Motion Graphics and 3D Animation: What Is the Best for Corporate Video Production

Having top-level instruments is crucial for craftsmen in any sphere. For those working with 3D animations, motion design, and graphics, these instruments are represented by software. There are plenty of programs available for any needs nowadays. That means, finding the right instrument for your corporate video production may seem like a hard task.

But don’t be overwhelmed with all these programs. Some of them have proven to be trustworthy for their years and even decades of usage for corporate video production services.

They are popular not only among common users but also professional Video Production Services too, like Develux, for example. It’s a company that specializes in providing professional assistance in any project. It can do anything – from building a remote dedicated team to offering video production services.

Anyway, we surveyed specialists in this sphere to make a short list of the best software for motion graphics and 3D animation. 

Adobe

The motion graphic segment is fully dominated by Adobe. No wonder, as their programs fulfill all the needs a motion designer has. The needs range from creating and adjusting basic frames to building whole segments from scratch and animating them. 

What’s important, each of these programs specializes in a specific type of work. So, when it comes to the next step, taking your work from one stage to another is simple. There’s no need to get used to a new interface or adjust file formats and such.

Photoshop

Yes, it is the Photoshop. Even middle-schoolers like to use it to adjust their photos or create arts. It’s very easy to use, but still, has everything an expert might need. Amateurs can do their basic stuff, and professionals – use countless specialized tools to get their job done. It’s really awesome that a single program can fulfill everyone’s needs.

Also, it’s the most basic thing one needs to master to gain any skills. But even the most experienced ones still use Photoshop to create basic frames, sometimes, to animate them and make adjustments to pixel-based images. 

Illustrator

It could be called a more “professional” Photoshop, but this statement is kind of controversial. Yes, Illustrator has a higher entry-level than Photoshop, but it also serves a different purpose. Because it allows you to create vector images. That means, these images don’t have a particular size (1920×1080, for example). They can be scaled almost infinitely, with no quality loss. And that’s the purpose of their existence, of course.

This is one of the most important points in motion graphics. The elements constantly need to be adjusted to fit different frames and segments. It’s a more specialized tool for motion graphics and design, so to speak. When it comes to animations, though, it’s recommended to pair it with After Effects to receive the full experience.

After Effects

Just like said in the beginning, all 3 programs having the same developer are pretty useful. The first two are used to prepare the parts of the animations, while After Effects allows you to combine and animate them. It’s like the final stage when you just need to take everything you have and place it in order.

Once again, corporate video production services love Adobe products because of their reliability, simplicity, and full range of tools. There’s just no need for an “upgrade” or switch to another software when the current one is actually the best.

3D Animation

Okay, Adobe covers the whole motion graphics and design segment. But what about 3D animation? Unfortunately, there’s no particular developer or even a single program. 3D modeling has too many different purposes and needs. For example, engineering simulations are usually done in SolidWorks, but the usual 3D animation could be done even in Paint 3D.

So, when it comes to video production services, there are 2 leaders on the market that everyone uses – Blender and Maya. Yes, there’s Cinema 4D too, but it’s not so popular among specialists as it has a pretty limited number of features.

Maya

Maya is what you could call an industry standard for 3D modeling, motion graphics, and animations. It’s widely known among everyone in the film industry. It can be used to create anything – a basic model and its simple movement, or a whole epic scene with hundreds of roles and details. 

And if you ever feel like something is missing, anyone can create a script and implement it in Maya. That said, the number of opportunities is infinite, because there’s always something you can add.

Of course, it does has 2 main disadvantages: 

1. Price. Maya costs 1600$ a year per single program.
2. The required level. A beginner can’t use the full potential of this program. Even more, one needs to have enough technical skills and knowledge to be able to use it at all.

However, these “weak” points can be completely neglected by expert video production services. Firstly, it’s worth every penny of its price and will pay itself a thousand times if used right. Second, if your animators and motion designers aren’t qualified enough to use Maya, then maybe you need to change something in your business.

Blender

Blender occupies a sweet spot – it is easy enough for beginners to use but still offers everything a professional needs. It is like Photoshop, but for 3D modeling and animating. Those are the main focuses of this software. It has a wide range of features, especially for creating models. It does animations perfectly too, of course. 

Yet, it doesn’t have as many narrow-targeted tools and details as Maya does. It can be considered both a flaw and a feature. The thing is, there are video production services that don’t need every single one of these features but still have top-level requirements in terms of quality. That’s where Blender comes in use to offer a more basic but still professional experience.

Summing Up

These programs represent the best instruments for everyone in the video production industry. From small studios with a dozen of workers to Hollywood. So, start getting accustomed to them right now. Knowing how to use this software is your key to a successful career.