CDA CDA Motion Graphics & Animation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In motion design, what is the purpose of 'easing' a keyframe?
- To lock the layer position
- To gradually accelerate or decelerate motion for a more natural feel (Correct answer)
- To duplicate a keyframe
- To convert a keyframe to a hold frame
Correct answer: To gradually accelerate or decelerate motion for a more natural feel
Easing (ease-in/ease-out) adjusts the rate of change near keyframes so animations feel less mechanical and more organic.
Question 2: Which file format is best suited for exporting a short looping animation with a transparent background for web use?
- MP4 (H.264)
- GIF
- APNG or WebM with alpha channel (Correct answer)
- JPEG sequence
Correct answer: APNG or WebM with alpha channel
APNG and WebM with alpha channel support transparency and deliver smaller file sizes and better quality than GIF for web animations.
Question 3: What is a 'motion path' in animation software?
- The render queue output destination
- The visible trajectory line showing how an object travels through space over time (Correct answer)
- A type of particle emitter
- A blend mode for layers
Correct answer: The visible trajectory line showing how an object travels through space over time
A motion path displays the spatial trajectory of an animated object, allowing animators to edit the curve of movement directly in the composition view.
Question 4: In After Effects, what does 'parenting' a layer accomplish?
- Merges two layers into one
- Links a child layer's transformations to follow its parent layer (Correct answer)
- Converts a layer to a 3D object
- Applies a mask to a group of layers
Correct answer: Links a child layer's transformations to follow its parent layer
Parenting creates a hierarchical relationship where the child layer inherits and follows the parent's position, scale, and rotation.
Question 5: What animation technique involves tracing over live-action footage frame by frame to create realistic motion?
- Stop motion
- Rotoscoping (Correct answer)
- Match moving
- Morphing
Correct answer: Rotoscoping
Rotoscoping traces real footage to extract realistic movement data or create stylized animation based on actual human motion.
Question 6: Which codec is most commonly recommended for delivering high-quality motion graphics for broadcast or streaming platforms in the US?
- DivX
- H.264 (MP4) (Correct answer)
- MPEG-1
- RealVideo
Correct answer: H.264 (MP4)
H.264 (MP4) offers an excellent balance of quality and compression efficiency, making it the standard delivery codec for broadcast and streaming.
CDA CDA Motion Graphics & Animation 2
In motion design, what is the purpose of 'easing' a keyframe?