Definitely not understanding the graph editor!! And going straight to After Effects without any storyboard or planning. As you said you lose so my time understanding what you are going to do and how...
Thank you for creating this video. I am lost when I'm doing my work. I was thinking.. is it need a plugin to make it better or how I should go further to make an interesting video. I was in the neck of the bottle. After seeing this I will continue to do what I'm doing now and its the right thing to make it better. The mistake I had done is the design part. I was much focusing on developing good and detailed animation. But as you said.. focus on animation without a good design, can't impress the audience...Thank you for all your sharing and tips. Please do also let me know if there is suggested group that I can join to learn more. Much appreciated.
Im just gonna leave the principles of animation here 1. Squash and stretch 2. Anticipation 3. Staging 4. Straight ahead action and pose to pose 5. Follow through and overlapping action 6. Slow in and slow out (basically easing and using the scary graph editor) 7. Arc (things tend to move in arcs like limbs and when stuff is thrown) 8. Secondary action 9. Timing 10. Exaggeration 11. Solid drawing 12. Appeal
03:58 Totally. When I learned more about the principles, I started learning how the curves work and the impact that made between my keyframes. On that moment, everything made sence!
@@BenMarriott there is nothing as to be left behind. i just use stuff from those templates that i need and then keep those files as backup junk. there is always something that is useful but it's use isn't at the current time but definitely is in future. edit: also these mistakes are like so on spot mistakes 😂 i think 90% of us have definitely gone through them. mine? fear of graph editing
Ben, this is the first time I have ever commented on a UA-cam video, so please accept my complements on your engaging style. Well done. I’m an old guy with no aspirations to design motion for a living, but you have helped me make art and challenge myself and for that I am grateful. Keep making weird stuff and teaching us to explore motion. Thanks!
What i do with templates that i found really cool is to find out how they are made of. Opening the hiding layers, seeing all the frames, the masks, the shapes and effects. Then i figured what things do i know and what not, if i know all the tricks i immediately recreate the proyect.
It's reassuring to hear that I wasn't the only one fretting over purchasing Plexus, Trapcode Suite and other plugins to feel like I was now apart of the MoGraph club. Aside from doing 3D motion backgrounds that loop, I rarely use those plugins for my animation projects today. All of your topics were on point for I was able to relate to the majority of them. Well done!
I started off pretty well then. But I will say that plugins such as flow improve my workflow massively, and sometimes produce better results than the graph editor. I switched to flow halfway through a project, and you can see the difference in smoothness.
I absolutely love flow. Plugins can be great, when I was starting though. I thought they were the key to great work, no I think they're a great accessory.
Addendum: Being overly agreeable and serving up a "Can-Do Attitude" when they have concerns or see red flags in the design or project timeline. Beginners may not notice all the brewing issues, but they definitely notice (and then sit on) a few, and nobody is happy down the road when they want to stick to the promise of big delivery and cannot, whether it's down to rookie mistakes or expectations may have been unrealistic from the start.
I'm not sure I agree that every project doesn't need a lightsaber. Otherwise, very helpful tips and made me realize some areas I could improve like spending more time in design and making animatics. Would love to see a video where you show an overview of the whole process of taking an initial concept to final animation. Seems like there might be steps I'm skipping or just flat unaware of.
@pilanceboil "EVERY project NEEDS a lightsaber, sadly so many projects don't WANT a lightsaber." Truth right here. I hope every CD out there reads this. Huge missed opportunity for so many productions to leave out lightsabers. A few that especially come to mind are Breaking Bad, Titanic, 50 Shades of Gray, Babe, Our Planet... what a waste. Keep preaching the good word and maybe we can finally see the #lightsabersEqualsQuality movement finally take off. People need to be aware.
Man this cuts deep....but very true. You get so in the weeds thinking about all of the shit that you don’t know and that you’re not good enough that, but 80 to 90% of most of the projects that you end up getting paid for our good design and clean animation. Yes, the tricks look cool, but very very rarely has a complex particle system told a story.
really reassuring to see I avoided most of these. First thing I focused on were the transform options, masks, and the graph editor, so it's good to see that pay off now, a few months later. I do need to spend more time designing and to be better organised though Thanks for making this :D
On point, honest, and useful. Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Ben. As for the templates, I don't use any, I just watch how they animate and try to make them myself.
