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Morgane ROUAULT, a student in the Master’s cycle of the Grande École Program at IÉSEG, tells us about her early beginnings on film sets and her future plans in the world of film financing, where she hopes to strike a balance between passion and professional activity.

Let’s start with your passion for theater, cinema and musical comedy. How did this passion come about?

My passion for movies and acting began at a very early age. In fact, when I was about 4-5 years old, my mother was encouraged to get me into magazine shoots through a children’s modeling agency. So, I had my first magazine cover very early on. After that, I spent a lot of time in the modeling world, as I was often cast, up to 2 or 3 times a Wednesday.

During elementary school, I continued to take part in castings for brands like La Redoute. These castings involved long hours of waiting and trying things on, but my family always supported my interest in this field. I was lucky enough to meet other young artists, and to learn about the world of film and theater in the process.

Then you moved on from modeling to performing on stage…

Indeed, when I was 7, I was selected for my first short film, “Entrelacs”, in which I played the role of a little girl suffering from dissociative amnesia. It was a meaningful experience for me. After that, I went through a series of castings and was lucky enough to work with renowned actors such as Édouard Baer, Benoît Magimel and Emmanuelle Béart.

After the movies, musicals came into your life…

Around the age of 11, I was spotted to audition for the musical “1789: Les amants de la Bastille”. I was selected to play the role of Charlotte just two weeks before the start of the tour! It was an intense but rewarding experience. I had to learn the role in a very tight period of time, and I played in about fifty performances over the two years of the show. That’s a lot of work, and requires a lot of commitment. On average, 4,000 to 5,000 people attended each show, and sometimes as many as 9,000! I managed to combine my studies with my passion for theater and music, despite the fact that I didn’t have a special timetable for it. I was lucky enough to perform in front of thousands of people all over France, Belgium and Switzerland, and that is invaluable.

What’s it like to be part of a musical?

When I joined the cast of “1789”, I realized that I’d landed in a very extraordinary world, within a very big production backed by Dove Attia and Albert Cohen, well known for their successful productions such as Mozart l’Opéra Rock and Le Roi Soleil. The organization was impressive. It was the first time in my life I’d been on stage. It was at the Palais des Sports in Paris, which today is called the Dôme de Paris. So, every Saturday, I went to the Palais des Sports. It was a fast pace for a kid, but I really enjoyed going on stage. At the time, I was playing the role of Charlotte as well as the dauphin, a role I’d already played in the film “L’évasion de Louis XVI“. I lived the experience to the fullest. I lived every moment intensely, aware of the chance I’d been given. After each performance, the stage director would come and debrief me, to discuss what had worked well and what hadn’t, and what changes needed to be made for future performances. This allowed me to keep improving and learning. Sometimes the cues or on-stage moves would change, so I had to adapt. I think that, at a very young age, I acquired skills such as perseverance, adaptability and stress management, thanks to this unique experience.

How do you balance life as an actress/comedian with life as a pupil?

At school, I managed to juggle film shoots and classes. For example, I took part in the shooting of the movie “L’évasion de Louis XVI”, where I played the role of the king’s son, despite the fact that it took me around 30 days off school. This experience enabled me to further my passion for cinema while still managing to keep up with school.

This passion for film and theater has been a constant in my life, even if I eventually stepped back to focus more on my studies. However, I’m still very passionate about cinema. This passion still drives me as an adult and will never leave me. I follow film news in a different way, but I can’t rule out one day trying my luck again at casting!

I was lucky enough to live many different experiences, which not many people have the opportunity to live through during their childhood and teenage years. As a young adult, I also became a model for Lacoste. I was the reference model on whom they took measurements, and I also had the opportunity to visit the Lacoste premises and try on the mock-ups, which was a unique experience.

And then, as you grew up, you decided to focus on your studies?

At the end of high school, I undertook an internship at the Cours Florent to see if they could offer me a three-year course. I was indeed accepted to follow their full curriculum, but unfortunately it was incompatible with full-time management studies. I was faced with a dilemma in my transition to higher education, but in the end I opted to pursue my studies at IÉSEG, a decision I don’t regret. It gives me some stability for the future and opens up new perspectives. It’s essential for me to evolve in the film industry. Finding the perfect balance between my passion and my academic background is now my main objective.

How do you see the future?

As my Master’s focuses on finance, I’m very interested in combining my knowledge with my passion for cinema, which I don’t want to give up. I’m thinking of working in film production or financing.

I’m convinced that I’ll be able to find a balance between my passion and my professional career. My aim is to find a job that will allow me to blossom. 

In France, we are fortunate to have SOFICAs (Sociétés de financement de l’industrie cinématographique et de l’audiovisuel), small companies that enable private individuals to invest in films. However, this opportunity remains little-known. Personally, I did my 3rd year internship with Ciné Nominé, which sets up the SOFICA called “Palatine Etoile”. It collects investments to support the production and direction of films, which I find very interesting from a professional point of view.

I find the work of financial advisors in this field fascinating, as they have to evaluate projects both financially and cinematographically. It’s a field I can see myself working in.

How would you sum up your years at IÉSEG so far?

I’ve certainly found my place at IÉSEG, where I’ve been very involved in community life. Not all schools put so much emphasis on personal development, particularly through drama classes. The fact that IÉSEG shapes individuals both personally and professionally makes all the difference. I think it’s a good bet, because 10 years from now, what we’ve learned in class may have evolved, but our way of being and managing teams will still be relevant.