1. Introduction

Hey, welcome to Motion Array! We’re thrilled you applied to become an Artist. At Motion Array, we have specific upload rules that must be followed for approval. This document is designed to help you get your templates approved efficiently.

Although this document might seem overwhelming at first, it’s actually quite straightforward. We’ve addressed some of the most common issues we encounter when onboarding new artists. Video tutorials are attached to the bottom of each slide, providing clear and concise instructions on setting up your template to avoid receiving “Needs Work” notes. We highly recommend watching these videos to minimize the chances of receiving such notes.

Following this guide will ensure a much smoother onboarding process. We wish you all the best with your onboarding and look forward to a long and successful partnership!

2. Upload Rules

• Please familiarize yourself with our uploads rules page. You can see our template upload rules here.

• Ensure your package meets all of the necessary requirements.

• You can download the example Final Cut Pro package from here.

• You can download the example Final Cut Pro generic instructions PDF from here.

3. Submission Information

• Product Name: Should be unique to each submission. Please do not use version numbers

• Descriptions: Descriptions should be unique to each submission. Do not copy and paste descriptions from one submission to another.

• Sub-Categories: Only select categories that relate to your submission.

• Tags: Only include tags that relate to your submission and what it contains. 

• Resolution: Please select the correct resolution size for your submission if your submission contains multiple resolutions sizes, please select one resolution size that is applicable to your submission.

• Version: Please submit your template in the same version you have marked in the description box

• Associated Music: Please use a different music track with each submission.

Submission Information: You can view it here.

4. Thumbnail Image

• Please do not include any software, 4K or HD logos in the thumbnail image.

• Remove any external marketplaces text/logos.

• We advise creating a professional looking thumbnail image that accurately represents what the template contains rather than using one of the automatically generated images created when uploading your preview movie.

• Focus on using striking visuals, matching typography, and a balanced layout that instantly captures attention and communicates the core message of your template.

• When choosing media ensure that they align with the style and theme of your template.

• Check for typos and ensure good grammar.

Thumbnail Image Article : You can view it here.

5. Preview Movies

• Create a professional looking preview movie that accurately represents what the template contains - remove noise, grain, film burns, etc. if they are not included in the package.

• Remove any external marketplaces text/logos.

• Do not include tracked elements in the preview movie, this requires advanced knowledge of the software and users often struggle to recreate the same results.

• Use different music tracks on each submission. Motion Array has a wide variety of music to suit a range of templates.

• Please use our generic set of logos that have been provided in the example package.

• Please only use preview images/videos from one of our accepted sites, such as pexels, unsplash, pixabay and Motion Array's library that you have the license to use. Please avoid using images/videos generated by AI.

6. Bullet Point Descriptions

The description should follow this structure:

One descriptive line mentioning effect type/specifics and artstyle. (Optional)

• No’ of stories/scenes/slides/overlays/lower thirds/titles/icons/elements/backgrounds

• Media placeholders

• Text placeholders

• Logo placeholders

• Color Control

• Do not mention the number of text/media/logo placeholders if it contains a set of stories/scenes/slides/titles/lower thirds etc as these can vary from animation to animation.

• Mention if there is something unique added to the template, for example, adaptive resolution, controller options etc.

Bullet Point Descriptions: Article. You can view it here.

7. Folder Structure

Please ensure you follow Motions Array's package structure. The zip folder should include the following:

Template folder: This should contain the project’s folders and all of the associated assets.

Project folder > Project subfolders > Project files containing folder (*.motn,*.moef,*.moti,*.motr). After installation, the template should appear in the Final Cut Pro browser in its own folder, not in the Custom folder.

Fonts folder: A .txt/.rtf document with links to the fonts used in the project.

Help folder: This should contain our generic instructions PDF, A .txt/.rtf document with direct links to the media used in the preview movie. A video tutorial that is specific to the submission. 

Folder Structure: You can view it here. 

8. Font Links

• Please submit the font links in a .txt .rtf document and include the entire URL.

• Please ensure the font you linked to in the font document is the same version used in your template.

• All the fonts used in the project must have a link in the fonts document. 

