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Issue #84 | February 01st, 2026

Hey Reader 👋
​​
I wasn’t sure I should start with this.

You know when you’re building in public — sharing your work, your journey, your process — there’s this ongoing question: how much is too much?

Where’s the line between being authentic and oversharing?Where does truth become burden?
​
I’ve been thinking about this a lot.
Especially lately.

Because here’s something I rarely talk about:

I’ve been a musician most of my life. I’ve played guitar for over 40 years. It’s part of me.

But I never pursued it seriously.
I never gave my life to it.

Instead, I chose visual storytelling — 3D, Photoshop, directing, animation.

And while I love this path deeply, there are nights when I wonder if I betrayed something in myself. Not out of regret, but a quiet ache.

Last night, I lay in the dark next to my sleeping toddler, listening to a playlist I made for him.

Bon Iver. Coldplay. “Re:Stacks” came on.
And I cried.
Not because I was sad.

But because music — the way it moves me, the way it unravels me — still feels like a language I abandoned too soon.

Sometimes, I feel like Salieri in Amadeus, watching another version of myself — the one who followed the music — from a distance.

I wonder if I’ll ever get back to it.
Not for the career. Not for anyone else.
Just to sit with a guitar, or a piano, and feel the chords again.

For now, I keep that door slightly open.
Maybe one day, I’ll walk through it again. 🎶
​
Anyway — thanks for letting me share this.

Now, let’s get into this week’s issue👇
Thanks for being here, as always. 🥰

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The Spotlight

This one… this one hit deep.
​
​Papillon, directed by the incredible Florence Miailhe, is now officially nominated for the 2026 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film — and if you’ve seen it, you know exactly why.

Originally released in December as JFI’s final monthly short, Papillon tells the haunting, true story of Alfred Nakache, a Jewish French swimmer who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, held in the shadow of Nazi Germany.

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But this is not just a biopic.
It’s a memory — fluid, emotional, and deeply human.

We follow Nakache’s life through the lens of water: from the playful pools of childhood to the Olympic stadium, from North Africa to the Mediterranean, and from concentration camps to the dreamlike beaches of Réunion.

It’s a journey of both trauma and transcendence. And every moment is painted.

Literally.

Florence Miailhe — known for her signature technique — animates using actual paint on glass, crafting each frame with brushes and pigment. There are no cuts, no hard edits. Scenes melt into each other with stunning transitions, like watercolor dreams. It’s like watching the past wash over you.

The technique reminded me of sand animation, but here the medium is heavier, more tactile — and somehow even more emotional. You can almost see the artist’s hand, brushing away one frame to make space for the next. It’s raw. Vulnerable. Alive.

And the world is noticing.

Earlier this year, Papillon was nominated for a César (the French Academy Award), a Cristal at Annecy, and won Best Animated Film at the Grand Prix in Stuttgart.

Now it’s Oscar-bound — and I truly hope it goes all the way.
Because this film doesn’t just tell a story.
It honors one.
​
Florence — if you’re reading — thank you. And congratulations.​
​​
🎞️ Credits – Papillon

Directed by: Florence Miailhe
​Written by: Florence Miailhe & Marie Desplechin
​Animation Technique: Paint-on-glass
​Produced by: Les Films de l’Arlequin (France), Balance Film (Germany), Maur Film (Czech Republic)
​Voice of Alfred Nakache: Swann Arlaud
​Original Music: Clément Ducol
​Sound Design: Olivier Hespel
​Editing: Hervé Guichard
​Art Direction: Florence Miailhe

🏆 Nominated for Best Animated Short Film – 2026 Academy Awards
​🏆 Winner – Grand Prix, Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film
​🏆 Nominated – César Award (France)
​🏆 Nominated – Cristal for a Short Film, Annecy

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The Job Fair

• ​3D Animator - Shiloh & Bros
  ​Shiloh & Bros is looking for a talented Freelance 3D Character Animator to help bring our wildest ideas to life! As a channel rooted in imagination and family fun, we often incorporate visual effects and animated characters into our skits and gaming content.We need an animator who understands performance, weight, and timing—someone who can make a character not just move, but act.
  ​
• ​Junior 3D Animator - CMS Marketing​
  We’re looking for a creative Junior Animator / Digital Designer to join our team. If you’re passionate about motion, digital design, and bringing ideas to life visually, this could be the perfect opportunity to kick-start or grow your creative career.You’ll work across a variety of exciting projects - creating engaging animations, motion graphics, and digital assets for campaigns, brands, social content, and live environments.
  ​
• ​Lead Animator (Blender) - PlotPointe​
  We are seeking a Lead Animator to support and execute our 3D Blender animation efforts, with a primary focus on YouTube Shorts and other short-form platforms. This is a senior, hands-on role for a highly skilled animator who can translate creative direction into polished, high-quality output at scale. You will report directly to the Director of Animation and act as a creative and technical pillar within the animation pipeline.

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The Random Stuff

📺 Netflix Update
​– I just saw The Climb with Alex Honnold scaling Taipei 101, and wow.
It’s surreal to watch in real time — especially if, like me, you’ve seen Free Solo and already know how mind-bendingly precise this guy is.

​

He says the route wasn’t technically hard… but the exhaustion? Real. And you never know with climbing. There’s no “easy” when you’re 500 meters in the air.
​
Alex is weird, brilliant, and just built different. Totally worth a watch.

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📕 Audiobook + Book
​Started reading American Kingpin — and I’m doing it in double mode: hardcover + audiobook (my favorite combo).

This is the true story of Ross Ulbricht, the 26-year-old who built the Silk Road — the dark web’s billion-dollar black market.

It reads like a thriller: FBI, cybercrime, drugs, libertarian philosophy. You’d think it’s fiction… but nope. Real life. Totally addictive.

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🤑 Money Hack
​I’ve been using a platform called Split for the past few years, and I swear by it.

Basically, it lets you share your streaming subscriptions (or join someone else’s) and split the cost.

No weirdness, no friction — I’ve saved over €3,000 since I started. Right now I’m sharing my Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube Premium.

Seriously, don’t pay full price. You’re not a villain — you’re just being smart.

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Philippe Duvin​
Founder, Animator NOW

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