When your first talk of the festival kicks off with “Thank God there was no internet when I was young. If I would have had Instagram and YouTube back then, I would have surely quit being an artist” (Vincent Schwenk) you can be sure the current state of the industry is going to reflect in many of the presentations and conversations carried out all through the day.
And indeed, whether it was about cutting edge technologies and how they can be tamed and put to good use, about training AI on own works in order to save time with the redundant processes, or how to handle and detach from the toxicity of social media, In Motion Rotterdam reinforced why this is the place to be in order to get a good grasp of upcoming trends and all things relevant for the animation, film and games industries.
The flow of inspiration was palpable and oozing through all festival layers: audience, guests, speakers, volunteers and even crew members. But what could have felt like a community bubble experience, where everything is nice and breezy yet somewhat disconnected from the harsh realities the creative industries are currently facing, actually turned into a genuine energy boost. The vibes of the day, generated by speakers and crowd alike, were reassuring that whatever happens, we will not find ourselves into a scenario in which artistic products are solely created by machines and algorithms.
You simply could not anticipate what Becky & Joe were hiding behind their dark shades and pulling out of the box. (❗ In Motion Inside Joke Warning: Inspiration Child, we are SO looking at you ❗ ). Or what David Wilson birthed as an extra to his lecture, during his Cabaret extravaganza.
And who could see coming Jim Stoten’s song performance at the end of his talk, making the entire audience wild with excitement? In Motion Rotterdam definitely showed us human quirkiness. artistry and forward thinking at their best!
And we’re not the only ones saying this! Check out some feedback reactions we’ve gathered!
“What a couple of days at the superb Playgrounds Rotterdam last week. Great organisation and attention to detail from Leon van Rooij and his team.
Such a diverse array of talent and skills. Amazing illustration, dancing, songs, puppets, cabaret. Definitely gives me food for ‘Motion North’ thought.” (attendee, Jonathan Ashworth, founder of Mighty Giant: Animation & Motion Design studio, via LinkedIn)
“It was my first time at the In Motion edition, and it was very interesting and fun. The talks and panels were both inspiring and insightful, and the energy of having so many diverse creatives in one space was truly something special.” (attendee, concept artist and graphic designer Beau Vink via LinkedIn)
“Last week, I attended the In Motion festival, and it was incredibly inspiring! Artists shared their work, process, successes, but also the challenges they faced during their creative tasks — personal struggles, knowledge gaps, tight deadlines, …
Over those two days, I left feeling energised and eager to dive back into my own projects!” (attendee, freelance motion designer and illustrator Claudia Agostinho via LinkedIn)
“Reflecting on my journey at the In Motion festival, I realized that this experience was more than just volunteering—it was a revelation. From supporting an incredible team to engaging with talented artists, every moment sparked a deeper passion within me for events and community engagement.
I loved every challenge, every collaboration, and every interaction that made the festival come alive. This experience solidified my desire to immerse myself further in the world of events.” (volunteer, Maria Bucur, creative event design concepts via LinkedIn)
“It was an absolute pleasure and honour for HyperCulture.nl to be able to present at IN MOTION 2024. (A dream come true) Thank you Leon van Rooij and team! You did an amazing job in organising a kick ass festival full of inspiration.” (guest artist and speaker, Peter van de Riet, director at HyperCulture, via LinkedIn)
In no particular order, here are also some of our takeaways:
💡Art &Graft pointing out how things changed in their work process and how they are nowadays creating with multiple ratios and adaptable formats in mind, from the very beginning.
💡 The It’s Nice That Panel beautifully showcasing how different artists can have different perspectives. While Yonk acknowledged how they pick commercial projects that challenge them to learn something new, Vincent Schwenk shared how he develops through personal work that he later applies to client jobs.
💡 HyperCulture letting us know that “As soon as we stopped comparing ourselves to other studios, things started working out for us.”
💡Margherita Premuroso prompting us “Be versatile! Especially if you’re young, you should try a little bit of everything to keep curiosity alive”.
💡Giant Ant reflecting on remote work “We have a complicated relationship with remote work especially for the people that are either at the start or at the end of their career: the knowledge transfer requires a certain level of trust that is difficult to get via Zoom and Slack.”
💡David Wilson inviting the audience to “Say Hello to the people sitting next to you. They won’t bite!” With just a simple phrase it reminded us that there’s beauty in being human.
In Motion Rotterdam‘s left us feeling confident that whatever the future has in store for us, artist and human creativity will will always find a way to push things forward and tap deeper into the emotional level than any machines and technological advancements are able to.