I have met so many young new artists that say they "don't need drawing classes because they just want to animate or design" well you do and should learn to draw (or at least rough sketch out your idea) So Yes sketch out your design and work outside after-effects (or almost any animation software) not only for timing but also for layout and look. also storyboard/animatic you work for timing and composition. Thanks @benmarriott These tips are very helpful THANKS YOU!!!
Thank you so much for doing what you do! I just started with animation and actually almost quit at the start, but with your videos I started to feel more and more motivated! 🌻✨ They're SO helpful! 🌻✨🍃
I did my first paid motion graphics work and asked a friend in the industry if she storyboards her videos. She said yes, so I created a story board that also served as design frame mock ups. Best decision I made in the project. Saved me sooo much time later.
I've been getting into motion graphics lately, but I used to work in broadcast supporting a motion graphics team for sports content. The head of that dept and I worked closely together on tech stuff. It was his budget but I had to implement it. One day I asked him "why all the bloody plugins". They had Red Giant everything, Trapcode etc He replied that you can pretty much do anything the plugins do in AE. It just takes longer. Since we had hard deadlines and only 12 machines in the render farm, every minute saved on the front end is worth 5-10 rendering. So dont sweat plugins. You can always figure out a way.
I'm out of breath. I teach AE and man you're like so good at teaching it, like not only you know the software well you're eloquent. thanks for your work.
This really helped, im trying to learn how to do Everything and it was a little overwhelming but i pushed through, its nice to have a blueprint like this to kind of base how to learn more.
I made/am making most of the mistakes u talked about, but tbh the graph editor was so fantastic to me! When I started realizing what you could do with the graph animator i just fell in love with after effects xD
No. 9 I realised on my own recently and trying to find inspiration from fine art and old graphic designs, still keep forgetting, looking at only new animators for inspiration. But hearing it from you should plaster it in my mind.
I am considering myself as a Beginner in After Effects, but coming from the Graphic Design and typography scene and working for clients for years all of your Mistakes except for one aren't an issue. The one mistake i still do a lot is not naming the layers. I usually do the prework in Photoshop and Illustrator with an idea in mind, design them, name groups and then add the Animation in the last step. But sometimes I still dont name my Text/Image layers. At least they are still grouped. :D
@@johannestonnies7898 true. the past like 6 months I've been so damn depressed, I just used ae once for a project. I usually used to use ae on a daily basis bc I love editing. I gotta start to make some stuff again
I think motion V2 gets me about 90% of the way, especially when doing repetitive. Then hop into graph editor when something just needs a hand tuned ease. It's just so annoying when there's a bunch of layers needing the same easing.
@@BenMarriott I'd be interested in seeing how you manage multiple layers needing the same easing. That's the number one reason I stop at good enough with complex stuff.
@@moboxgraphics I'm no seasoned pro, but you might wanna look into EaseCopy - aescripts + plugins, really helps me maintain the ease timing over multiple layers. Do get back if this helped out :))
Great advice! I also agree about avoiding puppet pins if you can. Although they have their place, puppet pins are a pain. I prefer shape layers as well. I’m not a pro, and I can’t afford many plugs, but the two I use the most are Duik Bassel (free animation tool set) and Overlord (cheap tool that quickly moves Illustrator shapes to AE as shape layers).
Really, really enjoyed that video Ben. I'm at the relatively new comer level to AE, and it was just the sort of video I've been looking for. New sub straight away! Look forward to browsing through your channel over the next few days!
Hey Ben, Great video. I’ve been animating in Maya and other 3d app graph editors for 20+ years and I remember how intimidating it was. I find AEs graph editor frustrating to work with! I’m getting used to it but it is lacking compared to 3d app GEs. I wish they would bring it online with those standards. It’s particularly frustrating to zoom in and out of, the fact you can’t see beyond the comp frame range, and a bunch of other things are missing I believe!
