The creative landscape is constantly changing and now we now live in a world where designers wear many hats. Clients no longer have to work with agencies or hire multiple people to get the job done – they’re looking for that one designer who can handle multiple tasks in multiple disciplines.
A graphic designer, for example, who can also create animations and edit video has a leg up on the competition. But how can they offer these additional services without an expert level of knowledge in programs like After Effects and Premiere Pro? That’s where having a library of design assets, templates in particular, comes in.
With a membership to Adobe’s Creative Cloud service (opens in new tab), access to a library of templates and assets, and a basic working knowledge of a few applications, a graphic artist can extend their skillset and, therefore, their client list substantially. Let’s take a look at what you need to do just that…
01. Super software
For starters, you need access to the right software. If you are working in Photoshop and Illustrator already, you likely have a Creative Cloud membership. If not, for $49 a month, you can have access to the latest and greatest versions of virtually every Adobe product. This includes the applications for motion graphics and video editing, After Effects and Premiere Pro respectively.
02. Knowledge is power
If you’re a little nervous about getting started with a new software application, fear not, there are tons of ways to learn them online. Some resources are paid like Lynda.com (opens in new tab), but there are plenty of free resources as well. A simple search for “After Effects Tutorials (opens in new tab)” on YouTube will get you hours of free content.
03. A library of design assets
Another thing that will come in super-handy when learning new skills is having access to a library of creative assets and templates. For the uninitiated, a template is a project file that does a lot of the work for you, with professional design built in, and animations or edits in place. All you have to do as a user is to change out images, video, or type and then export or render.
Of course, you can dig into any template to make changes and to customize it to your heart’s content. But, good templates are setup so that a minimal amount of work needs to be done in order to output a professional video or animation.
Let’s take a look at one creative marketplace that has tons of templates available for use for commercial or personal projects.
Motion Array (opens in new tab) is a creative marketplace that has tons of templates available and is a brilliant place to start. Like other marketplaces, Motion Array has a huge range of assets including After Effects templates (opens in new tab), Premiere Pro templates (opens in new tab), stock music (opens in new tab), video (opens in new tab), and motion graphics (opens in new tab). The library at Motion Array has over 12,000 files, with more being added daily.
Unlike other marketplaces, however, Motion Array has a different pricing model. While some services charge $40 or more for one asset, Motion Array works on a subscription model. This can be great if you are getting started as it allows you to download several files to try for a lot less than you’d pay at a traditional pay-per-download marketplace.
Motion Array memberships range from $19 to $49 a month offering between four and 20 downloads per month, depending on which you option you choose. Each item, whether it’s a piece of stock music or an After Effects template, is one credit to download. And once you download the file, it’s yours to keep and use forever, even if you cancel your membership. The license at Motion Array is simple too. Every item downloaded is yours to use on any project of any size.
Here are a few examples of the types of projects available at Motion Array that can turn you into an animator or editor quicker than you might think.
Armed with the right software, a little bit of knowledge, and a library of creative assets and templates, you will be set and ready to add a new range of services to your clients, making them – and you – a whole lot happier!
