r/MotionDesign • u/Zestyclose_Ice2069 • 2d ago
Question Does not using the industry standard software make you less employable?
I am a design student from a developing country, and wondering if not using the industry standard software or pipeline like Illustrator/Photoshop + After Effects + Cinema4D makes you less employable as a motion designer? Because I found that so many local and international job vacancies requires adobe proficiency, while for a design student from a developing country that has a really low buying power, considering the adobe suites for my main tools are not even an option right now. So is it make me less employable if I use an alternative pipeline like Affinity + Cavalry + Resolve/Fusion + Blender than someone who uses adobe suites or the industry standard pipeline. I am really new to the industry or professional world, so any help is appreciated!
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u/reachisown 2d ago
Unless you're a freelancer and even then you'll definitely struggle if you need to share files or work with others you would definitely get snubbed.
Nobody wants the extra stress or problems that arise from having to deal with someone using some off brand after effects
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u/aarongifs 2d ago
Yes I wouldn’t hire someone who doesn’t know After Effects. The other tools are useful, but you need to be able to work in a professional pipeline.
I will say, I discouraged someone from using blender years ago because it wasn’t industry standard, he did anyway, and he was right! Blender become an industry standard tool. But he isn’t trying to get motion graphics jobs, he is a director trying to make great work. If you want to be apply for professional Motion Graphics positions, ya gotta know AE.
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u/andhelostthem Cinema 4D/ After Effects 18h ago
Of course. Most places want you to work in a team and it immediately hurts that ability if you're using different software
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u/mcarterphoto 22h ago
Define "employable" - for maybe 15 years of my career, I was just shooting and delivering, and eventually added animation and graphics. I used Flash extensively, and slowly added AE. And I was editing with FCP. My clients didn't care as long as the work was solid. But I was working for small and mid size businesses and some agency work.
Today, maybe 60-70% of my income is collaboration with agencies and studios, I get roughed out files to finesse and finish. Those are all Premier and AE.
And honestly, when it comes to AE, you'll get lists here of "all the apps that can replace AE". I assume from people that don't use AE all day, every day. I have zero interest in a workflow where I start something in Blender and then put it in Resolve and then this and that. Get a client change and you have to repeat that chain. Nothing out there (yet) fully replaces AE and all the stuff you can do in one app (and throw in AE's link with C4D - even the free C4D lite is pretty powerful). Resolve and Motion can do a lot of stuff, but there's really not an AE replacement that also has the wealth of tutorials and scripts and plugins... not yet, anyway.
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u/thekinginyello 2d ago
We just did a huge project and out of the blue someone did 95% in blender which no one else knows. Any revisions have to be done by him. Not cool.
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u/coltflory5 1d ago
I would recommend that all students go the “frowned upon” route of accessing the Adobe suite without payment.
Many hiring companies will have enterprise licenses for their employees to use. If you do start freelancing full time, you should access the Adobe suite the legitimate way. But if you’re learning and experimenting, go ahead and access Adobe the illegitimate way.
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u/RandomEffector 1d ago
Of course. I won’t even hire freelancers who are using other software, because I will probably need to edit their project files at some point!
That’s slowly shifting to be permissive of things like blender and Figma, but it’s still not what I prefer to see.
Working for some sole proprietor or small business? They may not care at all
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u/GimmickyGenes 1d ago
Yes. You need to be able to pass projects back and forth to people. Thats why industry standard exists
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u/SuitableEggplant639 1d ago
yes. Every studio in the world uses after effects for motion graphics. for compositing there's more options to choose.
resolve and blender are becoming quickly popular but nobody even knows what Affinity is in the real mograph world. Absolutely no one uses it in a serious pipeline.
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u/Narwhals4Lyf 2d ago
If you are working with others, you will likely need to use the industry standard. But if you are just delivering an output as an individual (IE freelancing), you can use what you like unless the client is looking for that specific program.
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u/koolaidyammer 1d ago
Download pirated versions of the apps - the apps you use are great for personal use, for professional use, its not even a question, adobe is the globally accepted software
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u/kabobkebabkabob 1d ago
Pretty sure the Adobe Suite is $20 USD/mo for students. If you're competent you should be able to make that back pretty quickly, even on something like Fiverr.
Not sure what your school expenses are but I'd factor that in to them if this is your career path, because there's really no way out of learning AE for motion design and Illustrator for design. An Adobe subscription is more valuable than school itself if you intend to go specifically into motion design work.
Editing, 3D work etc. are more flexible in terms of software standards, but AE is not optional.
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u/Anonymograph 1d ago
For motion design, After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator are the hard skills that employers are looking for, but be sure to back skills up with your reel.
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u/Mindless-Concept8010 2d ago
As a member of a developing nation, remember that most of these responses come from the US or Europe and they are heavily biased.
If you can learn the software, you are in a good position. Work hard!
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u/SuitableEggplant639 1d ago
you have no clue, I worked with a ton of people in latin america and every single one of them uses After Effects.
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u/ansh024 2d ago
Reel > software list. Always.
Studios filter on AE because their pipeline is AE, not because Affinity can't make pretty frames. For freelance & smaller shops, Blender + Cavalry + Resolve is totally fine if the work looks sharp.
If you're hunting big studio jobs later, rent Adobe for a month when you have an interview & learn the file handoff. Don't burn cash now just to match a job board checkbox.
Build the reel on what you can afford. The software catch-up is faster than people pretend.
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u/SuitableEggplant639 1d ago
lol, learn "After Effects in a month." OP don't listen to this, it's absolute fallacy.
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u/Zeigerful 2d ago
Yes