Mill Paris | Meet our motion designer Agathe Sayegh and Manon Baillet

In a few words, how would you describe your job?

Manon / Agathe : A motion designer makes, retouches and embellishes 2D/3D images or texts and sets them in motion in the time and space of the screen to tell a story.

How did you get into this job ?

Manon : I studied illustration and 2D animation, then a degree in 3D motion design which allowed me to learn the technical basics of the software. I became interested in After Effect because it allowed me to quickly put into motion what I wanted to do, and to do compositing. I did some work-study and that allowed me to start working quickly

Agathe : I didn’t study for this job at all.  I first did a degree in modern literature, then I changed to fine arts in graphic design print. Then, after two degrees in print, I decided to work in film and motion design. I learned on my own by doing tutorials on YouTube……

What is your favourite project you have worked on?

Manon : My favourite is “Believe in Time” for Cognac Louis XIII (Rémy Martin) because we had to constantly come up with new artistic proposals to produce an aesthetic film with Solange Knowles.

Agathe : I really enjoyed working on the cultural mediation systems in the Hôtel de la Marine and also those for the Alesia Museopark.

What are the challenges of being a motion designer?

Manon : In my opinion, the technical aspect.  You can’t rest on your laurels and you have to be always on the lookout for new software that offers new creative possibilities; but that’s also the great thing about this job, to keep learning all the time! This is particularly important in the advertising sector because projects are always changing, so there is often a new process, new possibilities and constraints, and therefore new things to learn.

Agathe : I have the feeling that 100% motion design projects are rare, especially in the advertising world, so you have to constantly work with other disciplines.

What do you like the most in your job ? 

Manon : Motion design, design mixes drawing, animation, movement, rhythm and narration, and that’s what I like about this job. We mix tools and techniques, we go from 2D to 3D software, we work on existing images or we have to create from scratch. I like this “bricolage”, it’s both creative and technical.

Agathe :  I like to learn from others and discover new techniques. It is stimulating to have the ability to make our ideas on my computer or to look for solutions to achieve a specific result.

What advice can you give to juniors about doing your job?

Manon : You have to be artistically and technically curious and practice motion design and not limit yourself to what you know.

Agathe : Experiment, try things out and stay open. The best way to learn is to do your personal projects in parallel with work.

Want to join the team ? Discover all our career opportunities here.