Encoder circuit and encoding method

An encoder circuit includes a statistical processing circuit and a motion search circuit. The statistical processing circuit performs statistical processing on motion vectors detected with respect to each of macroblocks that are units of processing. Each of frame images included in video is divided into the macroblocks. The motion search circuit sets a first search range in a reference frame image temporally different from a first frame image among the frame images, sets a search start position and a search direction within the first search range based on the result of the statistical processing, searches the first search range from the search start position in accordance with the search direction, and generates the motion vector of a current macroblock included in the first frame image based on the result of searching the first search range.