We love our video production blog over here at Motion Array. But we aren’t the only blog you should be following. The first blog… yes. But the only blog… no way.
There are lots of great blogs from all kinds of sources. For example, there are some motion graphics studios and production companies who put out great blogs. And who better to listen to than the people who are making the great work?
We’ve gathered up a list of some of the best blogs from video production studios that you should be following (along with ours).
Studio Blogs You Must Check Out
1. Veracity Colab
Veracity Colab is a video production company based in California. They help all sorts of clients like Adobe, AT&T, and Intuit craft messages and tell stories through video and animation. They create great work and they are eager to share their process.
The Veracity Colab blog is updated just about every week and it serves as a masterclass in video creation and animation. Just take a few recent entries as examples.
There’s “The Creative Development Manifesto”, a detailed list of all of the things one needs to do in order to develop creative content. There’s “Using Video To Build Trust”. This is an interesting article about the value of video for brands and for connecting with people. And then there’s “Math For Motion”. While this one might sound scary, it’s actually a very well laid out explanation of how math is used in motion design and animation for creating better outcomes. Think about things like physics and character movement. It’s good stuff, believe us.
The Veracity Colab blog reads like a great industry website, chock full of useful content and fresh ideas. It’s should be on the list of every designer, editor, and video producer who wants to stay on top of trends and dig deeper into their work.
Bonus tip: Veracity Colab also has a podcast that explains the different types of videos they create and serves as a great guide to understanding video better.
2. Blind
Blind is a motion design studio in Los Angeles who has made a name for themselves creating cutting edge animations for clients like Xbox and National Geographic, as well as music videos for artists like Coldplay and Gnarls Barkley. They are always pushing the limits of animation and trying things that often become trends.
Blind also keeps a great blog with loads of good content to learn from and get inspired. They have gone so far as to categorize their blog, which is helpful with all of the content in it. Check out the “Articles” and “Inspiration” sections for the most interesting content.
“Inspiration” covers a bunch of projects, mostly from Blind or Blind related endeavors. These include entries from Blind’s Frame Society club that solicits works from the community around a theme.
“Articles” include educational topics like “10 Typography Rules” and “How To Know If Your Idea Sucks”. While the latter title is funny, it’s actually very helpful in helping to decipher which ideas are worth keeping and which aren’t.
The Blind blog isn’t updated quite as often as some, but the content is worth reading, so it’s worth keeping up with for when new content pops up.
3. Imaginary Forces (IF)
IF is one of the premier motion graphics studios in the US and around the world. They are famous for producing some of the most famous movie and TV titles around. Think Stranger Things, Transformers, and about a million others. They don’t just do titles though. They have a wide range of brand work and commercial spots.
So, with a background and a body of work like that, anything they say on their blog, which they call “Pulse”, is worth checking out. Like Blind, the Imaginary Forces blog is categorized for easy navigation. And like Blind, the “Inspiro” and “Articles” categories are the best ones to check out.
“Inspiro” focuses largely on the work that IF is putting out, either through the studio, or individual pieces created by studio employees. And it’s loaded with great things to look at. Don’t expect too much writing in this section. Just browse the beautiful work and get yourself psyched to create something great.
The “Articles” section includes some very specific IF related entries about staff and events, but it also has some great content with entries like “5 Tips from Creative Director Alan Williams on How to Pitch a Winning Concept”, and “Stranger Things Main Title Typography Spotlight”. This second entry is more than just an inspiration piece. It’s a deep dive into the research and development that went into this iconic title design.
There is a lot to learn from Imaginary Forces, especially when they break down their own projects. It’s like having the opportunity to be a fly on the wall of one of the most respected studios in the industry. Not bad for a free read.
4. Cub Studio
Cub is a London based animation studio famous for its signature style of flat, vector style animations. They do great character work and have a range of trusted clients like Ford and the NFL. They also had a viral hit on their hands last year with their “Trump Facts” series of animations.
The blog at Cub Studio is a little more studio-centric then some of the others above. But since they put out a ton of great work, it doesn’t hurt to get a little more insight into what they do.
You can think of the Cub Studio blog as a library of case studies. With entries outlining how projects came to be. They often share a few details about the project and the process and show a lot of visuals to help explain the story. Here you’ll see work in progress samples, and details that you wouldn’t necessarily find in the completed project.
It’s a great way to go behind the scenes at a very creative and prolific animation studio. You’ll find it inspiring for sure, and enlightening as well.
There are lots of great studios in the world creating tons of great content. We are fortunate to have some that also share a bit more of their process and knowledge. If you know of any other great studio blogs worth checking out, leave it in the comments below.