• Do not include links to fonts that are not used in your template.

• Fonts must be 100% free for personal and commercial use. Please remove all references to fonts that are not free for personal and commercial use from your package and preview movie. 

• You can use sites like Google, Dafont, Font Squirrel, etc.

• We cannot have fonts from Adobe for Final Cut Pro templates.

• Fonts must be quick and easy to download for our users. Font links must not take you off site or require our users to sign up to the website in order to download them.

9. Video Tutorials

• The video tutorial must be 100% specific to the template you have submitted. Place it into the “Help” folder.

• The video tutorial should be at a high enough resolution, so the user can easily follow.

• It should include importing images/videos, editing text, logos and any other main features of your template for example:

  - Using unique controllers that are specific to your template.

  - Showing our users how to cut images using the Draw Mask effect inside of Final Cut Pro.

  - Arranging the scenes on the timeline to achieve the transition effect shown in the preview video.

• The video tutorial file size should not exceed 10MB. Convert it into an .mp4, compress, and reduce the resolution size. You can use programs like “Bandicam” to capture your video tutorial, then use programs like “Handbrake” to reduce the size.

  
  

10. Project Structure

• After installation, the template should appear in the Final Cut Pro browser in its own folder, not in the Custom folder.

• All published parameters should be neat, well organized, named accordingly, and placed to match the sequence order. All published controllers should be collapsed.

  This makes it easier for our users to navigate and it crucial that it remains consistent.

• If the scene is not the full size of the screen and the design allows this - it should have global controllers to adjust the position, scale, and rotation (optionally) of the title as a whole directly from the Published Parameters in the inspector panel.

Project structure: You can view it here. 

11. Text Placeholders

• Please leave the text we see in the preview movie inside of the text placeholders and size of the text placeholder compositions accordingly.

• All text that appears in the project must be available for customization on the Published Parameters tab.

• Text placeholders should be neat and well organized.

• Text placeholders should have a published text edit box with attributes, including a position and color controller, these should not have any keyframes on them.

• If a user uses the entire space provided in the text composition the design should not break and elements should not overlap each other where they aren’t meant to. 

  
  

Text Placeholders: You can view it here. 

12. Media Placeholders

• The Drop Zones should be named by order of their appearance. This makes it easier for our users to navigate inside the project.

• The template should not contain any media files inside Drop Zones

• Please do not scale the media over 100% inside the Drop Zones, this makes the media appear blurry.

• The Drop Zones should allow for different image aspect ratios if the template design does not limit it.

• Please follow this tutorial to proper publishing of Drop Zone parameter.

Media Placeholders: You can view it here. 

13. Logo Placeholders

• The logo placeholders should be named accordingly.

• Please do not scale the logo placeholders over 100%.

• While producing a template, please keep in mind that logo placeholder should allow for different logo aspect ratios if the template design does not limit it.

  To avoid this, if the logo placeholder is not limited by the template's design while creating or before the final delivery of the template, replace the existing logo image with a new blank Drop Zone.

  Please watch this video on how to fix this issue.

Logo Placeholders: You can view it here. 

14. Color Controllers

• Naming your controllers is helpful for our users to understand what they control and what they operate.

• Please add any elements you think our users might want to edit the color of. This includes, text, image tinting effects, strokes, background elements and colors.

•  We highly recommend linking the same colors of the template where appropriate. Combining instances of the same color to make customization quicker and easier for the user. See example video

• It is important that you test that your controller options are working as intended and that they are linked to the correct elements within the scene.

Color Controllers: You can view it here. 

15. File Format

• Please pay attention to the selection of the correct format for your project. This tutorial will help you understand which format is more appropriate for your project.

• All (but not only) text based “Titles” templates should have Built In\Build Out animation with corresponding markers on the template's timeline in Motion so users will be able to expand the element over Final Cut Pro timeline without animation corruptions.

For more detailed information about why your template may be rejected and how to troubleshoot and avoid these issues, you may also want to review the following document: Final Cut Pro: Common Reasons for Rejections

Have any questions? Feel free to contact us at content@motionarray.com.