Pierre-Guilhem Roudet, aka PG, and his studio, Pigs Must Fly, have released a new showreel filled with technical tricks and sophisticated animations. Originally from the south of France, the Franco-Canadian motion designer has been based in Montreal for nearly 15 years. Specializing in entertainment, events, and immersive formats, he has collaborated with internationally renowned clients, delivering bold visuals for prestigious productions. Among his most notable creations are several logo animations for Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed and the recent design of video sets for Casinos du Québec. His career includes collaborations with top studios and major industry players such as Céline Dion, Cirque du Soleil, MGM, and Toyota.
Live Design chats with PG about his content creation software and his take on AI:
Live Design: What software do you use for content creation?
Pierre-Guilhem Roudet: Over time, I’ve built my own workflow, with After Effects as the core software for 2D animation and compositing. I often use procedural techniques for light effects, ink, smoke, or fire, as well as vector-based FUI animation. For vector work, I rely on Illustrator, which I bridge with Cinema 4D when needed.
All 3D work—from modeling to rendering—is done in Cinema 4D with Redshift. I recently started learning ZBrush and have already used it in my latest project. While I occasionally use plugins, I focus on maximizing the capabilities of the Adobe and Maxon suite, as I believe it’s more valuable to refine expertise within a solid toolset than to constantly chase trendy software or plugins.
Check out the new showreel:
LD: For Luzia, what is the visual content, can you talk about the images, how they are created and integrated into the production?
PG: Working on Cirque du Soleil shows like Luzia, R.U.N., or Ovo, the approach to visual content is always about being bold and colorful, setting the mood while ensuring that the performers remain at the heart of the experience.
For live productions in general—whether it’s a touring show, an opera, an immersive casino environment, or a high-energy product launch—visuals aren’t just decorative. They must integrate seamlessly with the entire setup: the stage design, lighting, and overall atmosphere. The goal is to create a unified experience where projection and performance complement each other rather than compete.
The challenge is always to merge content with the physical and technical aspects of the production, ensuring that everything works together as a whole.That's why collaboration is key. Every show is a dialogue between creative minds. The process isn’t about imposing a vision but about listening, understanding the client’s initial ideas, and applying expertise to bring those concepts to life in the best way possible.It’s a creative synergy.
LD: What technology do you teach?
PG: I provide technical training in Cinema 4D and Redshift, focused on motion design, for both individuals and internal teams.
LD: How do you feel about the use of AI in digital media creation?
PG: I have mixed feelings about the use of AI in digital media creation. On one hand, I’m not particularly fond of generative AI for creating images from simple prompts. I think it can be an easy way to cover up a lack of creativity, and it often leads to a homogenization of content. The old-fashioned approach of copy, combine, and transform is still effective when dealing with creative blocks. I’ve learned to work hard to create a magical version of my work—art has never been an easy task! The process of creation itself remains essential in producing truly original content, and I believe that the creative struggle is what makes the final result so rewarding.
On the other hand, machine learning can be an incredible support tool. It can save time by handling repetitive tasks and technical challenges, allowing artists to focus more on the creative aspects. Additionally, it helps bridge communication gaps, especially in multilingual projects, and accelerates production processes, ultimately enhancing collaboration and efficiency.
I’m excited for the day when AI can optimize the parameters of a 3D scene, which currently takes hours and is often tedious. This would allow us to speed up processes without sacrificing creativity or originality, which would be a huge relief for artists who are looking to maximize their time and energy on more creative endeavors.
In the end, I understand the fascination with technology, but we must not forget the value of human talent. Behind every generated image, there are still millions of images that were created by human hands, distilled into the data AI uses to produce results.
And I won’t be hypocritical—when it comes to tasks like denoising, I do use a tool based on machine learning. I also love using ChatGPT for code assistance and writing help. It’s all about finding the right balance between human creativity and technological support.