Creative Dir. Mike Ciacciarelli Talks About Changing Role of Graphics

Designer Goods: Graphic Artists Discuss Design-Heavy Motion Graphics
Screen Magazine July 18, 2006 by Amy Wilschke

"Design-heavy motion [graphics], especially these days, truly can be heavy," says Jesse Jones, motion designer at Dallas-based Post-Op. "That's not necessarily bad. I'm seeing a heavy usage of repetition, texture, particles [and] flourishes. It's a visual buffet of pop culture, psychedelia and reality. Silhouette-style motion graphics from Optimus.

"I think our world is more connected than it's ever been," he continues. "Think about all of the blogs, vlogs, movies and audio that we're exposed to. We are trying to process all of this daily and then communicate it to our friends. It's crucial to organize these visual thoughts, and [a] respect for the elements and principles of design is necessary to avoid sensory overload."

Well said. In a nutshell, design-heavy motion graphics is an abstract concept being used throughout various mediums, such as print, spot work and film. Although design-heavy work can contain elements of live-action or 3D animation, the focus of the work is the motion graphics, and the design elements are used to carry the spot or convey the story.

Creating this type of design takes thorough understanding of clients' needs, focus and knowledge of a variety of skill sets. Masters of these concepts come from a variety of backgrounds and are experts in fields like studio art, film and graphic design.

Matt Hovis, principle and creative director at Action Figure (Austin, TX), has a background in studio arts – painting in particular – and says this proved to be a wise decision considering his current position.

"I'm glad I studied studio art instead of design or production during school," he says. "I think I'm able to draw upon references, inspiration and conceptual techniques that aren't usually used in traditional motion or graphic design, which helps us to create work that often feels more unique or unusual – good or bad."

He explains that fine art is different from graphic design because every project begins with a blank slate as opposed to a set of challenges that have to be figured out. While he says he loves creating solutions to problems, Hovis harkens back to his studio art days and begins each project as if there are no guidelines or restrictions.

"In fine art, there are no rules, and I try to pretend that that's a rule in this business as well," he says.

In this industry of fast turnaround times and evolving technology, having a broad skill set is essential for staying fresh and keeping up with changing trends. Mike Ciacciarelli, creative director at Optimus (Chicago), explains that, at any given time during the graphic design process, a designer may need to take on other roles, too, such as that of an editor or director.

Ciacciarelli went to film school and says he has a sensibility for filmmaking and storytelling, which helps him as a graphic designer in the world of post-production. He says he has worked as a designer, animator and effects artist, and is skilled in many different types of software.

He explains that the more involved a graphic designer becomes in a project, the more roles he or she has to take on. For example, sometimes a graphic artist is simply asked to create one element, in which case he or she takes the cue from the agency, creates the element, and moves on to the next thing.

However, if the artist is asked to create something more involved or in-depth, such as multiple elements or an entire sequence that the agency wants to be all graphics, that's when the graphic designer has to switch gears.

"We have to be a little bit of a director and editor and graphic designer at the same time," Ciacciarelli says. "That's where you rely on your other skills. The ability to show a story graphically is really not that different from what a director would do in the sense that you would create storyboards and you would show the flow of information in a sequence of frames."

But what exactly goes into creating design-heavy motion graphics? Most designers agree that the elements making up a motion design can come from anywhere.

Christian Robins, vice president and creative director at Chicago's Bridges Media Group, says, "Anything around you can be used for any purpose. We've shot so many things just around the office. We've gathered so many media elements of desks [and] our brick walls. You build a playground around you and whatever comes to mind just happens to work because you know how to make it work."

Ciacciarelli says that design elements seem to be trend-based. "When Flash animation first became popular on the web, that became the impetus for really flat graphics to start [appearing] in commercials. Now, we see a lot of work influenced by what people are doing with music videos and more in print design.

"Sometimes the best inspiration comes from the things that aren't as close to you as you think," he continues. "It's easy to see what other people are doing with commercials and come up with ideas, but sometimes the best ideas come from what is happening in the art world, going to a gallery or seeing what's happening in sculpture or painting. Taking those influences and putting them into your work in motion oftentimes creates the most interesting things."

"Our favorite work seems to come out of nowhere," says Action Figure's Hovis. "Victory is achieved when the viewer is mystified as to how the work was made, and for us, being people who prefer to combine our analog with our digital, that's often achieved by beginning with unusual source material."

As mentioned above, design-heavy motion graphics is a somewhat abstract concept with infinite possibilities for a desired outcome. One challenge that arises when creating this type of work is communicating with clients who may not be so graphically informed.

"[The conversation] usually starts with me waving my hands in the air, creating sound effects with my mouth and describing the way I see the animation taking place," says Post-Op motion designer Brad Mitchell. "Then on to creating multiple style boards and animation tests to help with the verbal description."

Action Figure's Hovis says his company proceeds with clients in a similar fashion, by creating presentations that communicate the direction they plan to take with the project in terms of tone, color, typography, pacing and music. "Nothing works better for us than just talking it through," he says.

Clear communication between clients and artists is key when dealing with the abstract elements contained in design-heavy motion graphics. But once all wishes and desires have been expressed and understood, how can the clients be sure that the artists will deliver according to their requests?

"[The clients] trust us to a certain extent, so we can push the boundaries," says Bridges interactive designer Nathan Wyse. "You listen to them so you know you can push some clients more than others."

"That's the point right there," says Robins. "It's not only understanding the idea, it's the trust. If [the clients] trust you you're free to do whatever you want. That freedom is really what makes a creative have a good time in a job like this."

Bridges motion graphics designer Brian McCauley agrees. "I feel like an interpreter when I come to work because, generally, clients know what they don't want more than what they want sometimes, so they'll say, 'I don't know exactly what I want it to look like, but I know I hate this,'" he says.

As in any field, the more tools and skills you have and the better your understanding of industry and client needs, the more successful and competitive you will be in your career. As seen in design-heavy motion graphics, the more roles you can play, the better you can collaborate with others in the field and serve your clients.

Robins says, "[Students] are coming out of school now having to know everything... Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects [and] a little bit of 3D. Everybody knows how to make a website. You have to know how to execute any of the given angles."

He goes on to say that, as a creative, you are much better off if you're not specialized in one specific area of your field. You should be able to shoot and know how footage goes into your system. You should know how to edit and export, add graphics and even how the music is scored.

"The days of being a jack of all trades and a master of none are over," he says.

"The craftsman is dead," McCauley adds. "The day of the Renaissance Man is upon us."