Documentación: Motion Graphics

What do we mean by motion graphics? Although the answer is often subjective and intuitive, inclusion in the genre depends on several factors. First, they are morsels of time-based visual media: film, video, computer graphics. Second, they are generally short: from luscious broadcast stings lasting just a few seconds, to peppy promos and commercials running a few seconds longer, bringing us to the gold standard of the media age – the three-minute attention span (as witnessed in countless jiggly music videos and self-serious film title sequences). Third, the über-motion graphics of right now is a pyrotechnical melange of computer-generated imagery flowing and ebbing behind type, slickly orchestrated to champion the magical Z- (or depth) axis.

EYE. n60. The rich pre-history of motion graphics is filled with inspiration for screen-based image-makers.

Los motion graphics son piezas audiovisuales generadas mediante el uso de tipografía, fotografía, ilustración o imagen generada por ordenador, que aúnan diseño y animación y que pueden aplicarse en títulos de crédito para cine, identidad para televisión, publicidad o vídeos musicales. A medio camino entre los efectos especiales y la animación, normalmente se diferencian de ambos por responder a una necesidad de comunicación gráfica, de identificación o de packaging audiovisual.

Aunque el término "motion graphics" es de dudosa procedencia, el animador John Whitney (1) nombró así a su compañía en 1960 (Motion Graphics Inc.) y a partir de entonces se ha extendido su uso aceptándose como una nueva categoría de diseño aplicado al campo audiovisual.



Sus inicios se remontan a principios del siglo XX, cuando artistas como Viking Eggeling (2), Oskar Fischinger (3), Len Lye (4) o Hans Richter (5) experimentaban con las posibilidades del vídeo y la animación. Durante los años 50 y 60, Saul Bass (6) revolucionó los títulos de crédito en el cine y, a partir de los 70, Harry Marks y Robert Abel se encargaron de llevar la animación por ordenador al packaging audiovisual para televisión.



En la actualidad, estudios como Prologue (con Kyle Cooper al frente), MK12, Psyop, Buck, Lobo, Shynola o Tronic son la referencia internacional junto a otros diseñadores que trabajan por libre (Adam Gault, Nando Costa o Ramiro Torres) en un panorama difícil de delimitar. El perfil técnico, formal y funcional de los motion graphics es cada vez más difuso y estos pueden ser vistos en pasarelas de moda, intervenciones artísticas, o incluso como paquete de presentación para eventos.

Notas
(1) John Whitney, Sr. (April 8, 1917 - September 22, 1995) was an American animator, composer and inventor, widely considered to be one of the fathers of computer animation.

(2) Viking Eggeling (October 21, 1880 - May 19, 1925) was a Swedish artist and filmmaker. His work is of significance in the area of experimental film, and has been described as absolute film and Visual Music.

(3) Oskar Fischinger (22 June 1900, Gelnhausen, Germany - 31 January 1967, Los Angeles) was an abstract animator, filmmaker, and painter. He made over 50 short animated films, and painted c. 900 canvases. Among his film works is Motion Painting No. 1 (1947).

(4) Len Lye, born Leonard Charles Huia Lye (5 July 1901, Christchurch, New Zealand - 15 May 1980, Warwick, New York), was a New Zealand-born artist known primarily for his experimental films and kinetic sculpture.

(5) Hans Richter (April 6, 1888 - February 1, 1976) was a painter, graphic artist, avant-gardist, film-experimenter and producer.

(6) Saul Bass (May 8, 1920 - April 25, 1996) was a graphic designer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, but he is best known for his design on animated motion picture title sequences, which is thought of as the best such work ever seen.

Más información
http://www.mographwiki.net/Motion_graphics