Software

Sorry - this isn't a mock, it's asking for advice.

What software would people recommend me to use to start making animated logos/graphics?

I've read the Guide to Mocking but this hasn't been updated since 2013 and things have probably moved on. Perhaps that thread could be reopened and pinned to the top so people could update it as things move on?

Illustrator is mentioned in the Guide to Mocking, but I'm not sure I could justify a monthly outlay just to mess around. I use Affinity Designer to do non moving graphics and find this is a great alternative to Photoshop, and it only cost me around £40. Is there an equivalent in the animated world?

Sorry, I've done a bit of digging about found out that it's Adobe After Effects which creates the actual animation aspects - no?

So, it's an Affinity Designer type alternative to After Effects that I'm after - I think!?

Like you, I can't justify the outlay on After Effects. As a result I've been using free software. For 3D work I use Blender which is surprisingly good at what it does.

For After Effects type work I've found myself using Blackmagic's Fusion. Until recently there was a free standalone version alongside a paid version. When they released the latest version they ditched the free app, however you can still find it on their support page.

For any actual video editing work then I usually use Blackmagic's free DaVinci Resolve which is a very powerful free video editing tool. It also incorporates all of the tools that come in the standalone Fusion product.

You could do all your animations in 3D with Blender, and just move things on a 2D axis.

HitFilm is quite low cost compared to AfterEffects and has some composting tools aswell.

Cheers everyone.

When I don’t pay for Premiere Pro, I use Wondershare Filmora 9, DaVinci Resolve and Hitfilm Express.

I make mocks myself (they are awful if your wondering) and I've used Vegas Pro to make my mocks.