Design ·
Motion Design That Breaks the Mould
Most gig promotion is static: a poster, a photo, a line-up graphic in the feed. It works, but it's easy to scroll past. Motion design changes that. Movement is the first thing the eye catches, so a promo that moves gets a second look before anyone has read a word.
Here are two recent motion pieces for bands I work with, Kooskoos and The Funky Kongs. They take that idea in two very different directions: one is fully animated and built around a character, the other lays graphics over live footage. Both are on brand, and that's the point.
What is motion design for?
Motion design, or motion graphics, is graphic design that moves: type, illustration, logos and shapes animated to tell a short story. You see it in title sequences and adverts, but it's just as useful for a band announcing a gig or a small business launching something new.
Adding movement for the sake of it isn't the point. Done properly, motion gives usually static content a reason to be watched. It guides the eye to the date, the venue and the name you want people to remember, and it carries a brand's personality further than a still can.
Kooskoos at the Derry Jazz Festival
Kooskoos asked for a simple promo for their gigs at the City of Derry Jazz Festival, a busy weekend from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd May with sets at Link 47, Blackbird, The Rocking Chair, Brickwork, The Embankment and Taphouse. I've worked on the band's brand for a while, including their logo, website and album cover, so I wanted the video to feel like it came from the same world: fun, a bit retro and full of character.
There's no live footage. The whole promo is animated. I drew the character and assets in Illustrator and Procreate, then brought them into After Effects to animate. The gig times sit on a phone screen, so a whole weekend's schedule reads in seconds, and the character keeps you watching while it does.
Behind the scenes: the face rig
The character's face is a rig in After Effects. I don't animate every frame by hand. The eyes, brows and mouth are tied to a set of controls, so a few keyframes make the character blink, glance and react. That gives a short promo its personality, and the character can come back for future gigs without starting from scratch.
The Funky Kongs at The Black Box
The Funky Kongs promo is closer to what most people picture as motion design: graphics and gig information laid over live footage of the band. It's promoting their gig at The Black Box in Belfast on 22nd November.
The footage shows what a Funky Kongs night actually feels like, and the motion graphics do the selling on top. The details animate in over the night, in the same bold, retro-gaming style as their logo and posters, so anyone who's seen a Funky Kongs poster knows who it is before the name appears.
Two approaches, both on brand
The Kooskoos promo is all animation, led by a character. The Funky Kongs promo is live footage with graphics on top. Neither is the right way to do motion design in general, but each is right for that band. Kooskoos' brand is playful and illustrated, so a character carries it. The Funky Kongs are at their best on stage, so the footage leads and the graphics support it.
That's what doing motion properly means to me: start with the brand and what the content needs to do, then choose the approach, instead of reaching for the same template every time.
Why motion gets more eyes on your content
Social feeds are built around short vertical video now, and a moving post stands out against a wall of stills. A few seconds of motion can carry the who, what, where and when of a gig, and one project can be cut into sizes for Reels, Stories, TikTok and feed posts.
For bands and small businesses that already have a strong look, motion is a way to get more out of branding you've already invested in.
Motion design in Belfast and beyond
If you've a gig, launch or event coming up and want something that moves, tell me about your project or see more on the design page. Motion projects start with a short project brief, so we're clear on what the video needs to do before anything is animated.
