So often, great motion graphics artists are at the mercy of the client for the work they create. In the best situations, a great artist or studio can earn the trust of the client and create something inspired. But the day to day client cycle can sometimes be a grind.
Luckily, true inspiration can be found and great ideas can be shared at some of the amazing conferences that take place for motion graphics artists around the world each year. These conferences highlight some of the most interesting and unique work being created. They house panels of talented artists eager to share what they’ve learned and serve as a great community gathering of like minds.
Here are some of the best in motion graphics conferences that you may want to think about attending, or at least follow to see what they bring.
Summary
Top Motion Graphics Conferences to Attend
1. F5
On the keyboard, F5 equals refresh. And that’s exactly what the F5 Festival presents, a refreshing view of the creative world. Billed as a “creativity festival exploring the intersection of design, art, and technology”, F5 brings together the best motion graphics artists alongside actors, fine artists, and scientists for a cross-section of everything happening in the creative world.
Created by Motionographer co-owner Carlos El Asmar and curated by Motionographer creator Justin Cone, F5 lands at the epicenter of the motion graphics world. F5 is a truly creative gathering that comes from a love of the art and not a desire to make money. The conference has no corporate sponsors and exists in the spirit of building community and advancing the art.
Although F5 doesn’t happen every year, it always promises to be something special. That last event, held in 2015, included great names in design like Giant Ant, GMUNK, and Debbie Millman. And unique animations were created for the event by huge industry studios like The Mill, Buck, and Block & Tackle.
In fact, one of the most fun parts of any motion graphics conference is the title sequence that comes from the pure imagination of the studio or artist given the honor to create them. 2015’s F5 titles were created by Block & Tackle, and they are a great representation of the kind of creativity to be found within the conference. Given only the word “love” as a creative brief, Block & Tackle created a vibrant and kinetic experience that relies less on tricks than it does on building energy and excitement.
2. OFFF
OFFF is an annual festival held in Barcelona that brings in the greatest talent in design and animation. Past attendees and speakers have included Stefan Sagmeister, Kyle Cooper, The Mill, Digital Kitchen, and Casey Neistat. For 15 years, OFFF has been generating great connections, superb panels, and exciting new work.
Tickets for the 2016 conference are available with the event taking place May 26-28. This year’s panels include digital futurist Joshua Davis, t-shirt designer Johnny Cupcakes, claymation masters Aardman studios, legendary title designer Kyle Cooper, and many more.
Along with the festivities and workshops taking place in Barcelona, OFFF also has a touring event called OFFF On Tour that works its way around the world each year. If you can’t make it to Barcelona, look for the smaller OFFF On Tour dates in a city near you.
The 2015 OFFF titles were created by the envelope-pushing geniuses Signalnoise and Onesize. Check them out for a taste of what OFFF brings to the table.
3. Offset
Offset is a 3-day creative conference hosted in Dublin, Ireland and focusing on all forms of visual design. Although motion design and animation play a big role, the Offset conference really ranges with speakers and panelists from the worlds of illustration, photography, and fashion as well.
The wide range of speakers and attendees makes for a lot of cross-pollination and diversity of creative insight. Offset also aims to mix professionals with recent grads and students by offering different ticket prices to those who are just getting their start or haven’t even entered the professional world yet. Just because you are new to the design world, doesn’t mean you don’t have something to add, and Offset understands this principle.
The 2016 event will be taking place April 8-10 in Dublin, and the multi-talented speakers include eclectic digital artists Reed & Rader, iconic illustrator mcbess, and award-winning architecture studio Assemble.
If you are a motion graphics artist, there’s no doubt that you’ll have plenty to gain from this wide topic conference filled with stunning artists and designers.
And, let’s take a look at a sampling of the festival personality with the 2015 Offset titles, created by London based animation studio Goldenwolf. Who likes cats?
4. Pixel Show
Looking for an opportunity to wet your creative beak in South America? Why not try Pixel Show, the visual arts and design conference in Brazil that they claim to be “The biggest event of art and creativity in Latin America.”
Pixel Show brings together animators, graphics designers, and urban street artists for a high energy conference and show with lots of visual stimulation. Presenters and speakers offer up techniques in workshops while live art events take place all around. Images of previous events make Pixel Show look like part learning event, part non-stop party.
The 2016 conference will take place Oct 22-23 in São Paulo, but if you want to see the talks, you might want to make friends with someone who has an extra ticket, because it’s already sold out. Workshops take place through October with separate tickets for each.
And let’s take a look at the 2015 Pixel Show titles for a little peek inside the madness.
Motion graphics conferences can be expensive, and not all conferences are created equal. But if you are looking for some inspiration, opportunities to meet like-minded artists, and expansion of your own view of the design world, these conferences are all worth taking a look at.