I've just gotten into motion graphics (about a year now), but coming into it from a background in music production. I tutor for that and I'm fully relentless about getting my students to label and colour their tracks, for exactly the same reasons. It's good to know I have at least one skill which transfers...
Having worked for more than 20 years with after effects, I must say that what this guys says is.... absolutely right!. Man, how hard is to convince a young animator not to rely on templates or plugins for everithing, and if you criticize that you´re tagged as a dinoaur, a person whose doesnt adapt to modern times.... I would like to add one more mistake, Too many spins, too many motion, a very complex animation path most of times make horrible motion. I prefer simpler, subtler motion but adding interpolation curves using graph editor and kf assistants. Giving anticipation and overshoot to everything.
I haven't watched you in a while but your videos are all wonderful--this one in particular though I wished I would have watched something like this when I first started. Not being organized up front, whether it be with the design, the storyboards, animatics and project organization was something I had no idea was so valuable. Jumping into AE was all I did. As soon as I started including all of those things in my workflow, my projects made sense and worked. The part about being able to go back and edit and pull from files is crucial because you'll do that all the time with client work and personal projects that you put on hold for a while but want to restart. Thanks so much for all your videos!!!
motion graphics is an art that any time I go through that to learn it , I become discouraged and leave that and go to another art form but after a while I come back to it again because I like that but don't know where to start You khow , there's a looooot of things you should learn , I always give up at the middle, cause I don't khow what to to then after for example learning the fundementals You khow what I mean? any one like me? so my q is after learning basics then what to do?? Thank you very much your contents are soooo helpful and also should mention awesome design!
im new to after effects ... my first animation i did with trim path then i used saber... a day later i realized u can do all without saber lol but overlord is pretty helpfull as far i saw i might get it...
I'm still terrified of the value graph, but I still don't really understand it. Would you ever consider doing a walkthrough of the value graph? That would be amazing. Thanks!
Thanks for the info. You’re very well spoken and succinct on camera! If you made a motion graphics course focusing on After Effects and animation fundamentals for professional work. I would buy it for my crew immediately. Perhaps use mockups (swap out branding for copyright issues) of existing professional projects? And, course files for step by step follow along. Learning by doing. If you look at the highest ranking courses on Udemy, they’re pulling in pretty good money.
The 10 Biggest Motion Graphics tips - ben marriot 1. when you collect collecting plugins stick to the ones that just improve our workflow 2. relying on templates has a place for repetitive task and when a client has a zero budget,but when you use the a lot you don't improve your skills, don't develop a habit of it or you don't see youself developing the abilities you nedd. 3. ignoring design , spend time in photoshop or illustrator designing something that looks good first that, that way when you get into after effects, you don't need to think about how good it looks, then you're just focusing on how to make it move good. (good design + basic animation = impressive)(bad design + great animation = impresses no one) 4. you must keep your project organized, especially working with teams, no one wants to work someone who makes their work harder, name and color code your layers, it helps to you and other people using your file to keep track of where the things are. 5. don`t forego the fundamentals(animating scale, rotation, scale, shape paths, masks), but if you should spend some time as well focusing on what you're gonna be doing the majority of time the animating(look ito the 12 principles of animation) they definitely improve your work if you understand and apply them. 6. graph editor (plugins like motion v2 and ease and waves could get great looking easing with just one click) but if you want to get and animation really bespoke and sets up the aniticiaption and get something really smooth and snappy that feels natural you're gonna have to get in the graph editor, is something that will improve your animation the most.(use the speed or the value editor) and always try to separate the x and y position values, it makes a lot more easier in the graph editor 7. not everything has to have cinematic lighting and volumetric clouds and light sabers or even looping textures and grain, not every project needs those things, each project should be focused on the needs of a client not your most recently watched youtube videos. 8. you need to make an animatic, from there it'll also show you where more design, frames maybe need to be created or maybe a part of the animation is going to faster, you need to lose a scene or two. create an animatic for your projects, it helps you to get a better overview of the project as a whole, it allows you to make timing changes before you've committed much time to animating the the final piece. 9. get references not just from motionographer or the hotest studios or the best animation out there, but differente sources like music, past century design, tv openings, music, and others. 10. good animation takes time, create animation takes even longer, you need to design because is the best solution in order to create a better project. bonus: When you 're animating characters, better use shape layers it looks way better.
