Yoan de la Fontaine

A look back at your ESMA years

What drew you to the world of graphic design?

I’ve had a passion for drawing ever since I was a kid, so it seemed obvious to me that I should go into an artistic profession. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else!

Why did you choose the Graphic Design course and ESMA?

Friends had recommended this school to me. So I went to the open days and I really liked it. For the Graphic Design course, I was very interested in illustration and advertising.

Why did you choose to do an extra year on the Motion Graphics Design Masters course?

I’m passionate about cinema! It was the next logical step for me to be able to animate my drawings.

Teachers at ESMA had talked to me about it and I’d seen the creations of students from previous years. That really motivated me!

What did the course bring you?

Above all, graphic design taught me how to compose images, enrich my culture (graphics and advertising), work with typography and colours and justify my graphic choices.

Motion taught me more about storyboarding, understanding the main animation software (especially After Effects and Cinema 4D) and developing my creativity even further.

Can you look back on this year dedicated to motion graphics design? How did it go?

I got hooked straight away! The technical aspect scared me a bit at first, but I soon realised that it was essential if I wanted to make animations that I was happy with.

It was rewarding because I had the opportunity to see several facets of the profession, including 3D, 2D, live action, traditional animation and so on.

I was also able to learn how to draw up a storyboard, write a story, then draw and animate it. I learnt a lot both technically and creatively. The teachers were great!

Was there a subject you particularly liked and why?

I really liked the short film/commercial creation classes. We’d write our story based on a given subject, make a storyboard, choose the graphic style and then draw the shots before animating them.

It taught us all the steps involved in making a good advert, and it’s still very useful to me today when I have to produce a project.

When you left school, or during your studies, did you have a clear idea of what you wanted to do afterwards?

No, not at all. It all came naturally. I started out as a freelancer without knowing whether it would work out… In the end, I’ve been doing it for a year now and it’s going really well!

How did your immersion into the professional world go when you left the course?

I did some work placements and then went freelance straight afterwards.

Your career path

After graduating, what was your career path?

I did a 3-month work placement at Chic & Artistic in Paris and a 6-month placement at W2P in Toulouse. This enabled me to complete my training with a very enriching professional immersion and to see how two different agencies work.

You’re now a freelance motion graphics designer. Why did you make this choice?

It’s a way of life that suits me and in which I feel free.

What’s your work like, what do you do, your assignments, your clients?

I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of clients. Recently, I worked for the Puma brand on the launch of a new model of trainers, but also for BRED Banque Populaire, the French Ministry of Employment, Bouygues Construction, Orange, Total… I find it interesting to see different fields.

I generally work with communications agencies, but I also have my own clients, like BRED Banque Populaire and the PlayTwo label.

Do you specialise in any particular area of motion design?

I tend to specialise in 2D animation, although I’m trying to add more and more 3D to my projects (but at a novice level when I see what’s being done at the moment…).

Is there a ‘Yoan’ signature in your work?

I really like saturated colours and ‘pop’ drawings. After that, it’s not always easy to keep your own style, depending on the client, so you often have to adapt.

What do you like / love about being a motion designer?

The pride of being able to create an advertising film from start to finish. And learning new animation and drawing techniques. It’s almost infinite because it’s such a vast field, with 3D, 2D, traditional animation and so on.

Are there any particular qualities required to work as a motion designer?

I think rigour (a quality that took me a long time to develop and it’s not over yet…) because when you have 200 layers if you haven’t renamed everything it gets complicated…

It’s also important to keep abreast of current trends. After that, if you’re passionate about it, it takes care of itself.

How do you see motion design and its importance in the world of communication?

I think it’s essential for getting messages across simply and in a fun way!

Is there a project you’ve worked on that you’d like to share with us?

I recently worked on a project for Puma, a brand I really like, via an agency in Montpellier. It was for the launch of the Future Rider shoe.

You can see the project on my website.

In conclusion

Any future projects?

I’m currently working on a video clip for a major French music label. They’ve given me a lot of artistic freedom and I’ve been able to really let loose with the creative process.

How do you see yourself in a few years’ time?

Ahah, that’s always a complicated question… I’d say I’ll still be freelancing, if that continues to work out, because I feel comfortable in that way of life.

How do you see motion design evolving in the future?

I think it’s going to turn more and more towards augmented reality. And I think it’s still got some great years ahead of it!

Do you have any advice for students and future students of motion design?

It’s a bit clichéd, but believing in what you do makes all the difference!

You can follow Yoan on his instagram: @yoandelafontaine