MARIIA PANITSKOVA // MOTION DESIGNER
Hi, I’m Masha — a Motion Designer and Visual Storyteller from Saint Petersburg.
I create videos, animations, and dynamic visuals that transform ideas, stories, and observations into immersive visual experiences. I am interested in exploring various modes of communication through movement, imagery, and graphic language.My work merges visual storytelling with experimentation, encompassing everything from concept development and graphic design to animation and audiovisual projects.Primary audience: creative studios, production companies, and organizations (B2B).
My portfolio showcases projects that explore diverse approaches to animation, visual storytelling, and sound design. Each case study delves into a unique combination of techniques, concepts, and audiovisual solutions.
Here, I share not just the final outcomes, but also the underlying concepts and creative decisions. Explore the projects to discover my different methodologies for tackling motion, visuals, and sound. Let’s take a look!
[01] Metempsychosis // Motion Explainer // 02:46
Context
Metempsychosis is a motion explainer exploring the belief in the immortality of the soul and its rebirth into a new body after death.
The narrative is divided into four sections, moving from the theoretical foundations of the belief to examples that illustrate its manifestations.
About The brief was to create an educational motion explainer on a scientific topic.
Goal My goal was to explore this concept through animation, creating an engaging visual narrative capable of communicating an abstract idea without relying on voice-over.
Visual Narrative The explainer unfolds across four distinct dimensions, each with its own visual environment. A central character guides the viewer through these worlds, transforming its form in response to each new setting. The character connects the four sections into a continuous journey, reflecting the idea of transition and rebirth.Sound Design The text remains unvoiced: instead of listening to a narration, the viewer follows the lines of text alongside the central character. Sound effects, ambient textures, and music merge into a rhythmic soundscape, building a sense of space around the visuals and shaping the pace of the experience.
[02] The Artis // Alternative Movie Titles // 01:26
Context
An alternative title sequence for The Artist (2011)—a black-and-white silent film exploring the evolution of cinema, the arrival of new technologies, and the love of filmmaking.
About
An alternative title sequence for The Artist, inspired by the film’s concept of cinema within cinema.
Goal
My goal was to extend the film’s concept into the title sequence, creating a visual journey that reflects its atmosphere and explores the relationship between the screen, the stage, and the audience.
Visual Narrative The title sequence unfolds across three distinct spaces. It begins backstage, featuring a table covered in filmmaking props; it then draws the viewer through the screen into the main titles, before concluding by returning to the stage and revealing the cinema hall.The main title sequence is constructed around shadows cast by spotlights, employing light and shadow as its central visual elements.Sound Design The soundtrack features «Who?» (Who Stole My Heart Away?), a piece originally written for the 1925 Broadway musical Sunny. Sound effects accompany the titles, particularly as the text appears reversed when viewed from behind the screen.
[03] TDFF Posters // Open Call Project
Context
Terminal Design Future Fest 2026 explores the future of design and its evolving tools, methods, and visual languages.
About
A series of two motion posters created for Terminal’s open call, exploring the intersection of graphic design, typography, and creative coding.
Goal
My goal was to investigate how programming can serve as a design tool, shaping both visual systems and new interpretations of familiar graphic elements.
