Chapter 11: Show & Tell, Animated Storytelling, by Liz Baker
In this chapter, Baker focuses on the best ways to get your projects out into the world professionally and the best practices for doing so. The chapter explains how filmmakers should package their projects so that anyone reviewing the work has everything needed to evaluate it easily. This includes providing a reliable link to the film, creating submission assets like a clean title logo and still image, writing a short synopsis with a hook, crafting a memorable tagline, and preparing a concise director’s bio. It also discusses writing about the story behind the film’s creation, determining where to show the project, and considering alternatives to film festivals. Building a strong network, both online and in person, is emphasized as an important part of getting work seen. Overall, the chapter highlights the importance of sharing your work professionally, following submission guidelines, and continuing to promote and create new projects.
One thing I learned from this chapter is how much preparation and professionalism goes into presenting a film, not just creating it. Having clear materials, a strong online presence, and a thoughtful plan for sharing your work can significantly increase the chances of the project reaching the right audience.
From Intimidation to Animation
At the start of this course, Motion Across Media, I’ll admit I felt pretty intimidated. I had never done anything related to motion graphics or animation before, and I had zero experience with programs like Adobe Animate or Adobe After Effects. Whenever I watched animated content or motion graphics, I would always find myself wondering, how in the world did they even make that? It felt like something completely out of reach.
Over the course of the semester, that perspective really changed. I now have a much better understanding of how different types of motion graphics and animations are created and the process behind them. My first time using After Effects was honestly frustrating… I remember feeling completely lost navigating the interface and figuring out how everything worked. But as the weeks went on, the program started to make more sense, and I became more comfortable experimenting with it and building projects from scratch.
Looking back, I can see how much I’ve grown from where I started. What once felt confusing and overwhelming now feels like a tool I can actually use creatively. Moving forward, I’m excited to continue applying these skills in future projects, whether that’s for school or within my professional work. I hope to bring what I’ve learned about motion and animation into the workforce to help elevate the projects I’m involved in. Overall, I’m really glad I took this course. Motion graphics was always something I was curious about, but I never knew how to get started. Now I feel like I finally have that foundation, and I’m excited to keep building on it.
Tutorials and Design Inspiration
During this course, I discovered that transitions and visual effects can make a huge difference in bringing motion graphics to life. When used thoughtfully, they help add visual interest, create smoother movement, and make animations feel more dynamic and engaging. As I worked through my projects, I found several tutorials that helped me better understand how to achieve these effects and apply them effectively. I wanted to include a few of these resources here because they were especially helpful in improving my workflow and strengthening the final outcome of my animations.
For my final project, I created a logo animation stinger, so I wanted to include some research that helped inspire and inform that work. I selected six examples of logo stingers from different companies and brands that demonstrate strong, effective motion design. These examples highlight how movement can enhance a brand’s identity while keeping the animation short and memorable. Many of them also reflect the thoughtful use of the 12 principles of animation, such as timing, anticipation, and easing, which help make the motion feel more natural, polished, and engaging.
KEV4KREATIONS Logo Stinger
For this project, I created a logo stinger for my boyfriend’s brand, Kev4Kreations. He runs a website where he sells a variety of items including 3D prints, clothing, rugs, and collectibles. Because a large portion of his brand centers around 3D printing, I wanted the animation to reflect that part of his work and create something that could be used on his website or across social media.
I began by creating the necessary assets, including a simplified 3D printer head and nozzle, and importing the previously designed logo from Adobe Illustrator into Adobe After Effects. Originally, I planned to build the animation in a more three-dimensional way, but during production it wasn’t turning out the way I had envisioned. Instead, I decided to keep the animation two-dimensional and focus on creating the illusion of 3D printing.
Using a masking effect, I slowly revealed the logo while the printer head moves back and forth across the screen, mimicking the motion of a real 3D printer. This creates the effect that the logo is being printed in real time. I tried to replicate the movement patterns of a 3D printer as closely as possible to make the animation feel believable. Once the logo is fully revealed, the printer head and printer bed move out of frame, and the company name appears using a decoder effect.
To add more visual interest and create a seamless loop, I designed a glitch-style transition that sweeps across the screen using the brand’s color palette before returning to the beginning of the animation. Finally, I incorporated sound effects to enhance the experience. Mechanical printer sounds reinforce the 3D printing concept, while a ticking sound plays as the brand name KEV4KREATIONS appears on screen, and a glitch sound accompanies the transition. Together, these elements help emphasize the creative and technical nature of the brand while making the animation more engaging.
References
Blazer, L. (2019). Animated Storytelling (2nd ed.). Peachpit Press.
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