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Issue #86 | February 15th, 2026

Hey Reader 👋
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​This week I’ve got something genuinely exciting to share. 😊

We’re running the Freelancing for Animators cohort right now… and it’s going really well.

And there’s this strangely satisfying thing that happens when you teach: when you put your knowledge down on paper and you deliver it live, you can literally feel your values crystallizing in front of your eyes. Like, “oh wow… that’s what I actually believe.” The feedback has been amazing, and it’s making me want to push this product even further.

And the timing is kind of perfect — because I just went through the results of my Animator Now interest form… and wow.

252 people answered, and the signal is loud.​
The biggest theme by far? Freelancing.
75.4% of you want to learn it.

But the most important part isn’t even the numbers… it’s the emotion behind them.

A lot of you are tired. Anxious. Stuck in that “nothing is happening” zone.

People wrote things like:

“I’ve been out of work for 8 months…”
“I need proof animation can be stable…”
“I’m sick of being ghosted…”
“I’m afraid of AI…”

That’s the core I’m seeing: not lack of talent but fear + instability.

And this is where I want to say something that I think many animators need to hear right now:

I’ve been there — waiting for the calls, refreshing my inbox, hoping the studio would finally come back… until one day I was just sick of waiting

Understand this: Motion design + animation freelancing are NOT “the animation industry”.

It’s a service business.

Your clients are often outside animation — and they have budgets. They need work. They pay!!

And to be fully transparent: right now I’m drowning in freelance work (in a good way). I’m around 8K/month steady, with runway for at least the next six months. That’s not to flex — it’s to show what’s possible when you stop relying on studio cycles as your only source of income.

So… I’m not going to reveal everything today 😄

But if you’re interested in freelancing — especially if you’re tired of waiting, tired of being ghosted, tired of feeling like nothing is moving — make sure you’re on the Freelancing for Animators list (link down below).

​👉 Join the Freelancing for Animators list - i'll send you the video + the full announcement next week 😊
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Because next week, I’ll share a super exciting news about Freelancing for Animators and I think you’ll like it. 👀

On a more personal note: I got my house back BUT...the house is throwing me a curveball 😅

My roof needs to be redone — very expensive (thanks God for that freelance income right? 😊 — and it’s delaying the studio build a little.

But not forever. Maybe a month.

And honestly… I can’t wait to start breaking walls, painting, building… making it real. 🔨

Alright. Let’s get into this week’s issue.🔥

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The Spotlight

This week is another one of those “award-season shorts” that quietly punches above its weight.

Solstice follows a lonely Inuk man in the Arctic Circle, enduring the endless summer daylight — because the night sky is the only moment he can feel close to his lost love again.

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And yes… on paper, the core isn’t “new”: grief, loss, longing — we’ve all seen countless films orbiting that same emotional planet.

But that’s actually the lesson here: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
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You just need to place the wheel somewhere we haven’t seen it roll before.

The Arctic Circle setting instantly changes the texture of the story. The waiting becomes physical. The light becomes oppressive. The environment isn’t just a background — it’s the pressure.
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Also: what’s really mind-blowing is that Luke Angus essentially carried this film on his shoulders. He spent four years making it largely by himself (which is a nice reminder that sometimes the “you can’t do this alone” rule has exceptions).

Two small notes from my side:

I personally felt it could use a little more rhythm/contrast — it stays emotionally “high” for a long stretch, with that big orchestral intensity, and I wanted a few quieter dips to make the peaks hit harder.

And I’ll admit: at first I misread the relationship (my brain kept trying to turn it into father/son), until it clicked that it’s a couple — and then everything landed.

But overall: beautiful atmosphere, strong emotional core, and a great example of how a familiar theme becomes fresh when the setup is specific and honest.
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​🎞️ Credits

Director: Luke Angus

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The Job Fair

• ​3D Animator - La Tête Dans les Nuages
  ​MBA Entertainment is the leading French importer and distributor of amusement park attractions and arcade games, with over 1,000 partners in France. As part of the development and structuring of its network of family leisure centers, including "La Tête dans les Nuages" (Head in the Clouds), MBA is looking to expand its Design Department. Joining the Design Department and reporting to the Director of Design, Projects & Creation, you will primarily work on animation and animated sequences for our immersive and entertaining projects. This position requires excellent proficiency in 3D tools, particularly Blender or Maya, a strong aesthetic sense, meticulous attention to detail, and solid communication and teamwork skills.
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• ​3D Animator - Scorpion​
  As an Associate Animator on our Studios team, you will support the production of short-form video and motion graphics across client advertising and branded content. Your focus will be on executing assigned animation and editing tasks under close supervision, while building technical skill, speed, and creative confidence. You’ll work alongside experienced creatives and receive hands-on guidance as you grow your craft and learn the rhythm of high-volume, fast-turnaround production.
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• ​Senior Animator - Pixaera​
  At Pixaera, we’re a passionate team of builders who are dedicated to delivering solutions that empower people. Today, we’re leveraging Ai and gamification to build a vertical platform that is centered around improving the safety readiness of frontline workers in any high risk industry. If you are a doer who thrives in a dynamic, mission-focused environment, join us!

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The Random Stuff

This week is basically a YouTube recommendations special Three videos I loved and want you to see.​
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🧊 The Greenland Wall (Alex Honnold’s Arctic Ascent)

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If you want something genuinely epic on YouTube, go check out Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold — he and the team attempt a massive 4,000-foot sea cliff in Greenland (way taller than El Cap), and the whole thing doubles as a climate/science expedition with glaciologists in the field. It’s equal parts “how is this even real” and “oh… this is what’s happening to the planet.”

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🎥 Inside the MKBHD Machine (A Year in the Life)

I have a soft spot for the whole MKBHD universe — the vibe, the crew, the studio energy… it just feels like a bunch of talented, funny, genuinely creative people doing great work. And they just dropped a feature-length behind-the-scenes film: “A Year in The Life at MKBHD” (about 1h 29m).

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It’s basically a full year inside one of the biggest YouTube operations in the world — the kind of peek that makes you go: “yep… I would absolutely love to work in a place like this.” 😄

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🎸 Tone for Days (Antoine Boyer via Rick Beato)

I discovered this French guitarist, Antoine Boyer, through a Rick Beato interview… and then I fell straight into the rabbit hole. The dude is ridiculous — tone, feeling, touch, musicality… but what really got me is how humble he seems on top of the skill. If you need a “reset your ears” kind of video this week, start here: “Is Antoine Boyer The World’s Greatest Guitarist?”

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And check out his channel 👉 Antoine Boyer​

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Philippe Duvin​
Founder, Animator NOW

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