motion: the universal language

Motion is a universal language. It's understood by everyone in varying degrees. Look at it this way: If something whizzes across the screen, it communicates "fast" or "urgent." And the slow move can communicate "calm." It's really about rhythm, and we all understand that language.

But, let's take it a step further. It's one thing to recognize that motion and rhythm are universal forms of communication. Fairly obvious but communication through motion is deeply embedded in our culture in other ways. Example: Have you ever heard a movie described as being "too MTV?" The quick edits typical of music videos have become a property of the MTV brand. By establishing a particular motion-based style, MTV has added a huge attribute to its brand.

Another example would be the current Gap campaign those slow, even pans revealing bored cynical twenty-somethings deadpanning the songs of joy from past generations. Like 'em or hate 'em, it's all attitude, and the way the pans move says way more about Gap style, whatever that is, than the models dressed in vests and cords. Again, the end result is a corporation building brand property through motion.

In the more distinct realm of the graphic designer, motion design has even more of an influence and an impact. I can easily turn to a designer on my team and say, "This spot needs more of a Kyle Cooper look." (Kyle and his company's work can be viewed at http://www.imaginaryforces.com.) The designer would understand that I was looking for a darker , ominous, more distressed text approach. (Though Kyle and his company have designed film titles and commercials of many different styles, he is best known for his ground-breaking work on film titles from movies like Seven and The Island of Dr. Moreau. )

In all these examples, the content is largely irrelevant to the perceived message. It's the impact of the motion that conveys the high energy of MTV, the dismissive languidness of Gap, or the frenetic, darker style of Kyle Cooper.