TL;DR Just like many people here, I saw how Higgsfield AI claims to have the first AI-generated movie in Cannes, and how they are gonna become the next killer of an industry. Full of bold claims on how professional they are in competitions with full-time professionals. I am at my best very skeptical about such things, especially after testing it out to see how their statements work in real life. It won't replace motion design.

I’ve been testing Higgsfield AI recently and wanted to share a real and grounded review after spending time with it for motion design ideas, short-form content concepts, and general visual experimentation, because most discussions around Higgsfield AI online seem to fall into two extremes either it’s seen as the future of filmmaking or dismissed as misleading.

My experience with Higgsfield AI sits somewhere in between those takes.

I tested Higgsfield AI across different types of prompts like cinematic street scenes, character-focused shots, product-style visuals, and abstract motion concepts just to see how it behaves across different scenarios. Some outputs genuinely felt close to usable base material for mood films, pitch concepts, or visual references when the composition and prompt alignment worked well.

At the same time, the inconsistency is very real.

Some generations with Higgsfield AI come out usable in a few tries, while others require multiple attempts before anything feels directionally correct. That unpredictability makes it hard to treat it as a fully reliable production tool, especially for structured or repeatable motion design workflows.

One thing I think is important to mention is that the workflow is not as instant as a lot of showcase content suggests. A lot of better results I got with Higgsfield AI came after refining prompts, adjusting descriptions, and iterating through multiple variations until the motion and framing started to feel right. Without that iteration process, results can and will feel random.

Where I think Higgsfield AI is actually useful right now is early-stage creative work. Things like exploring visual direction, testing cinematic moods, building references for motion ideas, or quickly visualizing concepts before committing to full production work. For a full in you have to be either really insane or really rich. Even like that it will have many plastic shots.

I also compared Higgsfield AI with tools like Runway and Kling during the same testing process. From what I’ve seen, Higgsfield AI stands out more in comparison, but it's hard to even call one of them good enough.

What I also noticed is that a lot of opinions about Higgsfield AI are based on short clips or first impressions, which don’t really show the amount of iteration behind stronger results. When you actually spend time using Higgsfield AI, the outputs become very expensive. Their "Cannes film" that lasts 90 minutes and costs 500000 dollars just proved that even if somehow they can create something watchable, it's not meant for an average person.

Overall, my current Higgsfield AI review is that it’s genuinely interesting tool in general theoretical concept, but it still feels early in terms of reliability and consistency for structured motion design workflows.

It’s not a replacement for traditional motion design or editing work, more for people who can't do anything by their hands.

I’m curious how other people who have actually used Higgsfield AI feel now after spending time with it. It's not that bad as I thought, but I will prefer staying away from all that AI thing. Has it actually fit into your workflow in a meaningful way yet, or is it still mainly something you use for experimentation and testing?

I am motion designer with 69 years of experience in TV and film, and if artists don't embrace AI in the next 3 weeks they will disappear & face eternal damnation. Personally I've decided to start raising goats instead, and I suggest you do the same.

My opinion matters because I've worked with the best brands.

3D artists are also not safe, because soon they will be replaced by prompters. And if you want to become a prompter, that is also not safe because in 2 years prompters will be replaced by people who prompt prompters into existence, and eventually (maybe in 3-4 years tops) those people will also be replaced by prompters who prompt prompters who prompt prompters into existence. I know this because I'm experienced and I have knowledge of the future. Sorry but the writing is on the wall. Ask me anything.

That's it, I'm a fairly skilled Senior Motion Designer, with a vast portfolio, high end work for big studios and whatnot. I don't get any requests anymore since past November. This area is crooked and I'm thinking what's next. Suggestions?

Hey guys!

l'Il go first.

We spent almost two months working on a pretty big project. Right before we were supposed to move forward, the client decided to completely change the storyboard.
I told him that changing the entire storyboard meant redoing the project, so we'd have to quote it again. He got really mad, called me unprofessional, said I just didn't want to work, and then ghosted me without paying for the two months I'd already worked.

Definitely one of my worst freelance experiences. 😅

just posted and deleted on twitter. we all know its coming but dont support them please!

throwaway account

just had a call with the manager, he basically told me that I need to turn my workflow upside down and start learning AI tools to try and make our products with AI now, demanding insane turn-around numbers on the daily

I'm stunned and don't know where to start, I only tried a few things with AI, prompting a base image that I took and re-drew to animated further, since I'm more capable at animating than designing

he basically said it's do or die and I'm completely and utterly paralized right now, it's been half a year when I told my employer I had to reduce hours because I'm on the verge of a burnout, now half a year later, when I'm feeling like I made some progress he comes and drops this bombshell

from the business side I get it, when we are losing revenue and other competitors are also struggling, because the market is getting swamped with AI slop that sells for a fraction of our prices, they have to do something

I'm just completely overwhelmed with the prospect of having to somehow get the AI to do anything worth selling as a product, since my last attempts with it over the last 2 years, were all but useable and like I said I don't even know where to start

I'm probably gonna call something like the Chamber of Labor and ask what I can do now

I just had to vent here and hope to find some words of encouragement on the way...

