Skip to main content

Motion Designer CV Example

Showcase your animation and motion graphics skills with a CV that highlights your creative ability and technical proficiency in design software.

Recommended template: BoldPro

Key Skills to Include

After EffectsCinema 4DMotion GraphicsAnimationVisual StorytellingTypography AnimationStoryboardingCreative Direction

Quick Tips

  • Include a link to your motion design portfolio or showreel prominently on your CV.
  • List the specific software tools you use and your proficiency level with each.
  • Mention the types of projects you have worked on such as commercials, explainers, or title sequences.
  • Highlight your collaborative experience working with designers, directors, and editors.

Ready to build your CV?

Start with the Bold template and customise it for your media role.

Upgrade to Pro

How to Write Your Motion Designer CV

A motion designer CV should demonstrate your creative range, technical proficiency, and ability to deliver animated content across diverse project types. Studios and agencies look for motion designers who can combine design thinking with animation skill, work collaboratively within creative teams, and deliver high-quality work to deadline. Your showreel is your most important asset, but your CV provides the professional context that shows where and how you have applied your skills.

CV Structure

Lead with a showreel link and contact details, followed by a concise profile. List work experience in reverse chronological order, describing the studio or agency, your specific animation contributions, and notable projects. Include a skills section covering software, design, and animation competencies. Add education and any relevant awards or exhibitions. Keep the document to one or two pages.

CV Format

Use a clean, modern template that reflects your design sensibility. Include your showreel link prominently — it is the most important element of your application. Avoid embedding animations or heavy graphics in the CV itself. Use consistent formatting and save as a PDF.

CV Profile Examples

Senior Motion Designer

Creative senior motion designer with seven years of experience producing animation and motion graphics for advertising agencies, broadcast studios, and tech companies. Expert in After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Premiere Pro with additional skills in Houdini and Blender for procedural and 3D workflows. Portfolio includes title sequences for Channel 4 programmes, explainer animations for FTSE 100 clients, and social media campaigns viewed over 50 million times collectively.

Mid-Level Motion Designer

Versatile motion designer with four years of experience creating animated content for digital marketing, brand campaigns, and broadcast graphics. Proficient in After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Figma with a strong foundation in graphic design, typography, and visual storytelling. Known for translating complex concepts into engaging animated narratives and delivering polished work across tight turnaround schedules.

Junior Motion Designer

Enthusiastic motion design graduate from Ravensbourne University London seeking a studio position to develop skills in animation and motion graphics. Strong portfolio demonstrating kinetic typography, character animation, and explainer videos created during academic and freelance projects. Proficient in After Effects, Illustrator, and Cinema 4D with growing competence in 3D rendering and compositing workflows.

State your motion design specialism, years of experience, and the types of projects you have worked on in three sentences. Mention key software tools and one notable credit or achievement.

Key Skills for Your Motion Designer CV

After Effects

Creating motion graphics, compositing, and animation using Adobe After Effects with advanced expression and scripting capabilities.

Cinema 4D

Producing 3D animation, modelling, and rendering for motion graphics, product visualisation, and broadcast design.

Motion Graphics

Designing and animating graphic elements for video content, broadcast, advertising, and digital platforms.

Animation

Bringing illustrations, characters, and graphic elements to life through 2D and 3D animation techniques.

Visual Storytelling

Structuring animated narratives that communicate messages clearly and engage audiences through visual sequence and pacing.

Typography Animation

Animating type as a visual element, creating kinetic typography sequences for titles, explainers, and brand content.

Storyboarding

Planning animated sequences through sketched or digital storyboards that map out timing, transitions, and visual narrative.

Creative Direction

Guiding the visual style, tone, and creative approach of motion design projects from concept through to delivery.

Work Experience Examples

Describe the studio or agency, the types of animated content you produced, and the clients or projects you contributed to. Mention your specific role in each project and the tools you used. Quantify with view counts, award recognition, or client impact. Include collaboration with directors, editors, and other creative disciplines.

Motion Designer

Territory Studio

Created motion graphics and animated content for film user interfaces, brand campaigns, and immersive experiences at a leading motion design studio.

Responsibilities

  • Designed and animated motion graphics for film screen graphics, commercial campaigns, and experiential installations.
  • Developed storyboards and animatics to communicate animation concepts to clients and internal creative teams before production.
  • Created 2D and 3D animated assets using After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Houdini, integrating them into live-action footage and composited sequences.
  • Collaborated with creative directors, VFX artists, and editors to ensure motion design elements integrated seamlessly into larger creative projects.
  • Delivered assets for multiple concurrent projects, managing time effectively across different deadlines and creative briefs.

Achievements

  • Animated screen graphics for a major science fiction film that received critical praise for its user interface design and visual effects.
  • Produced a brand campaign animation that won a D&AD Pencil for motion design and was featured on the studio's international showcase tour.
  • Developed a reusable procedural animation system in Houdini that reduced production time by 25% on future projects using similar visual language.

Junior Motion Designer

Wonderhood Studios

Created animated content for advertising campaigns and social media across the agency's portfolio of consumer brand clients.

Responsibilities

  • Produced animated social media assets, GIFs, and short-form video content for brand campaigns across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
  • Animated logo reveals, kinetic typography, and lower thirds for commercial video productions.
  • Assisted senior motion designers with asset preparation, rendering, and file management across multiple project pipelines.
  • Contributed creative ideas during brainstorming sessions and presented animation concepts to the creative team.

Achievements

  • Created a series of animated social media assets for a drinks brand campaign that achieved 8 million views across platforms.
  • Promoted from intern to junior motion designer within six months based on creative output and initiative.

Education & Qualifications

List your degree in motion design, animation, graphic design, or a related field. Include any specialist courses in 3D animation, compositing, or creative coding. Mention relevant awards or exhibition participation.

BA Motion Graphics / Animation

Undergraduate degree providing training in animation, design, and motion graphics for screen-based media.

MA Animation / Visual Effects

Postgraduate qualification offering advanced training in animation techniques and visual effects production.

School of Motion Courses

Industry-recognised online courses in After Effects, Cinema 4D, and motion design principles.

Maxon Cinema 4D Certification

Manufacturer certification demonstrating proficiency in Cinema 4D for 3D motion design workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions

How important is a showreel for a motion designer?
Your showreel is the single most important factor in securing motion design work. It should be under 90 seconds, showcase your best work, and demonstrate range across different styles and techniques. Lead with your strongest piece and include a variety of project types. Update it regularly with recent work and tailor it to the types of studios or agencies you are targeting.
What software should a motion designer know?
Adobe After Effects is essential for most motion design roles. Cinema 4D is the most commonly used 3D tool in the motion design industry. Familiarity with Adobe Premiere Pro and Illustrator is expected. Additional tools like Houdini, Blender, or Unreal Engine can differentiate you for more technical roles. Include all relevant software in your skills section with your proficiency level.
How do I get started in motion design?
Build a showreel through personal projects, online challenges, and collaborative work. Take online courses from providers like School of Motion or Motion Design School to develop technical skills. Apply for internships and junior positions at studios and agencies. Participate in design communities and share your work on platforms like Vimeo and Behance. A relevant degree is helpful but a strong showreel is more important.
Should I specialise in 2D or 3D motion design?
Having competence in both is ideal, but many motion designers develop a primary strength in one area. 2D motion graphics using After Effects is the most commonly required skill and provides the broadest range of job opportunities. 3D skills in Cinema 4D or Houdini command premium rates and are increasingly in demand. Choose your primary focus based on the type of work that excites you most.

More Media CV Examples

Builder Command Palette

Type a command or search...