{"id":6155,"date":"2020-07-30T16:27:11","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T23:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eu.shop.wacom.eu\/us\/?p=6155"},"modified":"2026-06-05T09:31:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T16:31:00","slug":"4-reasons-why-a-tablet-is-better-than-a-mouse-for-vfx-and-motion-graphics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/4-reasons-why-a-tablet-is-better-than-a-mouse-for-vfx-and-motion-graphics\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Reasons Why a Tablet is Better than a Mouse for VFX and Motion Graphics"},"content":{"rendered":"Jean-Marie Marbach is an award-winning director, producer and VFX supervisor specializing in particle FX, who is known for creating mesmerizing music videos and independent films, including <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/228308202\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tennyson | L'oiseau qui danse<\/a>, which won a best in show award at the 2018 SIGGRAPH Asia Computer Animation Festival in Tokyo, Japan.\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/228308202?color=ff7c0c&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe>\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/228308202\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tennyson | L'oiseau qui danse [Official]<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jm-marbach.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jean-Marie.Marbach<\/a>.\n\nJean-Marie's latest project is a documentary about asteroid mining. The visual \u201cmadewithstardust\u201d features an asteroid surface created with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wacom.com\/en-us\/products\/pen-tablets\/wacom-intuos-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wacom Intuos Pro<\/a> tablet and his particle painting technique with <a href=\"https:\/\/superluminal.tv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Stardust<\/a>, a modular 3D particle system for After Effects made by <a href=\"https:\/\/superluminal.tv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Superluminal.<\/a>\n\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-6199\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-1024x540.jpg\" alt=\"made with stardust\" width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-1024x540.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-768x405.jpg 768w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-1536x810.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-2048x1080.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-1080x570.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-1280x675.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-980x517.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-2-480x253.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\n\nJean-Marie creates all of his work using a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wacom.com\/en-us\/products\/pen-tablets\/wacom-intuos-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wacom Intuos Pro<\/a> tablet, and shares four reasons he recommends a tablet for any VFX or motion graphics workflow.\n\n<hr>\n\n<h2>Comfort<\/h2>\nWith less strain on the arm and wrist, creativity and workflow aren\u2019t disrupted by physical discomfort.\n<h2>Productivity<\/h2>\nSome VFX techniques like rotoscoping (tracing over an element frame-by-frame) can be very time-consuming and tedious. By smoothing every step, the tablet allows VFX artists to do more in an easier, more-ergonomic way.\n<blockquote>In <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/373383159\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Another Existence<\/a><\/strong><\/em>\u201d, my latest music video for<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SophieVillyBand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Sophie Villy<\/a>, most of the shots required rotoscoping in order to insert background particles and set enhancements. The amount of work it required would not have been possible on schedule without a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wacom.com\/en-us\/products\/pen-tablets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wacom tablet.<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/373383159?color=00c9ef&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe>\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/373383159\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sophie Villy | Another Existence [Official]<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/jmmarbach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jean-Marie.Marbach<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vimeo<\/a>.\n<h2>Workflow<\/h2>\nBy assigning common functions and shortcuts to the ExpressKeys and pen buttons,the keyboard is less required, the workflow is more efficient, and the focus remains on more creative tasks. I\u2019ve heard artists ask,&nbsp; \u201cDo I really need thousands of pressure levels?\u201d If your work requires paint tools and brushes, the answer is YES. Whatever you are painting or erasing, the pen pressure levels allow easy shading and nuanced strokes, not only for a richer result, but also one that's impossible to achieve with a mouse. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wacom.com\/en-us\/products\/pen-tablets\/wacom-intuos-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wacom Intuos Pro<\/a> precision mode also offers unparalleled precision.\n\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-large wp-image-6189\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Jean-Marie Marbach\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-1080x608.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/marbach-1-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\n<h2>Freedom<\/h2>\nUltimately, all the technical upsides in the world wouldn\u2019t matter if it didn\u2019t ease the creative process.&nbsp; And this is what it\u2019s all about here: As technical matters are pushed to the background, there\u2019s more comfort and freedom for artistic expression. This is how it feels like to me anyway: With the tablet, the pen becomes more than an extension of my arm. It\u2019s a dynamic link connecting my inspiration to my virtual tools, and allowing a smoother creative flow.\n<h2>Bonus Tip: <a href=\"https:\/\/estore.wacom.com\/en-US\/catalog\/product\/view\/id\/2470\/s\/wacom-texture-sheet-l-smooth-ack122311\/category\/55\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Smooth Texture Sheets<\/a> on Wacom Intuos Pro<\/h2>\nSome tasks like rotoscoping or curve editing require extreme precision (there\u2019s a reason why most VFX and animation software feature sub-pixel accuracy). But the grain on the Wacom Intuos Pro standard and rough texture sheets can make you skip pixels, so the <a href=\"https:\/\/estore.wacom.com\/en-US\/catalog\/product\/view\/id\/2470\/s\/wacom-texture-sheet-l-smooth-ack122311\/category\/55\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">smooth option<\/a> is the way to go if you want to remain in complete control of your moves without switching to the precision mode.\n\nIn conclusion, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wacom.com\/en-us\/products\/pen-tablets\/wacom-intuos-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tablet<\/a> may require a moment to get accustomed to, but once you\u2019re in, there\u2019s no turning back.\n\n<hr>\n\n&nbsp;\n<h1><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-6192\" src=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Jean-Marie Marbach\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-1080x608.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-1280x720.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2020\/07\/Jean-MarieMarbach-profile-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/h1>\n<h1>About Jean-Marie Marbach<\/h1>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\">Jean-Marie is a French director and VFX artist, happy owner of a Wacom Intuos Pro who hasn\u2019t touched a mouse in more than a decade, working on commercials and music videos (one of which won the Best In Show Award at SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 in Tokyo).<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql\"><\/div>\n<h1>External Links<\/h1>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/particle.overflow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a>\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jm-marbach.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Website<\/a>\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm2018569\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IMDB<\/a>\n\n<hr>\n\nCheck out these other handy articles on setting your custom editing bay for motion graphics with Corey Barker\n\nhttps:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/us\/setting-up-custom-editing-bay-for-motion-graphics-with-your-wacom-intuos-pro-and-after-effects\/\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2337],"tags":[260,263,790,791,792,124,175,793],"class_list":["post-6155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-arts","tag-after-effects","tag-motion-graphics","tag-particle-fx","tag-siggraph","tag-smooth-texture-sheets","tag-vfx","tag-wacom-intuos-pro","tag-why-is-a-wacom-tablet-better-than-a-mouse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.wacom.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}