The HONEST Truth About Motion Design in 2025 | Year in Review
Release Date: 12/29/2025
The HONEST Truth About Motion Design in 2025 | Year in Review
School of Motion Podcast
It's that time of year again—the School of Motion End of Year Podcast is here, and this one is our longest yet... by a lot. Buckle up for an in-depth look at everything that shaped motion design in 2025, and a look ahead to 2026! 🗒️ SHOW NOTES This year, we're joined by 17 industry veterans and special guests to break down what "motion design" even means anymore, how AI is actually being used in production, and the real state of the motion design economy. We cover major software updates from Adobe, Maxon, Unreal Engine, and more, discuss the recovery of the VFX industry, and explore...
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How to Turn Your Creative Anxiety Into Your Biggest Advantage
School of Motion Podcast
What if the things that make you anxious are actually pointing you toward your greatest strengths? School of Motion Creative Director EJ Hassenfratz shares his talk from the Motion Plus Design conference in New York City, exploring how the anxieties we face as creatives—imposter syndrome, the proliferation of AI, creative blocks, and staying relevant in a fast-changing industry—can actually become our biggest competitive advantages. EJ reveals practical ways to transform nervous energy into creative fuel and reframe professional anxiety as a guide toward growth and opportunity. Recorded...
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How to Build a Tutorial Empire Like Ben Marriott
School of Motion Podcast
We got Ben Marriott on the podcast, and honestly, it's about time...Ben's one of the best tutorial creators out there for After Effects and motion design, and his journey from freelance illustrator to full-time YouTuber happened faster than anyone expected (including him). Check out the corresponding blog post with key takeaways here:
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Why Motion Designers Are Having a Moment — with Adobe’s Michael Tanzillo
School of Motion Podcast
From pouring drinks to lighting shots at Blue Sky to leading Adobe’s Substance 3D team, Michael Tanzillo’s professional path is anything but typical and his story is packed with lessons motion designers need to hear. Check out the corresponding blog post here: www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/adobe-michael-tanzillo In this episode of the School of Motion Podcast, EJ Hassenfratz sits down with Michael to talk about the state of 3D, why motion designers are impressing major animation studios, and how foundational skills (like lighting and storytelling) will outlast any software trend. 🗒️...
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Nikola Wonder Dynamics
School of Motion Podcast
In the sea of surface-level chatter about AI and filmmaking, Nikola Todorovic is saying the quiet part out loud—and it’s the stuff creative pros actually need to hear. Check out the corresponding blog post with our key takeaways here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/wonder-dynamics As Co-Founder and CEO of Wonder Dynamics, Nikola helped build Flow Studio, an AI-powered platform that lets small teams create VFX-rich productions without VFX-rich budgets. The work was so forward-thinking that Autodesk acquired Wonder Dynamics in 2024, folding it into their growing cloud-based creative...
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Why Moonvalley's Approach to AI Video Makes Sense
School of Motion Podcast
Most AI video companies are gambling with copyright law. Moonvalley made a different bet. Check out the corresponding blog post with highlights here: Real talk: Most AI video companies are doing it wrong.They scrape everything they can get their hands on – YouTube, Vimeo, whatever – and feed it into their models. The results? Tools like Sora and Gemini are genuinely impressive. The quality is getting scary good. But here's the rub: Video producers are using these tools to create content that's trained on copyrighted work, while the original artists who made it all possible get zero credit...
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Sarah Beth Morgan Gets Real About Parenthood, Career Crisis & Her New Podcast
School of Motion Podcast
Sarah Beth Morgan, illustrator and School of Motion instructor, joins Joey to dish about the real stuff: moving across the country, having a baby, and navigating the ever-changing animation industry. See the corresponding blog post here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/sarah-beth-morgan Since her last appearance on the SOM Podcast, she's moved across the country, had a baby (a delightful two-year-old egg enthusiast named Arty), and launched a narrative podcast called Ghost Frame while navigating what she describes as a "career crisis" in today's evolving animation landscape.In this...
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Mack Garrison, Dash Studio, and Building Creative Community
School of Motion Podcast
Joey recently caught up with the main dude behind Dash Studio, Mack Garrison, for an episode of the School of Motion podcast that's creative rocket fuel. These two industry veterans dive into everything from bizarre career plot twists to throwing killer community events and surviving the AI apocalypse. It's a dive into how to thrive as a creative when the entire industry seems to be transforming at warp speed. Check out the corresponding blog post here: www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/mack-garrison-dash-studio
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Already Been Chewed and the Journey to Motion Design Success
School of Motion Podcast
EJ jams with Barton Damer, the creative muscle behind Already Been Chewed (ABC)...basically the Tony Hawk of motion design. This dude turned his skateboarding obsession into a full-blown 3D animation studio that now cranks out mind-blowing work for Nike, Adidas, Star Wars, and Marvel. Check out the corresponding blog post with key takeaways: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/already-been-chewed Artists Barton Damer https://www.linkedin.com/in/barton-damer-92a32918 EJ Hassenfratz https://www.youtube.com/@eyedesyn/videos Nick Campbell https://greyscalegorilla.com/about-us/ Paul Babb...
