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Any particular things you should know about After Effects as a motion graphics designer?
Hey there
I know its a strange question, but basically Ive just potentially got an interview for a job as a trainee motion graphics designer in London. It says at the interview Ill be asked to demonstrate my After Effects knowledge. I think I have a pretty decent one, but as Im self taught am wondering whether there are any crucial essentials I may have missed. You can see my work at http://www.danhaskett.co.uk to get an idea of what Ive done. Its more animation that motion graphics, but Id like to get into that side and think I have a fairly decent knowledge of masks and parenting objects and 2D stuff to help…….I hope.
Anyway if anyone has any suggestions Id appreciate it!
Thanks
Dan
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3 Replies
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I’d look at what output the company has done before and ask yourself if you have a grasp on the skillz to do something as good as that or better. I would think that is what the employer desires. What I don’t think the employee cares about is how much you know about the mechanics of AE. You can read the manual for that.
Chris Smith
https://www.sugarfilmproduction.com -
First, as Chris said, check out the work done at that company. “Motion Graphics” is a term that covers lots of ground – LOTS – and it may or may not be the case that your knowledge overlaps with what they need.
The work you display on your Website is highly original and creative, but if I had to assess your knoweledge of AE based on this work I would guess you have stayed away from some pretty mainstream elements. It’s not clear that you are comfortable with 3D movement, cameras, lights, text effects, particles, strokes, … all of which may be a must – or again, they may be irrelevant to the type of work your prospective employer is doing.
Take a look, for instance, at the samples over at the (world famous!) ayato (https://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e.html). This is certainly motion graphics, it’s all AE (with the obvious Photoshop/Illustrator thrown in), and it’s like completely orthogonal to your work. Take a look at his final renders and ask yourself if you would know how to do this in AE from scratch… if you can, you’re an AE master. If you don’t even know where to begin, you may be missing some “particular things you should know about After Effects as a motion graphics designer”. Again, Ayato’s work is top notch and you shouldn’t feel bad if you can’t do it right of the bat, but take a look at the step-by-step descriptions and ask yourself if you’re familiar with those elements of AE.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that this broadcast-type motion graphics are better or more sophisticated than your work. They’re just different. If you’re asking about what a motion graphics designer should know in AE, this may be part of it.
Hope that helps,
AA
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From your vague description, i bet they want you to demonstrate your skills so they know tha you can ACTUALLY use AE and can use it fast.
someone can put a 30 second bumper on their demo reel that they took 4 months to work on and it could be the greatest thing ever. But who has 4 months to work on a 30 second bumper? And, who knows if you were not on message forums asking everyone else how to do what you wanted to do?
i think they just want to make sure you can do what you say you can do and know how to do it in a quick manner.
so if you can. don’t sweat it.
interviews never go they way you think they will.
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