I have had the opportunity to work in Motion 4 for about an hour and all I wanted to test first was the addition of the reflection and cast shadow features.  Let me say that before Motion 4, to create these effects required multiple layers/groups and a lot of keyframing.  A reflection could be created by duplicating the image or object, inverting and adding an alpha gradient, adjusting the blur and opacity, and you end up with something that works.  To animate it was labor intensive and difficult to make look correct.  A similar problem existed when trying to create realistic looking cast shadows.  And to animate them was even more difficult process to make move and lengthen or shorten appropriately.

Motion 4 has made both of the features automatic and easy to manipulate.  I am going to have a tutorial on using these features next week.  I have been very pleased with this new addition by Apple.  They are making this program more functional for animations and compositing.  There are several features with the camera that need to be enhanced and a “true” 3-D environment before it will be able to truly compete with the likes of After Effects, but they have made some significant improvements.  If you are a Motion fan, you will love the changes!

Here is a quick, crude sample of the reflection and cast shadows.

I have to say, the first thing that struck me about the new Final Cut Studio 3 from Apple was not the new features.  There are many and most of them are advantageous to workflow.  As I get the opportunity to play with them, I will give you my review of each.  But have you seen the box?  Final Cut Studio 2 came in this huge box with all the manuals as hard copies.  It weighed a ton!

When I went to the Apple store to buy my copy, I also picked up a new wireless mighty mouse.  As I was standing at the counter getting ready to buy my goods, I noticed that I had what appeared to be two mighy mice.  As I looked closer I noticed that one box was in fact Final Cut Studio!  That’s right, the new program fit in a box the same size as mouse.  Now that is pretty cool, because I could actually carry it out in a bag and didn’t need a hand truck to get it to the car.

I did get Final Cut Studio installed yesterday and everything wen’t as smooth as possible!  I was doing the install on my new iMac and had the upgrade version.  At the magic point during the process, I was asked for my previous product code.  I inserted the code and the install continued.  So after a few hours of sitting at the computer and loading disks, the install was complete.

I will let you know how all the features are as I get to use them.  I am most excited about the new features in Motion and will explore those first.  If there are any specifics that you are interested in, let me know and I’ll try it out and give an update.

When we sit down to work on a project, we generally take time to consider all sorts of detail about where we are going.  We consider the audience, the objectives, the overall design or story and yet we often miss one very crucial component of quality design, COLOR.  The presence or absence of color is vital for any project, whether video or graphic.

Color communicates emotion and mood.  When you are trying show a scene that is happy and lively, you might want to use bold, bright colors.  When one is trying show melancholic or cold scenes, you might tend toward the dark or muted tones.  Whatever the emotion or mood you are trying to communicate, color must be considered.

Color is broken down into three primary colors, Red, Yellow and Blue.  These three colors, brought together in countless combinations produce every color imaginable.  These colors, when artistically applied, can help you more effectively communicate to your audience.  If your audience is fairly conservative, average age over 50, you might want your website or graphics package to stay away from bright reds and oranges as primary colors.  Whereas if you are designing a website or graphic for a local rock band, you may want to use bold, flamboyant colors.

It is essential that you spend time getting to know your client and their audience as you prepare to design.  Knowing who you are designing for will help you select a color scheme that will be inviting and not offensive to the audience you intend to reach.  Pay attentiont to the client and gain a clear understanding of their target market.

After Effects has been the standard for animation and compositing work.  Apple Motion 3 is making the process accessible and simple for all users.  When Apple finally adds 3D to the application, it will make major waves in the animation and compositing world.

To illustrate the animation tools of Motion, I have created a short animation in the spirit of Jib Jab.  It is the introduction of a fictional hunter named Blanda Bob.  By using Photoshop to create the various components, you can animate them using some very simple features built into Motion.  I hope this inspires you to take a second look at the power of Motion.

In this Apple Motion 3 tutorial you will learn how to animate a brush stroke to reveal an image or logo using mask.  Enjoy.