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From Self-Taught Animator to Oscar Winner: Gints Zilbalodis on Creating "Flow"
School of Motion Podcast
Oscar-winning director Gints Zilbalodis just proved you don't need fancy film school or million-dollar software to snag that golden statue. See the corresponding blog post with key takeaways here: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/gints-zilbalodis-flow EJ sits down with animation's newest golden boy, Gints Zilbalodis, the genius behind "Flow" (yep, the one that just took home an Oscar). From doodling in Flash to accepting Academy Awards, Gints' journey is the ultimate inspo for anyone who's ever thought, "Maybe I could make cool stuff too?" Spoiler alert: You absolutely can. 👉CHAPTERS👈...
info_outlineIt's that time of year again—the School of Motion End of Year Podcast is here, and this one is our longest yet... by a lot. Buckle up for an in-depth look at everything that shaped motion design in 2025, and a look ahead to 2026!
🗒️ SHOW NOTES https://schoolofmotion.com/eoy2025
This year, we're joined by 17 industry veterans and special guests to break down what "motion design" even means anymore, how AI is actually being used in production, and the real state of the motion design economy. We cover major software updates from Adobe, Maxon, Unreal Engine, and more, discuss the recovery of the VFX industry, and explore how motion designers are expanding into UX, real-time graphics, and interactive experiences.
This podcast represents our commitment to helping motion designers understand the bigger picture and make informed decisions about their careers. Thanks for being part of the School of Motion community this year!
THANK YOU to this year's contributors:
John LePore - Co-Founder, Blackbox Infinite
Ivan Witteborg - UX Motion Designer, @Google
Justin Cone - Executive Director of Communication, Buck & Residence
@SternFX - Motion Designer & Educator
Kyle Hamrick - Motion Designer, Editor & Educator
Bekki Leahy - Motion Designer & Illustrator
Greg Stewart - Lead Animator, @bibleproject
@JJMotionStudio - Director & High Torchbearer, We Ride at Dawn
@sweetboy.motion - 3D Artist & Educator
Urban Bradesko - Founder, @DoubleJumpAcademy & Crispy Chicken VFX
Dan Maurer - Co-founder, @cartandhorse
Kris Bargen - Co-founder, @cartandhorse
Erin Sarofsky - Owner & Creative Director, Sarofsky
PJ Richardson - ECD, Director & Co-founder, Laundry
@thejoelpilger - Founder, Forum
Hayley Akins - Founder, @MotionHatch
Caleb Ward - Founder, @curiousrefuge
👉 CHAPTERS 👈
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:15 Motion Design Present & Future
00:17:54 School of Motion Roundup
00:31:10 Our Favorite Work from 2025
00:52:26 Artists & Studios We Loved in 2025
01:20:24 The State of Adobe
01:32:42 Photoshop & Illustrator
01:43:10 After Effects
01:53:13 Premiere
02:06:12 Substance Painter
02:14:43 Figma on Our Minds
02:26:53 Descript FTW
02:28:43 Affinity: Adobe Killer?
02:38:22 Here Comes the Cavalry
02:54:00 The Rive Lovefest
03:27:51 Lottifiles Update
03:32:22 Greyscalegorilla Merger & More
03:36:05 Maxon's Moves
03:51:56 The Autograph Curveball
03:58:41 Will Blender Blend?
04:22:09 Houdini Happenings
04:29:17 Unreal is Unreal
04:55:14 Lottielab
04:57:27 Simulon
05:00:34 Spline & Hana
05:04:18 Womp Womp
05:09:09 Nomad Sculpt
05:13:22 Zbrush
05:16:00 Ad Industry Consolidation
05:25:49 Marketing Budgets Spread Thin
05:32:19 The Great Bifurcation
05:51:14 Pour One Out for The Mill
05:52:28 National Design Studio
05:53:00 Ben Fryc Makes a Keyboard
05:58:47 Contra is Cool
06:00:31 A New Vimeo?
06:05:42 The Motion Economy
06:16:18 Macroeconomic Trends
06:21:28 Return to Office
06:26:11 The Two Races
06:32:33 The Lost Art of Communication
06:54:21 The Race to the Top
07:21:17 The AI Conversation
07:23:22 Adobe's AI Play
07:37:11 Weavy & ComfyUI
07:49:52 MoveAI
07:53:51 Cascadeur
07:59:46 AI Image Generator Roundup
08:10:53 Firefly & Boards
08:17:41 AI Video Models
08:32:05 The AI Financial Bubble
08:39:16 The AI Vibe Shift
09:04:55 AI's Utility
09:26:01 THAT Coke Ad
09:31:42 How Artists Actually Use AI
09:41:38 The AI Ethics Question
09:49:29 2026 Predictions
🎓 SCHOOL OF MOTION COURSES MENTIONED
School of Motion All-Access: https://schoolofmotion.com/all-access
School of Motion Team Training: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/training-for-teams
Courses & workshops coming soon: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/coming-soon