New York in Motion

They have become so ubiquitous, we hardly notice them any more: motion graphics in advertisements, music videos, films, on billboards and Flash websites. The foundations for this technology were laid in the 1950s by Saul Bass with his stylish titles for the Hitchcock films \i Vertigo\i0 , \i North by Northwest\i0 ,\i \i0 and \i Psycho\i0 , but the real breakthrough came much later, with the arrival of the personal computer. Suddenly, everyone could play around with animations, dynamic info graphics and other useful visual applications, thanks to software such as After Effects, Apple Motion, and Dutch open source software Blender. These days, the beating heart of the motion design industry is in New York, a Valhalla for creative spirits from all over the world. A city designed down to the tiniest detail, which from above looks like a collection of pixels, and which in Times Square is blessed with probably the most kinetic, colorful and sensational downtown in the world. At a rapid tempo, and illustrated by a wealth of examples, we listen to more than 50 influential designers talk about this city as an inexhaustible source of inspiration. They look for explanations for their success and praise the eternal urge to innovate in the creative sector. After all, motion graphics should be seen as just as revolutionary a breakthrough as the building of cathedrals.