The HONEST Truth About Motion Design in 2025 | Year in Review

It's that time of year again—the School of Motion End of Year Podcast is here, and this one is our longest yet... by a lot. Buckle up for an in-depth look at everything that shaped motion design in 2025, and a look ahead to 2026!

🗒️ SHOW NOTES https://schoolofmotion.com/eoy2025

This year, we're joined by 17 industry veterans and special guests to break down what "motion design" even means anymore, how AI is actually being used in production, and the real state of the motion design economy. We cover major software updates from Adobe, Maxon, Unreal Engine, and more, discuss the recovery of the VFX industry, and explore how motion designers are expanding into UX, real-time graphics, and interactive experiences.

This podcast represents our commitment to helping motion designers understand the bigger picture and make informed decisions about their careers. Thanks for being part of the School of Motion community this year!

THANK YOU to this year's contributors:

John LePore - Co-Founder, Blackbox Infinite
Ivan Witteborg - UX Motion Designer, @Google
Justin Cone - Executive Director of Communication, Buck & Residence
@SternFX - Motion Designer & Educator
Kyle Hamrick - Motion Designer, Editor & Educator
Bekki Leahy - Motion Designer & Illustrator
Greg Stewart - Lead Animator, @bibleproject
@JJMotionStudio - Director & High Torchbearer, We Ride at Dawn
@sweetboy.motion - 3D Artist & Educator
Urban Bradesko - Founder, @DoubleJumpAcademy & Crispy Chicken VFX
Dan Maurer - Co-founder, @cartandhorse
Kris Bargen - Co-founder, @cartandhorse
Erin Sarofsky - Owner & Creative Director, Sarofsky
PJ Richardson - ECD, Director & Co-founder, Laundry
@thejoelpilger - Founder, Forum
Hayley Akins - Founder, @MotionHatch
Caleb Ward - Founder, @curiousrefuge

👉 CHAPTERS 👈

00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:15 Motion Design Present & Future
00:17:54 School of Motion Roundup
00:31:10 Our Favorite Work from 2025
00:52:26 Artists & Studios We Loved in 2025
01:20:24 The State of Adobe
01:32:42 Photoshop & Illustrator
01:43:10 After Effects
01:53:13 Premiere
02:06:12 Substance Painter
02:14:43 Figma on Our Minds
02:26:53 Descript FTW
02:28:43 Affinity: Adobe Killer?
02:38:22 Here Comes the Cavalry
02:54:00 The Rive Lovefest
03:27:51 Lottifiles Update
03:32:22 Greyscalegorilla Merger & More
03:36:05 Maxon's Moves
03:51:56 The Autograph Curveball
03:58:41 Will Blender Blend?
04:22:09 Houdini Happenings
04:29:17 Unreal is Unreal
04:55:14 Lottielab
04:57:27 Simulon
05:00:34 Spline & Hana
05:04:18 Womp Womp
05:09:09 Nomad Sculpt
05:13:22 Zbrush
05:16:00 Ad Industry Consolidation
05:25:49 Marketing Budgets Spread Thin
05:32:19 The Great Bifurcation
05:51:14 Pour One Out for The Mill
05:52:28 National Design Studio
05:53:00 Ben Fryc Makes a Keyboard
05:58:47 Contra is Cool
06:00:31 A New Vimeo?
06:05:42 The Motion Economy
06:16:18 Macroeconomic Trends
06:21:28 Return to Office
06:26:11 The Two Races
06:32:33 The Lost Art of Communication
06:54:21 The Race to the Top
07:21:17 The AI Conversation
07:23:22 Adobe's AI Play
07:37:11 Weavy & ComfyUI
07:49:52 MoveAI
07:53:51 Cascadeur
07:59:46 AI Image Generator Roundup
08:10:53 Firefly & Boards
08:17:41 AI Video Models
08:32:05 The AI Financial Bubble
08:39:16 The AI Vibe Shift
09:04:55 AI's Utility
09:26:01 THAT Coke Ad
09:31:42 How Artists Actually Use AI
09:41:38 The AI Ethics Question
09:49:29 2026 Predictions

🎓 SCHOOL OF MOTION COURSES MENTIONED

School of Motion All-Access: https://schoolofmotion.com/all-access
School of Motion Team Training: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/training-for-teams
Courses & workshops coming soon: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/coming-soon