I did all of these, but now I like to think that I've risen from the ashes as a plugin free, organised, time taker (still need to start sending the clients the animatic though! good tip!)
Of course not....when I saw this first in Maya, I cried. I mean literally!!!! But just breath, check out some tutorials and the GE will be your friend, I mean it :)
Thanks Ben! Really enjoy your videos and insight into motion graphic design and animation! I’m a noob in this area and recently cut together a demo of my work and incorporated a little mograph in it. It’s 51 seconds and would love any feedback if you can offer it. Hope all is well 🤙🏻
Extra video this week! The regularly scheduled video one still happening on Thursday. What mistakes did you make when starting out?
I am still starting out!
all of them :D
Definitely not understanding the graph editor!! And going straight to After Effects without any storyboard or planning. As you said you lose so my time understanding what you are going to do and how...
Thank you for creating this video. I am lost when I'm doing my work. I was thinking.. is it need a plugin to make it better or how I should go further to make an interesting video. I was in the neck of the bottle. After seeing this I will continue to do what I'm doing now and its the right thing to make it better. The mistake I had done is the design part. I was much focusing on developing good and detailed animation. But as you said.. focus on animation without a good design, can't impress the audience...Thank you for all your sharing and tips. Please do also let me know if there is suggested group that I can join to learn more. Much appreciated.
Great video we so needed this!
We are extremely new to AE and this helped big time!
Thanx again and please keep making more AE tuts!
Im just gonna leave the principles of animation here
1. Squash and stretch
2. Anticipation
3. Staging
4. Straight ahead action and pose to pose
5. Follow through and overlapping action
6. Slow in and slow out (basically easing and using the scary graph editor)
7. Arc (things tend to move in arcs like limbs and when stuff is thrown)
8. Secondary action
9. Timing
10. Exaggeration
11. Solid drawing
12. Appeal
1. Collecting Plugins
2. Relying on Templates
3. Ignoring Design
4. Unorganized Projects
5. Foregoing Fundamentals
6. Fearing the Graph Editor
7. Always using Tutorials
8. Skipping Animatics
9. Limited References
10. Not Taking Your Time
Thanks for this :D
Wow, you've paid much attention!
11. Not labeling your layers
@@FineBoi That was under "Unorganized Projects".
the first one hit me like a truck
"10: not taking your time"
me, deadline in three days, barely started: hmmm... yes....
haha, animate like the wind! :D
Is this comment a personal attack towards me ?
Jokes aside, good luck with your gig
Hahaha :(
Agree with every single point
Thanks so much mate! :D
03:58 Totally. When I learned more about the principles, I started learning how the curves work and the impact that made between my keyframes. On that moment, everything made sence!
I love using templates to “scrap for parts” just pulling out the pieces I need, and leaving the rest behind.
Definitely a useful technique. :D knowing what to leave is the hard part haha
@@BenMarriott there is nothing as to be left behind. i just use stuff from those templates that i need and then keep those files as backup junk. there is always something that is useful but it's use isn't at the current time but definitely is in future.
edit: also these mistakes are like so on spot mistakes 😂 i think 90% of us have definitely gone through them. mine? fear of graph editing
@@MegaHellx would you use the project on your portfolio even if you took bits and pieces from templates?
oh my stars Ben if you could make a value graph editor tutorial i would be so happy, been using AE for years and I still can't wrap my head around it
Ben, this is the first time I have ever commented on a UA-cam video, so please accept my complements on your engaging style. Well done. I’m an old guy with no aspirations to design motion for a living, but you have helped me make art and challenge myself and for that I am grateful. Keep making weird stuff and teaching us to explore motion.
Thanks!
I learn so much in your channel
Thanks so much for watching, glad you find the videos helpful :)
The sound effect for the Graph Editor scene is ACCURATE
What i do with templates that i found really cool is to find out how they are made of.
Opening the hiding layers, seeing all the frames, the masks, the shapes and effects.
Then i figured what things do i know and what not, if i know all the tricks i immediately recreate the proyect.
Thank advice!
