Motion graphics is an area of graphic design that involves developing animated digital visuals for websites, apps, films, television, and social media. Working in motion graphics requires using applications such as Adobe After Effects, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and Photoshop to create dynamic graphics that help professionals stand out in today’s competitive tech labor market.
Skills in motion graphics have become vital for several areas of media design, including digital advertising and web design. Training in motion graphics can also help new talent find careers by providing the skills needed to handle a variety of design software. This includes producing animated graphic designs that combine text, audio, motion, animation, and visual effects for social media, YouTube videos, movies, TV shows, and commercials. Motion graphics can also be used to create content for video games. Training in this discipline can lead to work at film studios, marketing agencies, television stations, and gaming companies, with jobs that allow Graphic Designers and Animators to work as part of a design team or as independent contractors.
For anyone considering learning motion graphics or demonstrating advanced skills with graphic design software, there are courses, bootcamps, and certificate programs that prepare students for certification and expertise in the field. Whether a specific job requires certification or not, earning one can enhance anyone’s likelihood of finding work. Certificate training not only teaches motion-graphics skills but also helps students pass certification exams. Such credentials provide the abilities needed for careers in animation, visual effects, or video editing as Motion Graphics Designers, Graphic Designers, Video Editors, or Animators.
Why Learn Motion Graphics?
Anyone who has watched animated films, TV programs, or commercials may wonder how they are produced. Motion graphics offers options for working in a variety of jobs related to animation and graphic design. Skills in this field can be applied to entertainment, information media, and education.
Motion graphics produce animated designs that combine text, sound, motion, animation, and visual effects for social media, YouTube, commercials, film, and television. These skills can lead to jobs at film studios and television stations, as well as with websites and social media platforms, offering flexibility for working full-time on a design team, part-time, or as an independent contractor.
Training in motion graphics covers animation, visual effects, and video editing, and can lead to work as an Animator, Visual Effects Artist, Motion Graphics Designer, or 3D Animator. Motion graphics takes graphic design to another level; animation visually tells a story and connects with viewers more quickly than other branding options. Animation can range from a small accent to a significant visual enhancement. Learning to create motion graphics can set up skilled individuals for careers in animation and visual effects.
What Can You Do with Motion Graphics?
Motion graphics are animated designs that combine text, sound, motion, animation, and visual effects for commercials, websites, online videos, television shows, and movies. Training can also help create content for video games and lead to careers in industries such as marketing, film, and television.
Creating motion graphics require applications like Adobe After Effects, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and Photoshop to create or manipulate dynamic visuals that help professionals find work in today’s competitive tech job market. These skills have become essential across various industries. Training provides opportunities in animation, graphic design, and digital media.
Web Design
Skills in motion graphics benefit both web and graphic design. Motion graphics add dynamic visual elements to text and graphics on websites and digital media to attract and engage audiences. As websites are now central to global business, companies often employ or contract Web Designers to establish a brand identity. Using motion graphics, Web Designers create animated images and text that catch potential customers’ eyes, helping products or services stand out amid Internet clutter.
After Effects
Adobe After Effects is a visual-effects application used in post-production compositing, video effects, and animation. Video Editors and Visual Designers use it to create and edit animations for movies, TV shows, YouTube, or social media. Learning After Effects gives Designers skills for controlling animation, applying visual effects, and drawing audiences in. The app offers tools for green-screen compositing and 2D and 3D animation. As part of Adobe Creative Cloud, After Effects integrates seamlessly with Illustrator, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro, optimizing motion graphics in video editing and visual-effects design.
Apple Final Cut Pro
Apple Final Cut Pro provides basic video-editing options and advanced features such as range tools, audio syncing, keyframes, and position tools. It has become a standard tool in the film industry for motion pictures and television shows. Web Designers use Final Cut Pro to optimize online media across platforms and integrate videos for YouTube or footage from smartphones. Editors benefit from features like multi-camera editing, color correction, green-screen options, and the ability to speed up or slow down footage.
