In this step-by-step tutorial, I’m going to show you how to use Motion Array’s extension for Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro.
Motion Array is a membership based website with a marketplace for downloading stock footage, royalty free music and video templates as well as a variety of other tools for Filmmakers and Video Creators. The extension for Adobe is a tool that allows After Effects and Premiere Pro users access this vast library of resources.
The beauty of this integration is that you don’t have to jump over to Motion Array’s website to download elements—everything is done directly in the extension panel within the application. While most of these assets require a premium subscription, they do have a large collection of free assets available for download. In fact, if you’d like to follow along with this tutorial, you can, as everything I’ll be using here is free. This includes a Motion Array account, the extension, and all of the assets.
Let’s take a step by step look at how it works.
Step 1 - Install the Extension
For the first step, I’ll need to get the extension. I’ll head over to Motion Array’s website and click on the Integrations page. This will lead me to Adobe Exchange, Adobe’s marketplace for extensions, plugins and scripts for Creative Cloud apps. This extension is currently the most popular app for both After Effects and Premiere Pro, so it’s quite easy to find.
Once I get it downloaded and installed, I’m ready to create a Motion Array account.
Step 2 - Setup a Free Account
To use the plugin inside of Adobe After Effects or Premiere Pro, I’ll need to create a Motion Array account. As I mentioned before, this is free. And again, all of the elements I’ll be using for this tutorial are also free, so you can follow along with this tutorial and create exactly what I’m going to put together here.
The beauty of the Motion Array premium subscription, however, is the payment structure. With a premium account, you’ll have access to ALL of the assets in Motion Array’s library. You won’t have to worry about any varying prices between video and audio clips. Simply pick what you like and you’re ready to go.
Now that I have the extension installed and my account setup, I’m ready to create something cool.
Step 3 - Search and Download Content
Let’s say that I’m working on a documentary series called Earth3000. And let’s pretend that I’ve shot a bunch of interviews, and now I need to put together a short intro for the show with a title and some music. This is where Motion Array shines.
At the top of the Motion Array panel is a search bar. I can search via keyword and filter by category in the dropdown box to the left. Just below the search bar are two additional filtering options. Since I’m using a free account, I want to sort just the Free Items.
Inside of my After Effects project, I’ll search and download a clip of the earth, and then grab a few lights leak overlays. Next, I’ll download a glitch elements template to create a title animation. As a final touch, I’ll add a glitchy music track to bring everything together. When the assets download, they will save to my local drive and auto import into my project.
If I jump over to Premiere Pro, the panel looks and works exactly the same. I’ll have access to all of the same assets, including elements and templates created specifically for Premiere Pro, such as mogrt templates.
With loads of creative assets, Motion Array will have you cranking out amazing content in no time. So what are you waiting for? Get started with your free Motion Array account today.