Use the Rectangle tool. Set fill to 80% opacity black. Add the Throw behavior to slide it on-screen from left. Position it behind the text.
This is the most disruptive part. Motion 5.9.0 costs $49.99 (one-time) on the Mac App Store.
Motion 5.9.0 is the title designer for Final Cut Pro (FCP). This update introduces Reflowable Text via the FCP template export. Apple Motion For Mac 5.9.0
Unlike After Effects, which relies heavily on third-party plugins for natural movement, Motion includes a massive library of behaviors. These are pre-built algorithms that simulate physics:
This is the eternal debate. Here is an honest comparison. Use the Rectangle tool
| Feature | Motion 5.9.0 | After Effects | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Price | $49.99 (one-time) | $22.99/month (Creative Cloud) | | Learning Curve | Moderate (1 week) | Steep (1-3 months) | | Real-time playback | Excellent (Metal) | Poor (needs RAM preview) | | 3D capabilities | Native 3D cameras, lights, objects | Limited (requires Element 3D) | | Plugin ecosystem | Small but high-quality | Massive (hundreds of plugins) | | Motion graphics templates | Direct to Final Cut | Dynamic Link to Premiere | | Platform | Mac only | Windows + Mac |
Verdict: If you are a solo creator, YouTuber, or Final Cut editor, Motion 5.9.0 is the smarter choice. If you work in a large agency that uses Adobe for everything, you need After Effects. It is NOT for: VFX compositors needing rotoscoping
It is NOT for: VFX compositors needing rotoscoping + Mocha tracking, data visualization artists requiring JSON workflows, or teams needing Windows compatibility.