Adobe's TOS Turmoil, Maxon's New Tool, & Cara Breaks the Internet

In this jam-packed episode of Motion Mondays, we dive into the controversy surrounding Adobe's terms of service, explore the rapid growth of Cara, the AI-free artist platform, and discover how Maxon Studio might just revolutionize your After Effects workflow.  

Now to on this week's news! 

🚨Adobe's TOS Update Creates Massive Backlash

Adobe updated their Terms of Service and everything was fine...  Well...I'm sure it was for the first 2 seconds after their tweet went out.  But after that...hoo boy.  Adobe found themselves in hot water when users quickly dissected the new terms, discovering language that appeared to grant Adobe unlimited access to their files. Although Adobe employees and Adobe itself rushed to clarify the situation, the damage was done. In an era where artists are increasingly anxious about the use and security of their work and data (and the internet loving to overreact), this move didn't do much to improve Adobe's already damaged reputation with its users.

🎨 Cara: The AI Free Artist Haven

Artists are fed up with AI using their work without permission, sparking a lot of controversy and legal action (see story above). Enter Cara, a new social media platform that's all about protecting artists from AI scraping. Using the Glaze tool from the University of Chicago's SAND Lab, Cara keeps your work safe from scraping and AI model training. Over the weekend, Cara exploded with over 300,000 users, thanks to some serious Instagram buzz, shooting it into the Top 5 in Apple’s U.S. App Store. Created by photographer Jingna Zhang, Cara is a blend of Instagram and Twitter, perfect for artists to share and connect while staying AI-free.

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🆓 Dribbble Goes Free: New Opportunities for Artists?

Remember Dribbble? It was a hot spot for posting artwork back in 2015 (when Vine was also popular…). For the unfamiliar, Dribbble is a portfolio site for artists where you used to be able to do ‘Rebounds’ that were kinda like being able to reference a piece and post your own version or remix of it in your style. It has since been removed, but Dribbble now allows free search and contact of designers. Previously, this required a paid account. This could make Dribbble a lead generation tool for artists, attracting more clients. However, competition is high, so manage expectations. If you're seeking new gigs, a Dribbble profile could be beneficial.

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💦 Crazy Good Nickelodeon Rebrand

Roger recently unveiled their global rebrand for Nickelodeon, and it was so impressive that Motionographer conducted a comprehensive case study on it! It details their innovative use of circular grids to create slime shapes and the use of abstract shapes and textures to represent Nickelodeon's iconic characters. They also showcase a cool behind-the-scenes look at slick dynamic simulations and how they established an After Effects setup to create 3D slime text word combinations. It's a masterclass in how one can approach branding projects.

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🎬 Maxon Studio: Mograph Made Easy

Maxon just dropped Maxon Studio, a game-changing (and AI-free) After Effects template engine built with Adobe and Red Giant tech. Perfect for artists at any level, it packs over 130 Red Giant tools to help you create visually stunning animations and designs without breaking a sweat. With Affinity recently acquiring Canva and Adobe doubling down on its preset library, Adobe Express, this move aligns with industry trends as Maxon also sees the huge demand for customizable templates and presets (that they call Capsules...not to be confused with Cinema 4D Capsules). Maxon Studio is available to all Red Giant and Maxon One subscribers.

💸 aescripts + plugins Summer Sale is On!

Today kicks off week two of aescripts + plugins' annual summer sale, where you can find a plethora (hows that for a $10 vocab word) of great deals! This week, various script, extension, and plugin developers, including our own Expression Session instructor Zack Lovatt, have discounted their tools. You can get the indispensable Flow for After Effects at a reduced price, and even Video Copilot's Element 3D, which remains an incredible plugin years after its release, is discounted. If you've been considering any of these tools, now is the best time to get them at a lower price!

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🤯 After Effects Artist Shows off Gaussian Splat Goodness

Artist Göran K recently went viral on X with a mind-blowing visual effect, leaving even our own Aharon Rabinowitz scratching his head in wonder. The secret? Tiles created in Blender, seamlessly matchmoved into the scene, with photorealistic environments crafted using Gaussian splats in After Effects. This technique, popularized in the VFX world over the past couple of years, uses apps like PolyCam to generate detailed 3D environments that blend effortlessly with live-action footage. Göran's work shows just how powerful the combination of After Effects and Gaussian splats can be, unlocking a whole new realm of possibilities for visual effects.

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🏆 Procreate Dreams Wins Apple Design Award

Procreate Dreams has won an Apple Design Award, celebrating excellence in innovation, design, and technical achievement across Apple platforms. Released less than a year ago, this touch-first 2D animation tool has been massively popular and has made animation accessible and fun for both beginners and professionals on the iPad. Although Dreams made a significant impact upon its release, recent buzz seems to have quieted down. Despite this, the Procreate team has hinted that their development pipeline is in full steam, as they aim to compete with apps like Adobe Animate and Moho.

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🖌️ Brush King Kyle Webster Leaving Adobe

Kyle Webster, the renowned designer and illustrator known for his widely-used Photoshop brushes, has stepped down from his position as a Senior Design Evangelist at Adobe. He served in this role for seven years after Adobe acquired his brushes. In a recent Substack article, Kyle discusses his decision to step down, citing burnout and even hinting at another reason - perhaps Adobe's foray into AI conflicting with his views.  At the end of his article, he mentions that the magic of creating art doesn’t apply to someone typing Midjourney prompts. It's an interesting move, and with all the news this week about artists joining Cara, it makes you realize how completely normal it is for an artist to experience similar anxieties, disconnection, and burnout as Kyle did. There’s only one way to go - and that’s forward, together. ✌