Moods Reference
A mood is an art-direction preset for motion graphics. It controls palette, typography, spacing, timing, entrances, transitions, camera defaults, and animation physics.
Set the mood in the Film block:
Film "Product Launch"
mood: precision
Core Built-In Moods
| Mood | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
confident |
Bold, assertive, professional | B2B, launches, executive updates |
precision |
Clean, technical, measured | SaaS, data, finance, product systems |
elegant |
Refined, restrained, premium | wealth, luxury, high-trust services |
dramatic |
Cinematic, high-contrast, weighty | reveals, announcements, brand films |
playful |
Bright, bouncy, energetic | consumer, social, community content |
calm |
Spacious, gentle, reassuring | wellness, education, onboarding |
urgent |
Fast, punchy, high-pressure | offers, alerts, countdowns |
Aliases
Workshop also supports mood aliases that map common creative language to a core mood. Examples include:
| Alias | Resolves toward |
|---|---|
cinematic |
dramatic |
electric |
urgent |
intimate |
calm |
retro |
playful |
corporate |
confident |
technical |
precision |
launch |
precision |
Aliases let authors and agents use natural language while the compiler still resolves a controlled mood profile.
Mood Composition
Combine two moods with +:
Film "Quarterly Review"
mood: precision + elegant
The first mood controls kinetics: timing, easing, spring behavior, entrance energy, and camera motion. The second mood controls surface: palette, typography, spacing, and visual tone.
The compiler classifies common combinations as coherent, tense, or conflicting and emits diagnostics when the combination may create visual tension.
What Mood Controls
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Palette | background, primary, accent, muted, contrast colors |
| Typography | font family, weight, scale, line height |
| Timing | entrance duration, hold duration, beat duration, tempo multiplier |
| Motion | spring mass, stiffness, damping, easing character |
| Entrances | weighted entrance choices such as fade, rise, pop, reveal, drift |
| Layout | alignment bias, spacing, density, stack behavior |
| Camera | still, breathe, push, drift defaults |
| Quality | contrast and readability constraints |
Variants
Built-in moods can include variants that shift the surface expression while preserving the mood's core behavior. Variant selection is deterministic, so the same source compiles to the same visual choice.
Precision Mood
precision is the best default when the video contains numbers, product UI language, technical claims, financial material, or exact text. It avoids playful bounce, keeps motion measured, favors clean geometry, and reduces unnecessary visual noise.
Mood vs Theme
Use mood for art direction. Use ThemePacks for brand governance.
Film "Customer Story"
mood: confident + elegant
theme: acme-enterprise
A mood decides how the piece should feel. A ThemePack decides what the brand is allowed to look like.
Next Steps
- Film Block - where mood is set
- Moods and Themes - practical guide
- The Mood System - architecture behind mood resolution