Initial Release of the Motion Book Tool

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In April of last year, we announced a partnership between deviantART and Madefire, bringing Madefire's signature Motion Books to deviantART and introducing a new form of storytelling to the world's largest art community.


We also announced that Madefire's professional-grade Motion Book Tool would be brought to deviantART—giving deviants the opportunity to turn imagination into a visual, auditory, and literary masterpiece, and showcase their art alongside some of the industry’s greatest creators. 

After months of development and testing, we are excited to announce that the gradual release of the Motion Book Tool has begun, and you're (very likely) among the first to gain access. Having access to the Tool means you can create dynamic Motion Books just like the pros, and publish them directly from your deviantART account!

Getting Started


To check if you can use the Tool on your account, read the How To Access section of this article. If you do not have access at this time and want to try it out for yourself, leave a comment letting us know.

A variety of factors were taken into consideration when selecting the first group of deviants to be granted access the Motion Book Tool, and, in doing so, we compiled a diverse list of artists who were sure to bring creativity, enthusiasm, and skill to the Motion Book creation process.


What is a Motion Book?


Motion Books are a form of digital storytelling that users can read, share, and interact with. Stories unfold on screen through words, pictures, motion, and sound. The Motion Book format incorporates animation and sound design paced at the reader's control to completely immerse them in the experience. Motion Books are made using Madefire's Motion Book Tool, a mobile or in-browser software designed to create a dynamic storytelling experience.

Mono - The Old Curiosity Shop: Ep. 1 by MadefireStudios       Injustice: Gods Among Us - Episode 1 by MadefireStudios

How to Access the Motion Book Tool


You can easily access the Motion Book Tool by clicking on the "Make Motion Book with Madefire" button right now in your Sta.sh, or by visiting create.madefire.com. From there, you can sign-in using your deviantART account and begin using the Motion Book Tool.

Screen Shot 2013-11-14 at 12.30.48 PM by ikazon


Using the Motion Book Tool


The Motion Book Tool is designed with the professional in mind: powerful enough to handle complex panels, layouts, transitions, effects, and whatever else your imagination can create. This is the same Tool used by professionals to create the many high-quality Motion Books already found on deviantART—and now it’s in your hands!


Because it’s professional grade software (think After Effects), that produces a professional grade result, the Tool can be complicated at first glance. However, for artists willing to bring the Tool into their creative process, it’s extremely powerful and dynamic—allowing for nearly limitless artistic freedom.


Our friends at Madefire have provided a helpful Jump Start Guide, as well as video tutorials, to ease you into using and understanding the Motion Book Tool. We strongly encourage using these documents and videos to aid in your creation process, and we recommend you keep them handy when using the Tool, so you can easily explore the many options the Motion Book Tool has to offer.


For deviants who excel at illustration, but are not as comfortable with digital creation tools—or deviants who are tech-savvy but may not be visual creators—team up to create a collaborative masterpiece!


Your Feedback


This is only phase one for the Motion Book Tool’s release to deviants. If you’ve been notified that you have access, try out the Motion Book Tool for yourself and let us know what you think. We always appreciate your feedback, and we hope to improve and evolve the Tool as it reaches a wider audience.


Any feedback you have can be left in a comment on this article. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you encounter something that you feel is not expected behavior, please let us know!


Thank you for your interest in the Motion Book Tool, and also for helping us to bring a new method of art creation to deviantART!


Want to access the Motion Book Tool?


Please note that the Motion Book Tool is gradually being rolled out, and that this is the first phase of release. It will be made available to more deviants as development and usage progress. If you would like access to the Motion Book Tool in the future, comment on this Journal to let us know! Keep an eye on MotionBookTool for updates regarding the release.




© 2014 - 2024 ikazon
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DivineRaposa's avatar
Hey so I didn't notice until now that motion books even existed, let alone were even an option. So I tried to try it out, but i just get this message. "You successfully signed in, but haven't yet been granted access to the tool". What do I do? How to I get granted access? Thanks in advance!