#WFH Diaries: Morgane Alexandre and Sébastien Skrzypczak of TBWA\Paris
As the COVID-19 pandemic gallops along, we're checking in with creative people to see how they're doing. Here's an update from TBWA\Paris creative pair Morgane Alexandre and Sébastien Skrzypczak.
Give us a one-sentence bio of yourself.
We are Sébastien and Morgane, a creative team at TBWA\Paris.
Where are you living right now, and who's with you?
Sébastien: I live in Montlignon, a village 15 km north of Paris, with my wife and my two daughters, Zoé (10) and Lisa (7).
Morgane: Right now I'm lucky to be in Vendée (southwest of France) with my boyfriend at his family house. There's a big garden, and we're right next to the beach (though we're not allowed to enjoy it, of course!).
What's your work situation like at the moment?
We're working from home, polishing a film we shot for McDonald's right before they announced the quarantine measures, looking at the edit and post, as well as working on a pitch, and two other ongoing projects.
Describe your socializing strategy.
Being in quarantine can help you reconnect with a lot of people. We call our friends and family a few times a week to check in. Everyone is also on this app, Houseparty, that brings social groups together. You have to manage your schedule!
How are you dealing with childcare?
Sébastien: Our two daughters go to school at home. With my wife, who is also working from home, we split the lessons. Twice a week, I turn into a physical education teacher in the garden.
What are you reading?
Sébastien: Road to Valor, the incredible story of Gino Bartali.
Morgane: Watching too much media will drive you crazy. I'm trying to focus my downtime on a few books I needed to catch up on: Right now, Black Like Me by J.H. Griffin, a journalist who darkened his skin in the '60s to learn what segregation was like; and Le continent inconnu (The Unknown Continent) by Géraldine Banon, about a woman sailing to Antarctica with her family.
What are you watching?
Morgane: I just started the show Succession (HBO). It's amazingly well written. I'm also watching lots of feel-good movies.
Sébastien: Series. I was still behind on The Walking Dead. And I just got onto Season 2 of Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
What are you listening to?
Sébastien: Julia Stone, an Australian artist I recently discovered on a project at work.
How are you staying fit?
Sébastien: As I do a lot of running, I try to continue my training with jump rope, strength training, and live lessons with our agency coach.
Morgane: There are lots of online classes on YouTube and Instagram that I'm definitely, embarrassingly, not watching. Maybe that will change, but right now I'm trying lots of new recipes. Still managing to close my trousers for the time being.
Have you taken up a hobby?
Sébastien: My second passion (in addition to running) is cooking. I'm taking this opportunity to experiment with new recipes. We're eating so much in confinement!
Morgane: I've taken up the hobbies of an 80-year-old woman living in the countryside. I'm doing crosswords all day, playing Scrabble with my boyfriend, and making pies.
Any tips for getting necessities?
Sébastien: Make your shopping list as precise as possible by creating a meal plan for several days, to avoid leaving home unnecessarily.
Morgane: Gloves, gloves, gloves. And coughing if anyone gets too close.
An awkward moment since all this started.
Sébastien: Fortunately, I haven't had any mishaps yet with my webcam during video conferences. I try to be careful!
Morgane: Talking in a video call for work, feeling upset that no one cares what you're saying, then realizing your microphone is off. Twice.
Best work email you got since all this started.
The first cut of our last film. Even from a distance, it's always cool to see the result of a shoot for the first time. It puts a smile on your face when things come together.
An aha! moment since all this started.
Denouncement: The Instagram Stories of a colleague, who's filming people not respecting the quarantine from her window, along with hilarious comments. So far she's created Denouncement Seasons 1, 2, 3 and 4.
What's your theory on how this is going to play out?
Sébastien: I think that, in a few weeks, everything will be back to normal in terms of health. Countries will be better prepared if there is a new epidemic wave next year. But we'll have to manage the economic crisis, which will leave an even bigger impact.
Morgane: Looks like the quarantine is going to last a lot longer than we all thought. Hopefully we will all learn from this event.
