Loïc Kessler, Freelance Illustrator and Motion Designer

Graduating from the Graphic Motion Designer course in 2012, Loïc Kessler is now a freelance Illustrator and Motion Designer.

He has notably worked for the BBC, Le Monde, Artips, SoBam, Upian, Mike Horn... He also produced a series of motions for France Télévision, via the Mozoo agency, retracing the careers of great athletes for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

As soon as I left school, I had the opportunity to work for a few months in Istanbul at the Ogilvy advertising agency. I had already worked for the Paris branch before coming to GOBELINS.

I went back to Paris to look for work and was soon lucky enough to meet the people at the SoBam agency and to be offered a position as a graphic and motion designer.

It was an enriching period, as the agency encourages the creative aspect of productions, which enabled me to develop a number of skills and discover how an agency works.

After two years in this position, I became a freelancer again, a status I still have today, and which enables me to work for a variety of clients and on a variety of subjects.

Portrait of fencer Enzo Lefort for "Nos plus belles victoires" for France Télévision

This is a series of 10 one-minute motions, briefly retracing the career of 10 Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

I was able to illustrate the exploits of Marie-José Pérec, triple Olympic track and field champion, Ethelda Bleibtrey, pioneer of women's swimming, fencer Enzo Lefort, breackdancer Dany Dann and Arnaud Assoumani, long and triple jump specialist.

Illustration for the quarterly "Erratum".

The opportunity to work on subjects that are always different, and to learn new things all the time. I consider myself lucky to be able to make drawing and animation my profession.

My Beaux-Arts thesis was on Constructivist film posters of the 1920s. Some of these works still inspire me today , and I think this influence is still sometimes felt in my work...

I tend to create large libraries of references. As soon as I see a film, a video or anything that touches me in some way, I record it! In this way, I've built up a sort of database to which I return regularly for inspiration.

I'm curious by definition, and inspiration is everywhere: an exhibition, a film, a book, a game, music...

In my case, I feel I've been rather lucky, things have always happened quite naturally. When you meet people at the right time, they lead to other contracts.

Space Odyssey Propaganda" poster

The course gave me a good technical grounding in the approach to software, particularly After Effects. We also had the opportunity to put these skills into practice and develop them further.

But the biggest thing the school gave me was the group of friends I made and still see after the course, as well as all the people I met during my year at GOBELINS.

"Access to Energy Solutions" campaign for So Bam

I don't like to give too much advice, I'd just say it's important to have fun, work at what you love doing and be nice to the people you meet. From there, everything should go smoothly!