Motion Graphics in Television
Early cinematic techniques that were used in experimental avantgarde
film and movie title sequences became adopted in broadcast
motion graphics, as television became a new medium for animation.
Harry Marks and network identities
By the late 1960s, most prime time television content was produced
on color film. Tape recording technology also became available, and
color videotape machines and tape cartridge systems were offered by
RCA, providing stations with a reliable method of playback. Broadcasters
stretched the limits of portability with large cameras and recorders.
Program relay by satellite also emerged, giving viewers live images
from all over the world. When there were just three television networks,
brand identity was easily captured in three signature logos: NBC’s
Peacock, CBS’s Eye, and ABC’s round logo designed by Paul Rand.
During that time, Harry Marks, who was working for ABC, conceived
the idea of the moving logo and hired Douglas Trumbull, who pioneered
the special effects in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), to
assist him in his endeavors. Trumbull’s slit scan camera, which he had
developed as an extension of John Whitney’s work, was mounted on
a track and moved toward artwork that was illuminated on a table