3D Motion Graphics Deep Dive 03 - Where 3D Motion Graphics Is Actually Used
The many opportunities Motion Graphics unlocks
For most people, motion graphics is nothing more than cryons at the bottom of news broadcasts or perhaps sports scores. Something simple on screen to communicate contextual information to the audience.
And to be fair, that world does exist.
But if that is your mental model of motion graphics, you are missing almost everything. Because motion graphics is everywhere now. And more importantly, it is becoming one of the dominant visual languages of the internet.
Once you start noticing it, you cannot unsee it.
Advertising
Let’s start with advertising, because this is one of the biggest drivers.
Brands are constantly trying to stand out in crowded feeds. Static images are not enough anymore. Everyone is competing for attention, and motion is one of the fastest ways to grab it.
That is where motion graphics comes in.
You will see stylized product animations where objects move in impossible ways. Liquids that flow perfectly. Materials that feel hyper real or intentionally abstract. Typography that interacts with the product itself.
A sneaker floating through a procedural environment. A phone assembling itself piece by piece. A cosmetic product surrounded by looping, almost hypnotic motion.
A lot of this work is not about realism. It is about clarity, impact, and style.
And increasingly, a lot of it is being done in 3D.
Social Media
Social media is where this really accelerates.
Short loops. Seamless animations. Visually satisfying moments that are designed to be watched over and over again.
If you have ever seen one of those perfectly looping animations where objects duplicate, transform, and flow in a way that feels oddly addictive, you have seen motion graphics.
Artists have built entire careers on these short form pieces.
And brands are paying attention.
Because these loops perform.
They get watched. They get shared. They keep people engaged.
This is a completely different mindset from film or games. You are not telling a long story. You are creating a moment that lands instantly.
Broadcast
Broadcast is still a huge part of the industry, but it has evolved. Yes, there are still lower thirds and transitions.
But now you also have full graphics packages for sports, streaming platforms, and live events. Entire visual systems built around typography, color, and motion.
Think about major sports broadcasts where every stat, transition, and replay is wrapped in a cohesive animated design language.
Or election coverage where data is constantly visualized and updated in real time. This is motion graphics at scale.
And a lot of it is blending 2D and 3D together in ways that feel seamless.
Tech Products
Then there is the world of tech products.
This is one that a lot of 3D artists overlook.
Every time a company launches a new product, there is a wave of motion graphics that comes with it.
UI animations. Product explainers. Feature breakdowns. Launch videos.
Think about how Apple introduces a new device. Clean typography. Controlled camera movement. Materials that feel perfect. Everything designed to communicate clearly and quickly.
That is motion graphics.
And as more products become digital, the demand for this kind of content keeps growing.
Music Visuals
Music visuals are another huge area.
This is where things can get a little more experimental.
Artists working with musicians are creating abstract visual systems, generative environments, and looping visuals that sync to sound.
Sometimes these are used for live performances. Sometimes for social content. Sometimes for full music videos.
This space is often less constrained than advertising, which makes it a playground for new ideas.
A lot of visual trends you see later in brand work start here.
AR and Interactive
And then there is AR and interactive.
This is still emerging, but it is worth paying attention to.
As motion graphics moves beyond video and into real time environments, it starts to become something you interact with instead of something you just watch.
Think about animated elements inside apps. Interfaces that respond to user input. Augmented reality experiences layered on top of the real world.
Tools like Rive are pushing in this direction.
And if you connect that to real-time engines like Unreal, you start to see where this could go.
Motion graphics becomes less about rendering frames and more about building systems that live and respond.
Why This Is Growing
When you step back and look at all of this together, a pattern starts to emerge.
Motion graphics is not a niche.
It is a layer that sits on top of almost every modern visual experience. Advertising. Social. Broadcast. Tech. Music. Interactive. Anywhere there is a need to communicate visually, quickly, and clearly, motion graphics has a role to play.
And as more of the world becomes digital, that role is only getting bigger.
For 3D artists, this is a massive opportunity. Because a lot of this work is moving into 3D. Not because it has to. But because it gives artists more control over lighting, materials, camera, and motion. It gives them more ways to stand out.
And in a world where attention is the most valuable resource, that matters. If you have only ever thought of motion graphics as broadcast graphics, it is worth updating that mental model. Because this is one of the fastest-growing and most flexible areas of the 3D industry.
And it is happening everywhere.
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Hello! Michael Tanzillo here. I am the Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D team at Adobe. Previously, I was a Senior Artist on animated films at Blue Sky Studios/Disney with credits including three Ice Age movies, two Rios, Peanuts, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, and Epic.
In addition to his work as an artist, I am the Co-Author of the book Lighting for Animation: The Visual Art of Storytelling and the Co-Founder of The Academy of Animated Art, an online school that has helped hundreds of artists around the world begin careers in Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Imaging. I also created The 3D Artist Community on Skool and this newsletter.
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