Video Motion Graphics
Apply Disney's 12 animation principles to After Effects, Premiere Pro, and video motion design.
Quick Reference Principle Motion Graphics Implementation Squash & Stretch Overshoot expressions, elastic motion Anticipation Pre-movement, wind-up keyframes Staging Composition, depth, focus pulls Straight Ahead / Pose to Pose Frame-by-frame vs keyframe animation Follow Through / Overlapping Delayed layers, expression lag Slow In / Slow Out Graph editor curves, easing Arc Motion paths, rotation follows path Secondary Action Environment response, particle systems Timing 24/30/60fps considerations Exaggeration Scale beyond reality, dramatic motion Solid Drawing Z-space, 3D consistency, parallax Appeal Smooth, professional, emotionally resonant Principle Applications
Squash & Stretch: Use scale property with different X/Y values. Overshoot expressions create elastic motion. Shape layers deform more naturally than pre-comps for organic squash.
Anticipation: Add 2-4 frames of reverse motion before primary action. Wind-up for reveals—slight scale down before scale up. Position anticipation: move opposite direction first.
Staging: Use depth of field to direct focus. Vignettes frame important content. Motion blur on secondary elements. Composition leads eye to focal point.
Straight Ahead vs Pose to Pose: Traditional frame-by-frame for character animation. Keyframe-based for graphic animation. Most motion graphics are pose-to-pose with expression refinement.
Follow Through & Overlapping: Use valueAtTime() expressions for lag. Stagger layer animation with offset. Secondary elements continue 4-8 frames past primary stop. Parent/child relationships with delayed response.
Slow In / Slow Out: Master the Graph Editor—never use linear keyframes. Easy Ease is starting point, customize curves. Bezier handles control acceleration. Speed graph shows velocity.
Arc: Enable motion path editing. Auto-orient rotation to path. Add roving keyframes for smooth arcs. Natural motion rarely travels in straight lines.
Secondary Action: Particles respond to primary motion. Shadows and reflections follow. Background elements shift with parallax. Audio waveforms drive visual elements.
Timing: 24fps: Cinematic feel, motion blur essential. 30fps: Broadcast standard, smoother. 60fps: Digital-first, very smooth. Hold frames (2s, 3s) for stylized timing.
Exaggeration: Motion graphics can push further than reality. Scale overshoots to 120-150%. Rotation extends past final. Color and effects can punctuate exaggeration.
Solid Drawing: 3D layers maintain spatial consistency. Parallax creates depth hierarchy. Consistent light direction across elements. Z-positioning creates believable space.
Appeal: Smooth interpolation, no jarring cuts. Color grading unifies composition. Typography has weight and personality. Motion feels intentional and professional.
After Effects Techniques Overshoot Expression // Apply to any property for elastic overshoot freq = 3; decay = 5; n = 0; if (numKeys > 0) { n = nearestKey(time).index; if (key(n).time > time) n--; } if (n > 0) { t = time - key(n).time; amp = velocityAtTime(key(n).time - .001); w = freq * Math.PI * 2; value + amp * (Math.sin(t * w) / Math.exp(decay * t) / w); } else { value; }
Stagger Expression // Apply delay based on layer index delay = 0.1; d = delay * (index - 1); time - d;
Timing Reference Element Duration Easing Text reveal 15-25 frames Ease out Logo animation 30-60 frames Custom curve Transition 10-20 frames Ease in-out Lower third in 12-18 frames Ease out Lower third out 8-12 frames Ease in Export Considerations Preview at final framerate Enable motion blur for fast motion Check timing at 1x speed, not RAM preview Account for broadcast safe areas Test on target display format