Trends

In motion graphics you can always spot trends.And recently there have been noticeably more and more liquid animation style animations and advertisements present in the industry after the previously popular trends of: 

AXONOMETRIC PROJECTION

                    

Whiteboard Animation

HANDCRAFT

This style often blends live-action elements with CGI components to give the audience a sense of wonder and intrigue. There is always something magical or endearing when we see craft work created by tangible materials come to life. When we throw in an external factor such as a pair of hands or a stick prodding a wheel, it becomes 'human' powered. It brings a smile to your face, because face it – when we don't understand how something came to be visually, subconsciously, we go to our default 'oh, its a CGI thing'. When we are able to see how the cogs integrate and work with each other, we appreciate it more. Here are some examples.

http://www.invisibleartists.com/trends/ 

liquid animation is where shapes are smeared and splash back together, often at the moment of a peak in the action, moving in slight slow motion, with twists and bends. It kind of resembles the flowerpower / psychedelic shapes known from the 60’s.
One of the earlier motion graphics with this appearance, were some of the videos of the advertising agencies CRCR and Buck (2 years ago). one example that appeared already in 2008 is the video Orgesticulanismus by Mathieu Labaye.


REALISATION : Mathieu Labaye
ASSISTANT REALISATION : Sébastien Godard
MUSIQUE : Fabian Forini et Mathieu Labaye
PRODUCTEUR : Jean-Luc Slock 
PRODUCTION : Camera-etc

 And you can find this same kind of movement in earlier anime movies. Abstract drops and smears, swirling typography, and even characters  whose limbs are being stretched and swirled.

Liquid animation examples:

                         

Motion Graphics Trend: Liquid Motion from in60seconds on Vimeo.
Liquid motion elements v.2.1 from Taras Ryabokon on Vimeo.

                    

i do quite like this style of animation as it is a beautiful way of making the visuals flow and to keep a lively atmosphere to a piece. It is in keeping with the kin of style i like and often involve in my work also as i usually like to incorporate paint and ink markings shapes and movements in some ways (which can be seen in my earlier void life void projects along with my audio recording project and the competition brief project)i also like how this allows the creator to morph shapes into each other easily and in as many bazaar and interesting ways as they want.