It's reassuring to hear that I wasn't the only one fretting over purchasing Plexus, Trapcode Suite and other plugins to feel like I was now apart of the MoGraph club. Aside from doing 3D motion backgrounds that loop, I rarely use those plugins for my animation projects today. All of your topics were on point for I was able to relate to the majority of them. Well done!
You know what, A minute before opening this video, I was searching for the plugins, All mistakes you mentioned are to the point.
I started off pretty well then.
But I will say that plugins such as flow improve my workflow massively, and sometimes produce better results than the graph editor. I switched to flow halfway through a project, and you can see the difference in smoothness.
I absolutely love flow. Plugins can be great, when I was starting though. I thought they were the key to great work, no I think they're a great accessory.
Addendum: Being overly agreeable and serving up a "Can-Do Attitude" when they have concerns or see red flags in the design or project timeline. Beginners may not notice all the brewing issues, but they definitely notice (and then sit on) a few, and nobody is happy down the road when they want to stick to the promise of big delivery and cannot, whether it's down to rookie mistakes or expectations may have been unrealistic from the start.
100% I did this myself too. It's so much better to speak up soon and say "we can't do that in 4 days, what about this instead..."
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Ben. It'd be great to know more about animatics and how to integrate it in the workflow.
I'm not sure I agree that every project doesn't need a lightsaber.
Otherwise, very helpful tips and made me realize some areas I could improve like spending more time in design and making animatics. Would love to see a video where you show an overview of the whole process of taking an initial concept to final animation. Seems like there might be steps I'm skipping or just flat unaware of.
Haha, perhaps I was quick to judge. That's a great idea for a video, I'm adding that to the list :D
@pilanceboil "EVERY project NEEDS a lightsaber, sadly so many projects don't WANT a lightsaber." Truth right here. I hope every CD out there reads this. Huge missed opportunity for so many productions to leave out lightsabers. A few that especially come to mind are Breaking Bad, Titanic, 50 Shades of Gray, Babe, Our Planet... what a waste. Keep preaching the good word and maybe we can finally see the #lightsabersEqualsQuality movement finally take off. People need to be aware.
@pilanceboil And also with you.
Blasphemy. If a project doesn't need a lightsaber... its not worth your time hahahahaha
Man this cuts deep....but very true. You get so in the weeds thinking about all of the shit that you don’t know and that you’re not good enough that, but 80 to 90% of most of the projects that you end up getting paid for our good design and clean animation. Yes, the tricks look cool, but very very rarely has a complex particle system told a story.
Yes!!! So happy you added the template for all to use! Cheers boss!!! Sidebar, you rule Ben!
really reassuring to see I avoided most of these. First thing I focused on were the transform options, masks, and the graph editor, so it's good to see that pay off now, a few months later.
I do need to spend more time designing and to be better organised though
Thanks for making this :D
Was waiting to see the "we always label our layers" great video love your work!!!
On point, honest, and useful. Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Ben. As for the templates, I don't use any, I just watch how they animate and try to make them myself.
I have met so many young new artists that say they "don't need drawing classes because they just want to animate or design" well you do and should learn to draw (or at least rough sketch out your idea) So Yes sketch out your design and work outside after-effects (or almost any animation software) not only for timing but also for layout and look. also storyboard/animatic you work for timing and composition. Thanks @benmarriott These tips are very helpful THANKS YOU!!!
Excellent thanks!
Thank you so much for doing what you do! I just started with animation and actually almost quit at the start, but with your videos I started to feel more and more motivated! 🌻✨ They're SO helpful! 🌻✨🍃
#1 is gold. I literally have tens of plugins that I don't know what they are for!
This was great. Simple refresh on the basics that we all forget, at any experience level.
Awesome video Ben!
I don’t usually comment, but I just wanted to tell you THANK YOU. I’ve learned so much from your channel over the last week. Really fantastic stuff.
I did my first paid motion graphics work and asked a friend in the industry if she storyboards her videos. She said yes, so I created a story board that also served as design frame mock ups. Best decision I made in the project. Saved me sooo much time later.
Thanks ben! I agree with all the tips! I work with a team and i hate when i found names like: Comp1 or No title.aep everything should be named folks!
