Motion direction brief
Translate a product claim into a visual idea that changes over time. The result should tell a designer or coding agent what to build, what to keep from a reference, and how to judge the first render. Do not mistake a list of product benefits or headline cards for a motion concept.
Inputs and medium
Capture the audience, one message the viewer should remember, intended placement, duration or interaction trigger, aspect ratio, brand assets, product footage or UI, audio needs, language, deadline, and implementation constraints. If the user has supplied enough to decide, proceed; ask only for a missing choice that would materially change the direction.
Choose the output before specifying animation:
- Web motion responds to input and application state. Describe its trigger, idle and completion states, interruption behavior, performance budget, and reduced-motion alternative. The Animation & 3D Motion Design skill covers the related storyboard and timing work.
- Rendered film has a fixed timeline. Define its shot sequence, continuous visual logic, sound, delivery size/frame rate, and final hold. The AI Video workflow covers implementation, rendering, and review after this brief.
Do not route a user asking for a finished film to a brief as though the brief completes their request. Hand it into the available production workflow, or state the execution gap.
Workflow: deconstruct a supplied reference
Watch once for the overall impression, then inspect representative frames or a contact sheet. Record the reference's transferable principles: pacing, average and contrasting hold lengths, camera behavior, scale changes, transition grammar, type behavior, material, color relationship, and sound structure. Note which moments establish the idea and which reveal the product. Separate those principles from the reference's identifiable art, text, brand, footage, and exact shot sequence; design an original result.
A compact reference note might read: “quiet opening with large negative space; one object enters, then its movement reveals the UI; two quick impacts before a longer product hold.” That is more useful than “make it like this video.” If there is no reference, derive rhythm and visual language from the user's brand and placement rather than applying a house style.
Build the concept
Write the product claim in plain language, then propose a visual mechanism that demonstrates it. Ask: what appears first, what changes, and why does that change express the claim? Consider multiple directions only when the brief genuinely leaves room for a taste choice. For each viable direction, state the hook image, the evolving motif, the transition logic, and one thing it intentionally avoids. Select a direction consistent with the user's references and constraints; preserve their taste rather than imposing a preferred palette, camera move, or pace.
Specify a small visual system: type roles and legibility, palette or supplied brand tokens, materials, framing, safe areas, motion curves, and camera grammar. Use real brand marks and actual product UI. Mark missing assets; do not generate invented UI or logos and present them as the product.
Make a beat map that can be built
For each beat, write time or trigger → subject → visible action → camera/composition → what carries into the next beat → sound or feedback. A cut can be right, but repeated full-screen replacements often read as slides. Prefer a transformation, shared object, motion path, or causal action when continuity serves the concept. Include intentional rests as well as movement.
Example for a hypothetical 15-second Thrive film, illustrating structure rather than prescribing style:
| Time | Visible action | Carry and sound |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 s | A cursor places a rough idea on a working surface; the framing makes the starting point legible. | The same mark becomes the next scene's anchor; a quiet input sound. |
| 3–7 s | The mark expands into connected skill steps while the camera follows the action. | A moving line leads into the real product interface; sound grows with the action. |
| 7–12 s | The interface responds to one visible user action; focus shifts to the resulting work. | The result itself becomes the end-frame shape; a short musical rise. |
| 12–15 s | The shape settles with the verified Thrive mark and one concise claim. | Motion and music resolve; leave a readable hold. |
Change the mechanism, duration, and look for the actual brief. A music-led cut, tactile animation, interactive demo, or calm single take may each be correct for different users.
Handoff and first-pass review
Deliver a one-sentence concept, visual references with notes, the beat map, asset checklist, implementation recommendation, export specification, and a short list of review frames or states. Mark choices that still depend on assets or user preference. A film handoff should identify audio sources or the intended sound approach; a web handoff should specify reduced-motion behavior.
Review the first result at normal speed with sound, then muted, then at likely viewing size. Check whether the opening reads immediately, the product appears truthfully, the visual motif evolves, typography is readable, transitions have a reason, and the final frame holds long enough. Inspect at least one frame from the opening, the main transformation, the product reveal, and the ending. Note concrete corrections (“the product reveal starts after the viewer has lost the anchor”) instead of taste-only feedback (“make it more dynamic”).
If a production tool or renderer is unavailable, deliver the direction and name the missing execution step. The motion skill for Claude guide explains the distinction between direction, web interaction, and a rendered film.