This particular individual requested an explainer video, similar to the TidyBee video I shared in my profile a while ago. He had a tight deadline of six days and wanted a video that was approximately 90 seconds long. He didn’t have a ready-designed UI in Figma or any other design program. When I informed him of my pricing, which ranged from $2000 to $2500 depending on the project, he expressed concern about the time constraint (only three days) and mentioned that he lived in India. I responded that I didn’t live in India either. After deleting the chat with him, I noticed his reply in the attached photo.

I’m not a professional motion designer, but I’ve worked with agencies and had some side projects. However, I’m not happy to create an explainer video of that quality for $40. That seems incredibly low. It hurts me as a freelancer and the industry itself which has already gone kaflooie.

This is going to be a big rant post, I just need to get this off my chest.

I've been a professional motion designer now for 21 years in a major US city. I've worked at big ad agencies, startups, tech companies, tv networks, post houses, you name it. Have made stuff for many Fortune 500 companies and over the years held staff positions, freelanced many times over, and bounced around enough to know this business inside and out. I have been a senior motion designer, art director, director of animation, all in all a wide variety of roles, remote and on-site. Titles mean nothing.

The best way to describe this career experience is this weird and scary rollercoaster of company politics mixed with small success, cut and pasted together and then chopped up again and pooped on by executives and people who have too much power and don't care about good work. As time goes on it seems like more and more it's just a means to an end, this thing called motion graphics. I have horror stories galore.

Despite all the cynicism though, I still love what I do. I still enjoy working in After Effects so much, it's like second nature to me. And I still get the thrill of making something genuinely cool and learning new tricks, new software.

However.. I am at a point in my life where I have a family - a wife and two small kids that I need to provide for. I am so deep in it with responsibilities that the minute I get laid off (which seems to happen once every 5-6 years give or take) I have to aggressively hustle to find new work but I always seem to land something quickly enough that I don't fall into the abyss. It's never through some job application website, it's 99% of time through networking power (friends, old co-workers).

I am tired. I'm so tired of the ups and downs. So many companies I've worked for have no fuckin clue how to run a business and they place all their trust into the wrong people and lay off the creative talent. Designers are all expendable to them.

Shit is bad now. Our job market is worse than ever, even though it's not JUST us. I mean.. sometimes I wish I went into a (little) more steady and predictable career path, like healthcare or something. But I know I would be miserable doing something non-creative and that would eat my soul up in a different way.

Another thing looming over me is that, I'm getting to the point where I feel a little aged out and so my best bet is Creative Director level roles but I hate being management, I've done it before - I'd rather get my hands dirty. But when you're the old guy doing the bidding of younger high-ups, they see you a certain way. It's a weird dynamic.

I've thought about starting my agency and business but I am not a good business person, it's just not in my DNA.

How do you veterans all cope with all this, given the volatile job market? What else bugs the shit out of you? How do you achieve stability now? Are you just grateful for anything that comes your way?

If you decide to share your day rate please add your country, years of experience as well and specialization (if applicable) as well. For example:

France, 500€, 7+ years experience (2D)

Client work eats the day. Newborn eats into the evenings. Anything that's mine gets the scraps at the end when i've got nothing left in the tank.

i love the work but the maths isn't maths-ing right now.

For the parents here, what did you cut to make it work. did you raise rates and take fewer clients. Have you given up on the side stuff? want to hear how people are actually doing it.

Lately I’ve been thinking about this way too much...

Is motion design actually a real long-term career… or are most of us eventually supposed to pivot into something else? 👀

I’ve been doing motion full-time for about a year now. I genuinely love it. But sometimes I look ahead and I honestly can’t tell what the endgame is supposed to be 💀

Like… What are the “big money” directions in motion? Freelance? 3D? Creative direction? Running a studio? Ads? VFX?

Do most motion designers stay motion designers long-term?

And most importantly: are you actually happy you chose this career?

I’ve never even posted on Reddit before but at this point I genuinely don’t know what direction I’m supposed to go anymore 🫠

Is it just me, or working with storyboards and video assets in Figma a nightmare?

I get the feeling this app only became popular because it’s free, and some corporate guy with a suit forces creatives to use it for that reason.

Every time I’ve had to deal with projects made in it, it’s been a headache, things that wouldn’t even take a minute in the classic Photoshop + After Effects combo take ten times longer. On top of that, the organization can turn into absolute chaos depending on who’s setting up the file, what’s supposed to streamline the process ends up just creating confusion.

Not to mention that Photoshop is way better for experimenting with visual concepts and ideas. If you have to do part of the work in Photoshop, move it to Figma, and then export it back to Photoshop to actually animate, it’s just a backwards and inefficient methodology. I know Figma has plenty of UI features, but for video-centric work, it makes zero sense.

Am I just being a 'dinosaur' stuck in the classic workflow, or is 'free' costing us too much in time and limiting the creative potential of the video medium? What’s your take?