Thank you Master Ben for sharing your wisdom.
Favorite UA-cam channel by a long shot. Thanks for being helpful and always labeling your layers
I will be continuing your frame by frame after I have finished James Curran’s course loops both courses are brilliant and so different
I've been getting into motion graphics lately, but I used to work in broadcast supporting a motion graphics team for sports content.
The head of that dept and I worked closely together on tech stuff. It was his budget but I had to implement it.
One day I asked him "why all the bloody plugins".
They had Red Giant everything, Trapcode etc
He replied that you can pretty much do anything the plugins do in AE. It just takes longer.
Since we had hard deadlines and only 12 machines in the render farm, every minute saved on the front end is worth 5-10 rendering.
So dont sweat plugins. You can always figure out a way.
It would be awesome if you could make a video about animatics, and maybe show examples. Thanks for the useful content!
You're my fav motion designer
I'm out of breath. I teach AE and man you're like so good at teaching it, like not only you know the software well you're eloquent. thanks for your work.
Thanks 😊😊
This really helped, im trying to learn how to do Everything and it was a little overwhelming but i pushed through, its nice to have a blueprint like this to kind of base how to learn more.
I made/am making most of the mistakes u talked about, but tbh the graph editor was so fantastic to me! When I started realizing what you could do with the graph animator i just fell in love with after effects xD
No. 9 I realised on my own recently and trying to find inspiration from fine art and old graphic designs, still keep forgetting, looking at only new animators for inspiration. But hearing it from you should plaster it in my mind.
When n°4 came I was like YES THIS IS MY BEN
Haha, should have been #1 - #10 to be honest :D
ALWAYS
LABEL
YOUR
LAYERS
Can you make a video about designing and creating your animatics? I would find ir really helpful.
I am considering myself as a Beginner in After Effects, but coming from the Graphic Design and typography scene and working for clients for years all of your Mistakes except for one aren't an issue. The one mistake i still do a lot is not naming the layers. I usually do the prework in Photoshop and Illustrator with an idea in mind, design them, name groups and then add the Animation in the last step. But sometimes I still dont name my Text/Image layers. At least they are still grouped. :D
11-Don't be envious.
I'm pertpetually consumed by envy (for other motion designers) and it's a horrible life...sucks the living energy out of you...
Feel this so bad....
Y'all need to shift the focus from the result to the process :)
@@johannestonnies7898 true. the past like 6 months I've been so damn depressed, I just used ae once for a project. I usually used to use ae on a daily basis bc I love editing. I gotta start to make some stuff again
why does this happen to all of us :( i started out with so much passion and motivation but then got consumed by comparing myself to others :(
Comparison is the thief of all joy. The only person you should be comparing your work to is your past self. :)
thanks a lot Ben, really awesome stuff you shared with us
After watching this, it gave me a new perspective 😁
Rule 4 is a key one! So glad I came upon your channel. Thank you for teaching me that “We always name our layers” 😌
You're so welcome! :)
Templates can be a nice learning tool, if you get them for the purpose of diving through them and seeing how the effects are created
we need more of these sir ben
I think motion V2 gets me about 90% of the way, especially when doing repetitive. Then hop into graph editor when something just needs a hand tuned ease. It's just so annoying when there's a bunch of layers needing the same easing.
I think that's the smartest way to approach it. When I was starting I'd just stop when it was 'good enough;
@@BenMarriott I'd be interested in seeing how you manage multiple layers needing the same easing. That's the number one reason I stop at good enough with complex stuff.
@@moboxgraphics I'm no seasoned pro, but you might wanna look into EaseCopy - aescripts + plugins, really helps me maintain the ease timing over multiple layers. Do get back if this helped out :))
That's what EaseCopy is for.
@@moboxgraphics parent to a null?
Always giving valuable tips, Ben. Thank you
how could you be scared of the graph editor, I think graph editor is the most enjoyable part of a project, I absolutely love them
Great advice! I also agree about avoiding puppet pins if you can. Although they have their place, puppet pins are a pain. I prefer shape layers as well. I’m not a pro, and I can’t afford many plugs, but the two I use the most are Duik Bassel (free animation tool set) and Overlord (cheap tool that quickly moves Illustrator shapes to AE as shape layers).