Are Motion Graphics Classes Worth It?
Learning motion graphics can broaden a Graphic Designer’s skill set through classes that teach various design software. Experienced designers can enhance their abilities by training with applications like Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro, as well as other tools in the Adobe Creative Cloud.
Graphic Designers seeking new careers or improving current skills may be interested in certificate training. Motion-graphics classes expand career options in film, television, websites, and social media. Skills in this field can lead to freelance work or positions on design teams at companies or agencies. Motion graphics facilitates designing animations and visual effects and contributes to video editing, leading to roles as Graphic Designers, Motion Graphics Designers, Animators, 3D Animators, or Video Editors.
Best In-Person Motion Graphics Classes
People can learn motion graphics through in-person classes, bootcamps, and certificate programs that teach animation, visual effects, 3D graphics, and video editing for careers in television, film, and digital media. Residents of cities nationwide can find classroom training in places like New York, Los Angeles, and beyond.
New York City
Students in New York City can enroll in the Video & Motion Graphics Certificate at Noble Desktop. Training focuses on motion graphics, animation, and video editing, including creating visual effects with Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D Lite, and Premiere Pro. This program provides hands-on training for tasks such as animation. While certificate programs and certification are not the same, certificate training can help students pass certification exams. To enroll, you must have experience with Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and basic knowledge of video editing.
The program offers additional 1-on-1 mentoring outside class and a free retake within one year.
Students in New York City can also enroll in the After Effects Bootcamp at NYC Career Centers, which trains participants to create animations, titles, and 3D objects through real-world projects. Lessons include stand-alone videos, animation, visual effects, and animated titles with hands-on training on keying, color correction, motion tracking, expressions, advanced 3D, and workflow.
Los Angeles
Residents of Los Angeles can enroll in the Virtual Design and Construction Institute (VDCI) for programs that prepare students for careers in architecture, engineering, construction, and design. While not limited to motion graphics, these courses teach industry-standard software such as AutoCAD, Revit, Civil 3D, and SketchUp, along with visualization techniques that help bring designs to life through 3D modeling and animated walkthroughs.
VDCI offers both stand-alone classes and multi-course certificates, allowing students to focus on specific tools or complete comprehensive training in drafting, BIM workflows, and presentation graphics. All courses are taught by industry professionals and include project-based assignments, giving Los Angeles students practical skills they can apply immediately in their work.
Best Virtual Motion Graphics Classes
Motion graphics training equips learners with the skills needed for careers in graphic design, animation, and digital media. These classes can also help students prepare for certification exams. Aspiring professionals can choose from live online programs to develop expertise for work in film, television, websites, and social media.
Students anywhere can enroll with Noble Desktop for the After Effects Certification Program, which builds advanced motion graphics skills while preparing participants for the Adobe Certified Professional Exam in After Effects. The program includes two courses totaling 36 hours, six hours of private tutoring, supplemental video resources, and a free retake within one year. Training covers animation principles, compositing, visual effects, and industry best practices.
NYIM Training offers a range of live online Adobe After Effects courses designed for all experience levels. Students can begin with introductory classes covering essential animation techniques and progress to advanced training in motion tracking, keying, and 3D layers. NYIM’s small group format allows for interactive learning, and participants gain hands-on experience creating animations for professional video projects.
Career Centers offers an AI and Motion Graphics course that blends creative animation techniques with cutting-edge AI tools. Students learn how to incorporate AI-generated elements into motion graphics projects, streamline workflows, and enhance visual storytelling. The curriculum covers integrating AI assets with After Effects compositions, creating dynamic animations, and applying automation to speed up design tasks—all taught through hands-on projects in a virtual classroom setting.
The Virtual Design and Construction Institute (VDCI) delivers specialized online programs for professionals in architecture, engineering, and design who want to incorporate motion graphics into 3D modeling and presentation workflows. Courses often integrate software with CAD and BIM tools, enabling participants to produce dynamic visualizations, walkthroughs, and animated presentations for client and stakeholder communication.