How to be a film title designer?

Someone with a Motion Graphics design degree, or a design degree, or a photography degree, or a degree in anything in the technical side of production is going to have a very tough time making much more than basic lower middle class wages. This is a much tougher business than it has ever been and it's getting harder to make a living every day.

I would suggest that you get a good solid business education, learn good management skills, minor or later on get a masters in art or design if you must. There is no rosy future for anyone in the film production business that does not understand business and management. When you know how that works then then you can focus on becoming a person that understands the psychology of motion, color, music and the science of visual perception. The only decent living that is going to be available to someone in motion graphics in the very near future will be one where folks think that he or she is a genius and managing a team in the most efficient way possible and then telling a story. Software and offshore artists that will turn out designs and animations for next to nothing have turned 'motion design' and graphic design and web design and SEO and just about everything else associated with the every day work of suppling images and video and marketing support into a low bidder gets the job commodity.

If you have a good understanding of how commerce works (business) and a good understanding and skill at managing people and projects then you can always make a really good living. Those people are in short supply. Anyone with a subscription to Lynda.com can learn how to use the software to knock out really good looking stuff that someone will be more than willing to pay bottom dollar for. Even 10 year old kids are doing amazing things with Photoshop and AE... Don't get caught in the trap of thinking that knowing how to design titles will make you a living.

Sorry about this sober advice but it comes from a guy that's been in film and television production for 44 years. For the very same technical jobs in film production I'm paying folks the same day rate I was paying in 1975 and you can't make a decent living at that rate. It's almost criminal but that's the way the production business is today.