Ben these are brilliant and so true.
No words man, just sending hugs Thank you 😭🙏
Thanks so much again for an amazing video. I am literally just starting out so your Etho's and tips have been helping me massivley!
Happy to help! Thank you for watching :)
Really, really enjoyed that video Ben. I'm at the relatively new comer level to AE, and it was just the sort of video I've been looking for. New sub straight away! Look forward to browsing through your channel over the next few days!
Thanks for all this!
Hey Ben,
Great video. I’ve been animating in Maya and other 3d app graph editors for 20+ years and I remember how intimidating it was. I find AEs graph editor frustrating to work with! I’m getting used to it but it is lacking compared to 3d app GEs. I wish they would bring it online with those standards. It’s particularly frustrating to zoom in and out of, the fact you can’t see beyond the comp frame range, and a bunch of other things are missing I believe!
Omg, the fear of graph editor is so relatable, lol! I'm still learning to get better at it...
ur face is so peace, i think u're a good friend.
Hey Ben you say what is matter you make it easier thank you 👍
Really love your stuff Ben! thx a lot. Kisses from France
Merci! I really appreciate it :D
I use particular a lot at work. But it is just one of many tools.
Amazing! I laugh through the whole video because I had made all these mistakes haha, I love your videos, thanks for sharing your knowledge
Thank you so much! Your tips and tutorials help and inspire me to make the videos I never thought would be possible before
Thanks Ben. Would you consider doing an in-depth value graph tutorial?
Always good advice, one of my top 5 youtubers... kudos dude
Cool one.. Thanks for creating a content based on this topic..
Thank you for sharing this. Can you make one video explaining graph editors and how do you approach it?
I'll absolutely be doing that in the future, it's such a big one that I want to tackle it properly :D
@@BenMarriott a big thank you in advance. I've been watching your videos and it's really helpful.
i saw the title of this video and my mind automatically went "not labeling our layers"
Haha, I should've mentioned that first! :)
Some peoples internal house keeping is horendous, you can usually pick the artists that havent worked in a team environment because of it.
I've just gotten into motion graphics (about a year now), but coming into it from a background in music production. I tutor for that and I'm fully relentless about getting my students to label and colour their tracks, for exactly the same reasons. It's good to know I have at least one skill which transfers...
Having worked for more than 20 years with after effects, I must say that what this guys says is.... absolutely right!. Man, how hard is to convince a young animator not to rely on templates or plugins for everithing, and if you criticize that you´re tagged as a dinoaur, a person whose doesnt adapt to modern times....
I would like to add one more mistake, Too many spins, too many motion, a very complex animation path most of times make horrible motion. I prefer simpler, subtler motion but adding interpolation curves using graph editor and kf assistants. Giving anticipation and overshoot to everything.
Thank you for this! Incredibly helpful and just what I needed to hear!
Thanks Ben! This was super helpful! *Deletes templates folder*
I haven't watched you in a while but your videos are all wonderful--this one in particular though I wished I would have watched something like this when I first started. Not being organized up front, whether it be with the design, the storyboards, animatics and project organization was something I had no idea was so valuable. Jumping into AE was all I did. As soon as I started including all of those things in my workflow, my projects made sense and worked. The part about being able to go back and edit and pull from files is crucial because you'll do that all the time with client work and personal projects that you put on hold for a while but want to restart. Thanks so much for all your videos!!!
motion graphics is an art that any time I go through that to learn it , I become discouraged and leave that and go to another art form but after a while I come back to it again because I like that but don't know where to start
You khow , there's a looooot of things you should learn , I always give up at the middle, cause I don't khow what to to then after for example learning the fundementals
You khow what I mean?
any one like me?
so my q is after learning basics then what to do??
Thank you very much
your contents are soooo helpful and also should mention awesome design!
Thanks for this great video, Ben! Looking forward to more.
Love this, I refuse to use any plugin. I try to make it straight from the program with my knowledge.
