Apple Motion Masterclass: From Zero to Your First Animation

Explore the Apple Motion project browser, select project types (motion, effect, generator, transition, title or lower third), set 1080, 29.97 frames per second, time code, or import as project.

Learn how to import video, image, image sequence, and audio into Apple Motion using the project browser, command i shortcut, and drag-and-drop, with tiff image sequence support.

Convert your composition to an effect, a generator, a title, or a transition. Later lessons will show the correct settings for each file type, as each contains different parameters.

Explore the Apple Motion interface, including the library with behaviors, filters, and generators, the inspector, layers, media, and audio panels, plus the timeline, timecode, keyframes, keyframe editor, and project toolbar.

Explore the frequently used tools in Apple Motion, including shapes, bezier, text with 3D via double press, mask options, and the transform tool with shortcut s for anchor points.

Explore the library tab in Apple Motion to access behaviors, filters, generators, shapes, 3d objects (usdz), music, and photos, with live previews for each item.

Explore the inspector tab in Apple Motion to manage a layer’s properties, behaviors, and filters, apply spin and wave effects, and adjust transform, cropping, and shape tab styling.

Access the HUD in Apple Motion via the right-side panel or F7 to view essential layer properties. It highlights opacity, blend mode, fill, and drop shadow, with shape options.

Master the text tool in Apple Motion to create 2D and 3D text, adjust font, color, alignment, and tracking, and apply basic animations for kinetic typography.

Use text behaviors in Apple Motion to apply presets like text basic, fade words in, and text characters center in, adjust duration, and manage with the inspector and timeline.

Explore the sequence text behavior in Apple Motion, applying custom text animations with position and opacity controls, plus per-character, per-word, or per-line sequencing, start/end offsets, and loops.

Learn to place text on a path in Apple Motion, choosing open spline or other path shapes, and adjust path offset, wrap around, and align to the path.

Create 3D text in Apple Motion using keyboard T or the text tool. Tune depth, depth direction, weight, front and back edges, lighting, environment, and materials.

Discover primitive and custom shapes in Apple Motion, access shapes from the library and generators, and use the bezier tool (B) to edit points, fills, and outlines.

Explore shape masks in Apple Motion, using rectangle, circle, and bezier masks with shortcuts, and apply, adjust, invert, feather, color, and convert to custom shapes with control points.

Explore image mask fundamentals in Apple Motion for beginners by learning how to set a mask source, use alpha channels, and compare image masks with shape masks.

Learn to create a luma mask in Apple Motion by switching the image mask source channel from alpha to luminance; white reveals, black hides, and adjust the gradient and levels.

Learn to key out layers using the luma keyer and green screen keyer in Apple Motion, adjusting matte tools, shrink and expand, fill holes, and refine color selection.

Clone layers in Apple Motion copy a source layer and mirror its changes, while the clone has no keyframes. Create a clone by pressing K.

Explore clone layer timing in Apple Motion by adjusting speed, in and out duration, and end duration time remap, with end conditions none, loop, ping pong, or hold.

Learn how to use keyframes in Apple Motion by setting initial and final layer states, animating position and rotation, and adding keyframes with the diamond icon for each parameter.

Open the keyframe editor in Apple Motion, view all animated parameters, and switch from linear to bezier interpolation to adjust handles and shape your animation.

Learn to create and animate replicators in motion by duplicating layers into configurable shapes and patterns, using the object source, alignment, and sequence replicator timing to craft dynamic visuals.

Explore the replicator library in Apple Motion, apply categorized replicators and transitions, preview with spacebar, and adjust duration by setting the last frame with O and trimming the sequence.

Explore the basics of particles in Apple Motion by creating a particle source, configuring emitter and cell controls, and animating particles with keyframes and behaviors like scale and spin.

Explore the particles library in Apple Motion using library particle emitters, selecting categories from sparkles to flames, and applying a flare to create multi-cell particles controlled by one emitter.