Issue #81 | January 4th, 2026
Hello Reader 👋
I’m back on the West Coast, and it’s that time of year where everyone’s supposed to be on fire.
New year. Fresh start. Big energy. Big resolutions.
And the truth?
I felt super shitty.🥺
Tired. Heavy. Unmotivated. The kind of week where you sit in front of your computer and your brain just… refuses to cooperate. 😵💫
And part of it is simple: I’m juggling two worlds right now.
On one side: Animator NOW, my baby, the thing I care about way too much.
On the other: a huge client project where I have to build a full Unreal pipeline…in about two months and a half.
And here’s the fun part: I didn’t really know Unreal.
So I did what I always end up doing when I’m scared of something:
I dove in head first.
This week was a full deep dive. And for the first time ever, I can genuinely say:
I know what I’m doing in Unreal now.
Not “I installed it and clicked around for 10 minutes” (I’ve done that so many times in the past 😂).
I mean: I can build things. I can break things. I can fix them. I can create weird little scenes just to understand how the world works.
And honestly… Unreal is a beautiful piece of software.
Also: I found the best Unreal tutorial online this week, and I’ll drop it in the random stuff below for anyone who’s curious.
The only downside right now: I’m running it on my M1 Max Mac, which is… not exactly the dream setup. Nanite isn’t working, a few things are buggy, and it’s clearly not the optimal experience.
But it’s enough to learn. Enough to move forward. Enough to get momentum.
And I’ll take momentum over perfect any day. 🙌
Still… even with all that progress, I wasn’t feeling pumped until yesterday (Thursday).
I had my mastermind call, I connected back with my people, and it’s like they plugged me back into electricity. ⚡️
I needed that. I needed their energy to find my way back to Animator NOW.
And now I’m writing this on Friday, with a big smile, because I made a decision that feels really exciting:
I’m not waiting to record the Freelancing for Animators course.
I’m going to run it live, as a 12-week cohort.
Every Thursday, 1h, we go through the full program together — module by module — and you’ll be able to ask questions live, get real feedback, and see the whole thing unfold in real time.
The cool part for me:
I get to build a stronger course, because I’ll get all your questions, your friction points, your “wait… but what about this?” and I can improve everything while I’m teaching it.
The cool part for you:
You don’t have to wait weeks for me to record everything. You get the knowledge right away, live with me, in the room. 🚀
So here’s what’s happening:
- Next week: I’m hosting a free live event where I’ll explain the why behind the course, what’s inside, and exactly how the next 12 weeks will work.
- The week after: we start the cohort.
If you subscribe below, I’ll send you the link to join the free live session next week 👇
And if you decide to jump in after that, you’ll get the founding members price — because you’ll literally be shaping this thing with me from day one. ✨
Alright. That’s where my head is right now. 😊
Now, on to this week’s issue 🌿
The Spotlight
Let’s start the year with something… different. Or should I say: We’re Kind of Different.
This week’s pick isn’t your typical short film. It’s more like a music video? A surreal character reel? A fever dream in the best possible way?
Created by Ben Meinhardt, We’re Kind of Different is short, absurd, and unapologetically weird — and I loved every second of it. It doesn’t aim to tell a deep or emotional story. It doesn’t try to win you over with structure. Instead, it goes full speed into fun. Unfiltered, chaotic, visually loud fun.
The main character? Hilariously odd. The tone? A mash-up of cute and grotesque. And the animation? Oh wow — it’s packed. Every ten seconds, there’s a new gag, a new visual twist, a new moment that makes you go “wait… what did I just watch?” 😂
And did anyone else notice that the doctor character looks a lot like Hayao Miyazaki? I don’t know if it’s intentional, but I couldn’t unsee it. It adds another layer of unexpected charm.
The whole thing feels like a burst of creative energy. Like someone cracked open a sketchbook, added music, and said “what if we just animated every idea that made us laugh?”
And you know what? It works. It really works.
I don’t usually feature this kind of piece in The Animation Sunday — I tend to lean toward emotionally resonant shorts with story-driven arcs. But this one? It’s just too fun to ignore. And in a way, it’s the perfect tone-setter for the new year: bold, bizarre, bursting with life.
🎬 Credits
Director: Ben Meinhardt
The Job Fair
- 3D Animator - AgriAssure
AgriAssure is a compliance technology company building practical tools for businesses operating in regulated agri-food environments. We are hiring a full-time Animator for a six-week production sprint focused on product tutorials and short-form content.
- 3D Animator - Dexterity
Dexterity AI is seeking a creative and technically skilled Digital Animation Artist on a contract basis to support content creation initiatives, including the development of a 3d animated AI-focused video that showcases our technology, brand, and vision. This role is ideal for a designer who blends strong visual storytelling with motion and digital design expertise.
- 3D Animator - BRAVEBooks
We’re looking for a driven, detail-oriented Animator who can execute high-quality animations that align with BRAVE’s storytelling vision and brand standards. This role plays a critical part in producing engaging visual content that inspires, entertains, and reinforces values for kids and families.
The Random Stuff
🔥 Unreal tutorial (the one that finally clicked for me):
I found this incredible Unreal tutorial series by Mohammad Solei and… wow. The pace is perfect, the explanations are super clear, and it’s one of those rare cases where you feel the teacher is actually teaching (not just speed-running menus 😅).
If you’re new to Unreal (or you’ve installed it 12 times like me and bounced every time), this is the kind of resource that can genuinely change everything. I’m dropping his channel link below.
📷 William Faucher is STILL on another planet (cinematography + photogrammetry)
I randomly ended up on the Fab marketplace and, by pure coincidence, I stumbled back onto products from William Faucher (and it instantly sent me back to that “how is this even real?” feeling).
If you’re into Unreal for cinematography, lighting, composition, camera language… this guy is basically a free film school inside YouTube. His photogrammetry stuff is also ridiculously inspiring.
📅 Planning your year like it’s a movie (Jesse Itzler + the Big A** Calendar):
Different vibe, but I loved this one: Jesse Itzler has a video about planning your year as a life thing — adventure, family, couple, experiences — and then letting work fill the gaps (because… it will anyway 😂).
He uses this giant “Big A** Calendar” so you can literally see the whole year at once, and it’s weirdly motivating.
And if you want a super entertaining read from him: Living with a SEAL is still such a fun punch in the face (in a good way).
Philippe Duvin
Founder, Animator NOW
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