Yay! new tutorial!
im new to after effects ... my first animation i did with trim path then i used saber... a day later i realized u can do all without saber lol but overlord is pretty helpfull as far i saw i might get it...
Just got here randomly and I was skeptical at the beginning of the video but I can't agree more with you, Ben. Specially point 4!! ;)
I'm still terrified of the value graph, but I still don't really understand it. Would you ever consider doing a walkthrough of the value graph? That would be amazing. Thanks!
Thanks for the info. You’re very well spoken and succinct on camera! If you made a motion graphics course focusing on After Effects and animation fundamentals for professional work. I would buy it for my crew immediately. Perhaps use mockups (swap out branding for copyright issues) of existing professional projects? And, course files for step by step follow along. Learning by doing.
If you look at the highest ranking courses on Udemy, they’re pulling in pretty good money.
The 10 Biggest Motion Graphics tips - ben marriot
1. when you collect collecting plugins stick to the ones that just improve our workflow
2. relying on templates has a place for repetitive task and when a client has a zero budget,but when you use the a lot you don't improve your skills, don't develop a habit of it or you don't see youself developing the abilities you nedd.
3. ignoring design , spend time in photoshop or illustrator designing something that looks good first that, that way when you get into after effects, you don't need to think about how good it looks, then you're just focusing on how to make it move good.
(good design + basic animation = impressive)(bad design + great animation = impresses no one)
4. you must keep your project organized, especially working with teams, no one wants to work someone who makes their work harder, name and color code your layers, it helps to you and other people using your file to keep track of where the things are.
5. don`t forego the fundamentals(animating scale, rotation, scale, shape paths, masks), but if you should spend some time as well focusing on what you're gonna be doing the majority of time the animating(look ito the 12 principles of animation) they definitely improve your work if you understand and apply them.
6. graph editor (plugins like motion v2 and ease and waves could get great looking easing with just one click) but if you want to get and animation really bespoke and sets up the aniticiaption and get something really smooth and snappy that feels natural you're gonna have to get in the graph editor, is something that will improve your animation the most.(use the speed or the value editor) and always try to separate the x and y position values, it makes a lot more easier in the graph editor
7. not everything has to have cinematic lighting and volumetric clouds and light sabers or even looping textures and grain, not every project needs those things, each project should be focused on the needs of a client not your most recently watched youtube videos.
8. you need to make an animatic, from there it'll also show you where more design, frames maybe need to be created or maybe a part of the animation is going to faster, you need to lose a scene or two. create an animatic for your projects, it helps you to get a better overview of the project as a whole, it allows you to make timing changes before you've committed much time to animating the the final piece.
9. get references not just from motionographer or the hotest studios or the best animation out there, but differente sources like music, past century design, tv openings, music, and others.
10. good animation takes time, create animation takes even longer, you need to design because is the best solution in order to create a better project.
bonus:
When you 're animating characters, better use shape layers it looks way better.
Biggest mistake a beginner motion designer can make:
Not subscribing to Ben Marriott. o_o
These are great. 9 especially chimed for me
Cool. Very useful.
Thanks for watching :D glad you enjoyed it
I did all of these, but now I like to think that I've risen from the ashes as a plugin free, organised, time taker (still need to start sending the clients the animatic though! good tip!)
haha, I still fall back into these bad habits :D
Thanks Ben, that was really helpful and somehow relaxing to know my mistakes are more common then I thought :)
I completely agree on your point about plug-ins. I'm both surprised and jealous you've never used particular on a commercial project :P !!
This is actually useful, kudos!
Great Advice for a beinner like me. THANKS
Omg I'm not the only one who is terrified of that stupid graph editor!!!
Of course not....when I saw this first in Maya, I cried. I mean literally!!!! But just breath, check out some tutorials and the GE will be your friend, I mean it :)
Is there a channel like Ben Marriott but for illustrators?
Lemme know if you find one I think I need that in my life
Thanks Ben! Really enjoy your videos and insight into motion graphic design and animation! I’m a noob in this area and recently cut together a demo of my work and incorporated a little mograph in it. It’s 51 seconds and would love any feedback if you can offer it. Hope all is well 🤙🏻
You Ben this is great!
Thanks so much!