Large-Scale Motion Worlds of Pigs Must Fly Studio: A Conversation with Pierre-Guilhem “PG” Roudet

By Cansu Waldron

Pigs Must Fly is the creative studio of motion designer and art director Pierre-Guilhem “PG” Roudet. Based in Montreal and originally from southern France, PG brings more than a decade of experience creating bold, high-impact animations for brands, studios, and video game companies around the world. Through Pigs Must Fly, he specializes in large-scale video content and visually striking motion work, often blending entertainment, design, and cinematic storytelling.

PG studied at ENSAV Toulouse under Michael Scroggins (CalArts), along with training in industrial design and music, experiences that shaped both the technical precision and experimental spirit of his work. Over the years, he has contributed to a wide range of major international productions — from stage visuals for concerts by artists like Jay-Z and Céline Dion to global events such as the opening ceremony of the Pan American Games with Cirque du Soleil. His motion and design work has also appeared in major video game titles including Watch Dogs 2 and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction.

Alongside his studio practice, PG teaches Cinema 4D and Redshift while continuing to draw inspiration from music and the outdoors, bringing a multidisciplinary curiosity to every project.

We asked PG about Pigs Must Fly Studio, his creative process, and inspirations.

The name Pigs Must Fly is awesome — what’s the story behind it?

It actually goes back to a workshop when I was studying cinema near Toulouse. 

The teacher was Michael Scroggins, who was visiting from California Institute of the Arts. He was incredibly inspiring and brought a completely different way of thinking about animation.

During that class I created my very first motion piece. It’s probably still somewhere on Vimeo. The theme was Jack in the Box. I made this tiny planet island, a bit inspired by The Little Prince, and at the end a flying pig popped out.

Of course it was a reference to the expression “when pigs fly”, meaning something that will never happen. But I liked seeing it the opposite way. When you’re crafting your own little universe, anything can happen if you decide it does.

Can you tell us about some of your favorite pieces or a past or upcoming project? What makes them special to you?

One project that still means a lot to me is Cosmos: A Graphic Space Journey. It was a personal piece I made around 2015 with my friend Gabriel Aldama, just out of curiosity and a love for space imagery. I didn’t expect much from it at the time, but it ended up getting a lot of attention.

How would you describe the personality of the studio in three words?

Playful, Inventive, Grounded.

What else fills your time when you’re not creating art?

I try to spend more time outdoors. I do bouldering and it really helps reset my brain. In winter I go snowboarding, and in the warmer seasons I switch to cycling. It’s a great way to disconnect from the screen.

You specialize in large-scale video environments. What’s the biggest challenge when designing for massive screens and immersive spaces?

The biggest challenge is both technical and creative. You have to think about how far people will be from the screen and adjust the scale, timing, and speed of every animation so it reads perfectly from any distance. What looks great up close can completely vanish from far away and vice versa.

At the end of the day, it’s about creating something that feels alive, no matter where you’re standing in the space.

With your background in industrial design, fine arts, and music, how do those disciplines show up in your motion work today?

Industrial design put me in a mindset of feasibility and problem solving. It teaches you to plan carefully and think ahead, which saves a lot of trouble later in production.

Fine art is about the basics for me, composition, color and shapes.

Music has been huge for rhythm, timing, and translating emotion into motion. It also taught me discipline and practice, which are extremely important as an entrepreneur and independent artist. 

What still excites you after more than a decade in the industry?

Discovering new After Effects tricks, seeing how far computers can push the workload, and realizing that today you can be a one-man army and make huge projects by yourself.

What is a dream project you’d like to make one day?

I’d love to work on an opening for a series or a movie. Something cinematic, immersive, a bit experimental, mixing different techniques. That’s kind of the grail for a motion designer, I guess.

What is a profound childhood memory?

As a child, I spent hours in my grandpa’s garage workshop. I would spend entire afternoons making little sculptures out of iron wire, pieces of wood, and whatever materials I could find around.

That’s really where I started my first creative projects. Today those memories still bring me a lot of joy.

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