Apple Motion is a powerful motion graphics tool that makes it easy to create cinematic 2D, 3D, and 360 titles, fluid transitions, and realistic effects in real time. It is designed for video editors who want to enhance their projects with stunning visuals and animations. Motion is also optimized for Apple silicon and the Apple Neural Engine, which enable faster performance and more advanced features. In this article, we will review some of the new features and improvements in the latest version of Motion, 5.4 ED, which was released in July 2023.
One of the most impressive features in Motion 5.4 ED is the object tracker, which uses machine learning to automatically detect, track, and match the movement of faces or objects in your scene. You can use the Match Move behavior to mirror their movement and add emitters, replicators, text, and shapes to produce realistic results. For example, you can add a glowing effect to a moving car or a hat to a person's head. You can also adjust the tracking parameters and refine the mask to get the best possible result.
If you have footage shot in Cinematic mode on iPhone, you can use Motion to create amazing depth-of-field effects with ease. Cinematic mode allows you to record videos with a shallow depth of field that focuses on your subject and blurs the background. With Motion, you can use the Cinematic tool to choose your focus points by clicking in the canvas. You can also adjust the depth-of-field effect instantly using a slider, or use behaviors and keyframes to animate it over time. This way, you can create cinematic videos that look like they were shot with a professional camera.
Another new feature in Motion 5.4 ED is the Sliced Scale filter, which allows you to divide an image into slices to prevent distortion when scaling. This is useful when you want to resize an image without changing its aspect ratio or cropping it. You can choose how many slices you want to create and how much you want to expand them. You can also apply different effects and animations to each slice for more creative possibilities.
If you want to add some eye-catching glow to your images, shapes, or text elements, you can use the new Neon filter in Motion 5.4 ED. The Neon filter creates a realistic neon effect that simulates light tubes or wires. You can customize the color, intensity, width, and flicker of the glow. You can also animate the glow with keyframes or behaviors to make it more dynamic. The Neon filter works well with the object tracker, so you can make moving objects really shine.
Motion 5.4 ED is a powerful update that brings new features and improvements to the motion graphics tool. It makes it easier and faster to create stunning visual effects and motion graphics for your video projects. Whether you want to track objects and faces, create depth-of-field effects, scale images without distortion, or add neon glow, Motion has you covered. You can buy Motion from the Mac App Store for $49.99 USD or get it as part of Final Cut Pro for $299.99 USD.