designer, freelance, in Paris
I am Fabien Bouadi, an independent motion designer and art director in Paris. I design and animate 3D films for luxury, beauty and spirits houses, directly or alongside their agencies.
Paris,
where luxury is decided
Many of the houses I work for have their headquarters, workshops or agencies in Paris. Being here means attending a brief, seeing the product for real, touching the material before rebuilding it in 3D. That detail changes everything in a luxury film: a misunderstood bottle shows on screen.
Context matters too. According to the Bain & Company and Altagamma study published in November 2025, the global personal luxury goods market is estimated at €358 billion in 2025, flat at constant exchange rates. Jewellery leads growth (+4 to 6%) and fragrance remains the most dynamic sub-category of beauty. These are exactly the two areas where moving images do the most work: light inside a stone, a liquid that cannot be filmed.
In a market no longer growing by volume, every image has to earn its place. That is how I work: few shots, each one considered.
Selected
projects
Chaumet
Wishes, digital greetings
Chaumet is a Place Vendôme house. For its greetings, I rebuilt the square at night in 3D, lit in gold, with diamonds in levitation. The format is vertical, built for stories: the first second already has to tell the house’s story.
My role3D animation, lighting, rendering
View the project
Dior
Backstage
Fashion show backstage has its own tempo. I wanted to keep that tension: powder, brush, the raw light of the dressing rooms, frozen mid-gesture. The palette is modelled in 3D so every pigment holds up in macro.
My roleArt direction, 3D animation
View the project
Cartier
Precious Garage, Milan
A teaser for the Precious Garage event in Milan. The house’s precision mechanics become a choreography: gears, metallic reflections and typography move to the same beat.
My role3D animation, kinetic typography
View the project
Nina Ricci
Digital window at Harrods
Making a fragrance visible in a department store window. Silk ribbons and liquid gold drift slowly: on a screen seen from a distance, in passing, slowness holds the eye better than effects.
My role3D animation, motion design
View the project
Ruinart
A dialogue with Hubert Le Gall
A collaboration between the champagne house and designer Hubert Le Gall. Raw material comes alive to sculpt Ruinart’s heritage: the motion follows the artist’s gesture rather than the other way round.
My roleMotion design
View the project
Yves Saint Laurent
Muse Extrait de Parfum
A product film for Le Vestiaire des Parfums: the e-commerce page comes alive, then the cut-glass bottle goes into macro, among oak, ink and iris. The same film serves the product page and social.
My roleMotion design, interface animation, 3D
View the projectHow I work
from intent to master
Brief and intent
A first conversation, in person in Paris or by video call. I restate the intent in one sentence, which you approve before any image.
Art direction
References, first key frames, choice of light and material. This is where the film’s signature is decided.
Storyboard and animatic
The film broken down shot by shot, then a timed animatic: story and length are approved before rendering, while changes are still cheap.
3D, motion and AI production
Modelling, animation and rendering. 3D guarantees product accuracy; AI is used to explore directions and speed up some steps, never to replace the packshot.
Sound, grading, finishing
Sound design, grading, kinetic typography and legal mentions, mixed to the levels each broadcaster expects.
Delivery and versions
One master, then versions for each use: 16:9, 9:16, 4:5, 1:1, window display, event screen.
Deliverables
to broadcast standards
A beautiful film delivered badly is a film the broadcaster rejects. Every master leaves with the settings the outlet expects:
- Broadcast soundMix normalised to -23 LUFS following EBU Recommendation R 128, the reference for European broadcasters.
- ColourGrading in Rec. 709 (ITU Recommendation BT.709) for the web and HD broadcast.
- MastersMasters in Apple ProRes, the exchange format of post-production houses, then light encodes for distribution.
- Social9:16 versions following Meta’s Reels specifications, with text and logos kept inside the safe zones.
AI,
without losing the hand
The “Luxury and technology” report by Comité Colbert and Bain & Company (June 2026) shows that 22% of houses now rank AI among their top three priorities, up from 5% in 2024. Yet fewer than 20% of executives report a significant impact.
That is exactly the place I give it: a tool for exploration and speed, not a substitute for the eye. The product stays modelled in 3D, accurate to the millimetre; AI helps me test moods before building them. And Article 50 of the EU AI Act requires disclosure of deep fakes: I always state what is generated.
My
expertise
- 01. CGI3D motion design3D packshots and films for bottles, gems and mechanics.
- 02. VISIONArt directionLight, material, rhythm: an intent held from brief to master.
- 03. FEELINGMoodtapesFilms of intent to pitch and align a team before production.
- 04. SECTEURLuxury, beauty & cosmeticsFluids, textures and materials, within cosmetics advertising rules.
- 05. UIUI/UX micro-interactionsMobile journeys, apps and animated interfaces.
Free
resources
Frequently asked
questions
What is a freelance motion designer?
A designer who designs and animates graphics, typography and 3D themselves, with no intermediary. You talk to the person who makes the images, from brief to master.
Do you work directly or with agencies?
Both. The projects shown here were made with agencies such as Malherbe Design, Aldente, Kartel Production and Omédia, and directly for brands. When supporting an agency, I join the existing creative team.
How much does a motion design film cost in Paris?
The price depends on length, the share of 3D, the number of versions and usage rights. I set out the ranges and their logic in a dedicated article, and the day-rate simulator helps explain how a quote is built. Read the article on rates.
How long does it take?
A social asset is much faster to produce than a 3D launch film. Every quote comes with a step-by-step schedule, including sign-off points.
Do you use artificial intelligence?
Yes, in a hybrid and disclosed workflow. Under the EU AI Act, Article 50 requires disclosure of content that constitutes a deep fake; I therefore always state what is generated and what is not.
Do you only work in Paris?
I am based in Paris and travel for meetings, shoots and presentations. I also work remotely, across France and internationally.
Figures and standards cited on this page, checked in October 2026. The projects cited are detailed in the portfolio.
- 01Global luxury stays resilient… (Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, 20 novembre 2025) · Bain & Company et Altagamma
- 02Luxe et technologie : conquérir le client à l’ère de l’IA (juin 2026) · Comité Colbert et Bain & Company
- 03Règlement européen sur l’IA, article 50 (transparence) · Commission européenne, AI Act Service Desk
- 04EBU R 128 : normalisation du volume sonore à -23 LUFS · UER / EBU
- 05Spécifications des publicités Reels (9:16, zones de sécurité) · Meta
- 06À propos d’Apple ProRes · Apple
- 07Recommandation BT.709 (HDTV) · UIT
A project
to set in motion?
A launch, a window display, a social series: write to me with a few lines of context. The brief template helps frame the request.