Issue #76 | November 30th, 2025
Hey Reader 👋
The Week the Vision Got Clearer
This week felt like a soft shift — not loud, not dramatic, but steady and deep.
A few days ago, we welcomed new beta members into the Animator Now community. It’s a small thing on the surface — just a few people joining — but the impact has been huge. More feedback, more honest answers, more shared hopes. That form you filled out? I’ve been reading every single one. And one word keeps showing up like a quiet drumbeat beneath it all:
Freelancing.
Over and over, you’ve told me — if the studio door doesn’t open, freelancing feels like the next move. And honestly, I get it. Freelancing is freedom. It’s not always easy. But when it works, it works so beautifully. You’re not waiting for permission. You’re creating your own rhythm.
That realization hit me during a beautiful conversation with a friend in my mastermind. We were reflecting on where this community is headed, and it became crystal clear: freelancing is where we begin.
I’ve been freelancing for 25 years. I signed my 100th client just last week. And for most of that time, I never once thought my experience could be this valuable to others. But now I see it. All those mistakes, all those weird client calls, and wonky invoices — they’ve taught me things I wish someone had told me years ago.
So I’m finally building the course that’s been long overdue: Freelancing for Animators.
It’s not just about invoices and proposals (though yes, we’ll have templates). It’s about mindset, negotiation, client relationships, and how to bounce back when it gets tough. Because it will get tough. But you won’t be alone.
I’m starting the recording next week. It’s going to be raw, real, and hopefully super useful. If this sounds like something you’d want to explore, the interest form is still open — I’d love your input.
In the meantime, a couple updates:
- I’ve just finished a live workshop on animating a vanilla walk. You can check out the results below:
- We’re simplifying things in the community: one clean membership tier, a friendlier price, and an upcoming full redesign of the Animator Now website to reflect where we are now — and where we’re going.
Got 30 seconds?
I’d really love to hear your thoughts — your feedback means a lot.
👉 Click here to answer the 30-second form
Oh and don't forget to check out my vlogs on the Animator NOW Youtube Channel. Here's the latest vlog below 👇
Now let’s get into this week’s issue 👇
The Spotlight
I’ve been doing CG for 30 years now — maybe more. And every now and then, something lands in front of you that just stops you in your tracks. Not because it’s flashy or loud, but because it’s true.
For a long time, Pixar films were that for me. Then, every once in a while, I’d stumble across an indie gem. But it doesn’t happen often. Since I started this newsletter — and we’re somewhere around 75 short films in — maybe ten have really stuck with me. The kind I know I’ll remember. The kind that change something in you.
Today, I found another one.
One that’s probably going in my top five.
The Windshield Wiper by Alberto Mielgo
It won the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 2022, so it’s not exactly obscure — but somehow, I’d never seen it until now. And I’m still trying to process how I missed it. I just finished watching it, and I’m writing this right in that vulnerable space — where your heart’s still full and your head is spinning.
It’s 15 minutes long, and at first, I wasn’t sure.
The style leans very close to live action — realistic camera work, naturalistic lighting, even the pacing feels cinematic. It made me think, Why not just shoot this as a live action film? Why go through the effort of animating it?
And then, it clicked.
This is a choral piece.
Multiple stories, woven together by a single question: What is love?
And suddenly, the CG choice made perfect sense. It’s not just mimicry — it’s a deliberate use of the medium. There are moments in this film that could never exist in live action. Text messages on a satellite. A surreal Tinder session between two people sitting side by side. A long, wordless gaze between a couple on a beach that feels like it lasts forever — and somehow, you wish it did.
It reminded me of Terrence Malick. That sense of poetic searching. The film isn’t trying to answer the question. It’s inviting you to sit with it. To feel it. In strangers. In couples. In loneliness. In connection. Across cultures and moments and technologies. It’s wide, and deep, and intimate all at once.
Visually, it’s jaw-dropping.
The rendering, the lighting, the compositions… there were moments I genuinely wasn’t sure if I was looking at CG or heavily treated live footage. But more than technique, it’s the emotion that hits. These characters — made of polygons and paint — feel more alive than most live actors.
And that’s the magic here.
This is a film that uses every cinematic tool — editing, timing, framing, sound — and pours it into animation without compromise. It doesn’t try to be “animation.” It just tries to be cinema. And it succeeds. Hugely.
It sits now, for me, next to films like Father and Daughter, Negative Space, and Peripheria. Films I return to again and again because they hold something rare. A kind of truth.
The Windshield Wiper is one of those.
It’s a quiet masterpiece.
And it proves — once again — that this medium can carry anything, if the vision behind it is clear enough.
Go watch it. Really.
It might just change how you think about what CG can be.
CREDITS:
Director: Alberto Mielgo
Writer: Alberto Mielgo
Editor: Alberto Mielgo
Music: Alberto Mielgo (with contributions from collaborators)
Producer: Alberto Mielgo & Leo Sanchez
Production Companies: Pastel, Leo Sanchez Studio, Pinkman.TV, Many Enterprises
The Job Fair
- 2D Animator - ataraxyBSC
We’re creating a language-independent instructional animation that visually guides global vabsRider users through the three key seat adjustment steps: Height (H), Translation (T), Rotation (R). The goal is to provide a clear, intuitive guide using only on-screen graphics and minimal text — no voiceover.
- Remote 3D Animator - Bombillo Amarillo
The selected candidate will work freelance, collaborating with our creative team on the development of high-quality animated sequences.
- Freelance Animator - StudentVenture
StudentVenture is a platform dedicated to bridging the gap between university and industry. We help employers discover emerging talent through rich student profiles that go far beyond the traditional CV - showcasing portfolios, projects, video introductions, and real capabilities. Our platform also hosts events, projects, and collaborations that connect students with real industry opportunities.
The Random Stuff
• 📌 New favorite tool: Raindrop.io
I’ve been deep in research mode lately — looking for the best gear and furniture to build out the new studio. YouTube videos, articles, product pages… it was getting messy. Bookmarks weren’t cutting it.
Enter Raindrop.io — a sleek little bookmark manager with folders, subfolders, tags, and even a Mac app + Chrome extension. Super smooth, free to use, and surprisingly satisfying.
• 🧠 Trying out Blinkist for book notes
I love reading. But sometimes, when I try to share a book with someone, I realize I’m missing some of the key points. I can explain it — but it’s always nicer to have a few notes or a summary to help organize the main ideas, especially when it’s a really rich read.
I just started using Blinkist, an app that gives you short, 10–15 min text or audio summaries of nonfiction books. Not a replacement, but a great memory tool. I’ll report back once I’ve used it more.
• 📺 Netflix break: The Beast in Me
Currently watching The Beast in Me on Netflix — starring Claire Danes and the always-stellar Matthew Rhys (you might remember him from The Americans). Claire Danes brings her usual intensity (read: crying and emotional breakdowns), but the show is great.
It’s a slow-burn thriller about a famous author caught in a mind game with a possibly murderous neighbor. Plus, Jonathan Banks from Breaking Bad plays Rhys’ father. Solid cast. Good vibes (and by vibes, I mean unsettling suspense).
• 🧱 Found: A Lego design app!
I’ve always wanted to build a few custom Lego pieces for the new studio. Turns out, there’s an actual Lego app for that!
It’s called Bricklink Studio, and it’s like a little 3D software — you can build, render, and even order the exact pieces you designed. Haven’t had time to dive in yet, but it’s installed on my mac and ready to fire whenever I'll have an hour to kill.😊
Philippe Duvin
Founder, Animator NOW
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