projects utilizing industry-standard real-time technology, learning to balance visual complexity with the technical constraints of live, responsive media. Through research and development exercises, students collaborate on designs and animations within the high-performance, real-time technological frameworks.

Motion graphics that respond to live input such as cameras, spatial scanning, audio, sensors, real-time data, or emerging input systems allow for interactivity that engages audiences. In this course, students explore how to transform live data into generative visuals and responsive environments. Students research and develop technology solutions into collaborative interactive motion projects, such as professional live production, interactive installations, and immersive media.

During the three-class sequence for thesis, students develop a thoroughly written argumentative research paper about a specific topic related to the field of motion design and produce a visual project as a practice-based demonstration of that research. In this first class of the sequence, students develop their research project driven by a thesis statement through primary research, close readings, and secondary research, including a bibliographic survey. Students produce a preliminary draft of their thesis paper and complete their candidacy review during this class.

Repeatable design artifacts in motion graphics require scripting and procedural systems approaches. In this class, students explore programming logic and procedural techniques for creating motion design toolsets and systems. Through the creation of scripting-based motion design projects, students employ industry-standard workflows and code languages.

Motion design as a hybrid media practice, combines creative techniques from across industries, including traditional animation. In this class, students integrate stop-motion animation to produce commercial motion graphics. By combining traditional frame-by-frame techniques with industry-standard post-production technologies, students collaborate on projects that bridge the gap between physical craft and digital motion graphics.

The history of motion design parallels traditional animation, frequently drawing upon the foundational principles of traditional animation. In this class, students explore the technical approaches of hand-drawn animation, collaborating to produce motion design projects that champion this animation technique. From celluloid to industry-standard software, students use character animation for effective motion design messaging.

Title sequences are a prominent and prestigious aspect of the motion graphics industry. In this class, students utilize industry-standard technology to produce a single fully conceptualized, designed, animated, composited title design for an internal or external client. This project exemplifies professional-quality, portfolio-ready work.

Carrying brand personality and visual aesthetic across multiple deliverables is an essential professional skill for motion designers. In this class, students explore common branding strategies through the lens of motion graphics production. Utilizing collaboration and technical expertise, students create a professional quality motion branding system, employing their concept across multiple design and animation deliverables.

In this final class, master’s students produce professional-grade work that synthesizes their personal design aesthetic with advanced technical proficiency. Students manage the full production lifecycle, from initial concept and strategic planning to final delivery, positioning themselves for high-level industry employment. The course culminates in a formal presentation of a fully realized motion project that serves as a cornerstone of their professional portfolio.

By understanding their future role in the motion design industry, students strengthen the collaboration and communication skills essential for professional success. In this class, students assess the multifaceted business of motion design, including professional communication and presentation, intellectual property, employment markets, work agreements, and financial compensation. Students create a strategic framework for their portfolio, examining industry structures, and discovering overlapping verticals in media production..

Through experimentation with unusual and atypical production processes, students develop an aesthetic skillset for professional work that differentiates themselves. Students explore historical techniques used by avant-garde and experimental media artists, achieving mastery with those methods and protocols through iterative experimentation.

In this second class of the thesis process, students refine and narrow the scope of their research and begin pre-production, including schedule, storyboards, animatics, and references, for the completion of their research and project in Thesis Studio III. Students curate their thesis committee and must secure their committee before applying to complete their final thesis course.

The integration of 3D imagery, both photoreal and abstract, has become ubiquitous in contemporary motion design. In this class, students advance their motion design skills for the generation of professional-grade 3D content. Using the latest industry-standard technology, students create models, textures, lighting, and animations for a range of communication applications. Students are encouraged to integrate procedural systems and explore a variety of technical approaches.

Professional motion design internships create valuable opportunities for students to work in a processional setting and gain firsthand experience, optimal for career preparation. In an approved internship setting, students typically spend one quarter working with a professional supervisor and a faculty internship supervisor to meet specific learning objectives related to professional motion design.

In this final thesis class, students complete both their written component and their visual project developed in Thesis Studio I and II. Within their thesis, students illustrate a thorough mastery of the aesthetics, critical history, and technical production common to the motion design discipline. Thesis completion requires coordination with the student’s individual committee whose approval is required to publish their thesis.