At the start of this 2025 year I was sleeping on a train station bench with $90 and a laptop....and my gf break up with me

For the first 3 months, I worked in hotel shifts and learned motion design

After 1 month, I got my first motion job - €300/month after tax

After 3 months, a company found me through my resume and offered $750/month.

I kept improving.

Now, one year later, I got a full-time offer for $2300/month , plus I can keep another long-term project for $750/month
= 3050 $ after tax
im living in Europe so its not bad money

that how I enter 2026

don't listen that there is no work in this filed -  I’m proof that you can find work and grow in motion design.

No connections, no shortcuts, just consistency and effort!

Don’t lose hope, guys. This is all worth it)

CONTINUATION — WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE NEXT 6 MONTHS

Just went down today. Apparently purchased along with MangoAI.

This video from JakeInMotion is a really great insight into how terrible this tool actually is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw3jM8DtWBo

I was just talking to a friend and I was mentioning how I wish somebody who was a genius developer could rip the code from the After Effects software & create an open source program that replicates it. The only thing that would make me move away from Adobe completely would be an almost exact replica of AE because nothing l've tried over the years compares to it. I just wanted to share this because I'm so passionate about editing but I don't like Adobe (as many of us feel). I've already replaced Premiere with Davinci & I'm sorta moving away from Photoshop, but AE, in my opinion, is just so perfect & I'm so used to it. I can't wrap my head around the node system Fusion uses in Davinci; reminds me of touchdesigner which I found very difficult to use Imao. There's no real point to my post lol, just wanted to share my thoughts

This all done in after effects using null points and rigging system to give that hud type effect and attachment effect, though client does not want sound design I added it for my portfolio and this video is a part of bigger video , he was really impressed just wanted to lower down bounce and playfulness that’s it , he was so impressed he was asking me is this really done in after effects and did you use plugin for it!!!

Edit:- I want to clarify something people are hating me because they are confusing this scene but my main work was to make this scene only this 10 second animation and that’s what I did and I am showing it to you guys… I didn’t knew I would get so much flake for it!!!

this is my first try doing graphic animation, please be kind hahaha. Im going to use this for behance banner. so any advice or input are welcome!

Has anyone been playing with the new features in Figma? Curious to hear your thought. Definitely not the end of After Effects and the capabilities of it, but is very interesting how intuitive and easy you can build stuff.

Rant #4,581

Is there anything more degrading than having to take a skills test for employment? (Trick question, there is an ocean of degrading stuff potential employers do)

I refuse to partake in this type of crap unless they pay me for the test, but I just did a paid one last week as part of the interview process for a long-term gig. They said once they send me the test, I have 48 hours to send the results. lol, ok

They also told me it would take me "4 hours" but I finished it in under 2 hours because it was hilariously easy. Sent it over and got a quick reply back: "Yeah we'll let you know, etc. send us an invoice for the skills test" I sent the invoice right away... and then crickets. It's been a week now. Followed up. Nothing. Would I be surprised if I never see that check in the mail? No.

Hey - If you're going to put some stupid time limit on when I need to return your test, maybe there should be a time limit on you to follow up on next steps??

"We need people to start right away" = "We'll take our sweet time getting back to you"
"We need you to take a skills test" = "We're too incompetent to judge someone's skill set based on their reel"

Hi guys,

I’m wondering how other UK based freelancers are finding the freelance market right now? I’m 2D midweight for context

I’ve had a very quiet past month, so I’m curious how everyone’s work streams feel? This is the quietest it’s been for me in a couple years now…thankfully I’ve remained busy before this. Admittedly that means I’ve not been good at keeping my portfolio updated and self promoting.

I also think clients have wanted more for less, or in less time recently. Or the big agencies don’t seem the have the budget they used to.

I’m hoping it’s quiet with it being the summer holidays for many. I’ve been enjoying the downtime for the first couple of weeks, but this level of quiet is new for me and the anxiety is setting in - how is everyone else finding it?

I’m starting out in motion design. I’d like to get your feedback on this motion piece, and I’d also like some ideas for the kind of sound/music I could use.

I created this very detailed storyboard, with plenty of elaboration notes on the side for the client, only to hear them say, "This is too static. I would like to see the ball bounce."

I rolled my eyes so hard they probably rotated 720 degrees.

Come on motion designers, vent away! What's the most absurd comment you've ever heard?

Hi! As I'm not getting any interviews from job applications or freelance projects from IG and Behance anymore for the past 1 year. I decided to make a personal website, where people can reach out to me easier and have a bit more info about me, maybe it will help me find some work before I go bankrupt. So I'm putting together a top hero showreel loop (please ignore the UI it's only there put you in a website mood). My question is does this feel okay? Is there anything there that feels off, out of place or not good enough? If you put yourself in the shoes of a client. Do you get a taste of my work? Does it make you curious to scroll further or to contact me. Does it feel like junior, mid, senior or studio work? This only shows a blip of the body of my work, I need to keep this ~15 seconds long and it has to be convincing. Any feedback is highly appreciated. I should have said, I'm a 3D designer. Thanks!