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Brent gives a quickfire response to the question of what should go on a cinematics demo reel? A decent question. It’s acting, but also requires games engine knowledge! Listen in if you want to move in this direction yourself!

David and Brent get asked what challenges them the most when it comes to animating. This is a great clip if you’d like to hear how even industry pros still get challenged!

A question that gets asked so many times, but honestly, the answer can’t be said enough! And we’ll keep answering this question in as many different ways as we can to help as many different people!

In this episode, David and Brent begin by watching the new Unreal Engine Matrix trailer and try to figure out if any of it is real. This leads to a discussion about aged VFX from the 90's and what it's like now. Towards the end of the episode, they answer questions from chat such as what do they find the most challenging about animation, game cinematic reel tips and advice for industry newbies! You can also check out our Agora Bites clips if you want to listen to a specific question from this episode!Subscribe to our channel on whatever platform you listen on to receive updates when new episodes are posted and don't forget to head on over to agora.community and sign up for access to more free resources, animation reviews, and content. Thanks for listening!

John talks about his personal experience of how much he hated receiving notes on his work, and the mindset that helped him start to overcome it.

In this clip, John talks about audience screenings and gives his opinion on if he thinks they benefit a movie, or not.

John tells a story on how story ideas were pitched on when making Luca, with a story about how an artist didn't do what he was told to do, but created his own story idea to great success!

There are certain hallmarks in a story that need to stay. John talks about his experiences on Luca and how important it is to at times protect your story at all costs!

John answers a question on how big studios deal with any clash between departments to get everyone on the same path.

In this clip, John talks about what it can take to stay motivated and make it through the long process of making a film.

John had such a diverse career that has lead him to this amazing piece of advice. Listen to this little nugget of motivation if you are feeling like your career is coming to a stand still.

In this clip, John talks about why you should start recognizing people who could one day become a very valuable mentor.

Seen Luca yet? Our next conversation is with John Hoffmann, he's just finished working as story supervisor on the film. He has also put in some of his career working with Fox and with the legendary Don Bluth! In this conversation, David and Brent sit down and have a chat with John about the transition from Fox to Pixar, working with Don Bluth, and also his views about the future of the industry.If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here:https://youtu.be/6wW-6J8afHQAlso, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

We had a question from a member about how do you explain that a career in animation is a viable career path to people, like parents for example, who might not think that it is?

In this episode of our Q & A sessions, David and Brent answer a question about studios lying on their websites to attract potential employees, valuable skills for a gaming animator, should you wait until your reel is ready to get out there and more.You can also check out our Agora Bites clips if you want to listen to a specific question from this episode!Subscribe to our channel on whatever platform you listen on to receive updates when new episodes are posted and don't forget to head on over to agora.community and sign up for access to more free resources, animation reviews, and content. Thanks for listening!

One of our community members had been applying to a company that said they allowed part time work and ability to study during work hours, yet weren’t interested in giving this member a job due to their study schedule. Is the studio lying? David and Brent give their best advice.

We all want to have the most polished, professional-looking demo reel to present to studios. But is it really that necessary? You may be a lot closer to starting your career in animation than you think!

David gives Brent 2 minutes to answer this question about valuable skills you should have if you want to get into game animation! If you want to know the quick answer, listen to this!

In our conversation, Troy talked about the job of a board artist, and in this clip, he talks about what makes a good board artist.

Troy talks about the role of the director. A great clip to listen to if you are an aspiring director yourself!

Troy didn’t start as a great board artist, in fact his very first pitch could have gotten him fired. In this clip, he talks about what you need to pitch your ideas as a board artist.

Troy gets asked what he looks for on a junior’s reel, and how can a junior raise the bar and rise above the rest.

Sometimes the shot or sequence that you love so much could be what’s holding the film back. When talking to Troy, he talks about his own experiences which may help you deal with letting go of something for the greater good.

If you’ve been thinking of becoming a board artist, Troy Quane gets into what it means to be a storyboard artist.

Our next guest on our ‘A Conversation With’ series is Troy Quane. Troy’s career has spanned over 25 years starting as a 2D animator at Disney Canada through to spending a majority of his career as a story artist from television to hit films such as Hotel Transylvania and Arthur Christmas until his most recent role as co-director on Blue Sky’s ‘Spies In Disguise’.If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here:https://agora.community/content/a-conversation-with-troy-quaneAlso, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

Troy Quane has directed some great films and has picked up some tips along the way to impart with animators on how what they should do to contrinute to the vision of the film.

One of our members in chat had a big question about being super excited about starting a new shot, but never does because when they start thinking about all the work that needs to go into it, the critiques and feedback, they just can’t get motivated to start! Some good advice in this clip if this happens to you!

Studios try and create a friendly, family like atmosphere. But when you’re on a contract and it doesn’t get renewed, can a studio every really be considered “family”? A great question from one of our viewers!

We’ve heard the rumors that studios will blacklist artists, but should this happen the other way around? Should artists blacklist studios that may not have the best working conditions, or feel as though they have done them wrong?

In this clip from our Q&A David and Brent were asked how to get rid of the pose to pose feeling in your animation. Some nice little tips for anyone looking to make their animation feel more natural and less mechanical.

We had a huge question in this Q&A where a studio still owed an artist money for the work they performed. And while they are by no means lawyers, David and Brent try and give their best advice.

In this episode of our Q & A sessions, David and Brent answer if you should blacklist a studio, the different styles of animation and can work ever be considered a "family".You can also check out our Agora Bites clips if you want to listen to a specific question from this episode!Subscribe to our channel on whatever platform you listen on to receive updates when new episodes are posted and don't forget to head on over to agora.community and sign up for access to more free resources, animation reviews, and content. Thanks for listening!

David has read an article that the co-founders of Fortiche are all artists themselves and how that has an impact. Alexis gives his thoughts about the differences between studios that want to create something awesome vs. will this make money?

In this short clip, Davis asks Alexis if he ever had to take a shot from one artist and give it to someone else to finish. This is a great clip to listen to for how Alexis thinks a supervisor should help their team.

In this clip, Alexis talks about stylistic whiplash from having to change animation styles so quickly and his own personal journey.

During our chat with Alexis so many people wanted to know if Fortiche was hiring for season 2 of Arcane. This lead to the question of do you have any tips for when it’s time to get interviewed?

Surely we've all seen Arcane by now? No? Ok, go watch it and then come back. This week we had on the show Alexis Wanneroy, Lead Animator for the series.Alexis spoke about his experience in creating one of the most talked-about animated shows of our time, and answered questions from the live chat!If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here:https://agora.community/content/a-conversation-with-richard-licoAlso, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

Alexis has worked in two completely different cultures. In this clip, he talks about the differences he found between working in France and the States.

Alexis shares his advice on what would make a good demo reel for anyone wanting to get into the industry, and what he would look for if he was going to hire you for one of his shows.

One of our followers has been learning animation for 4 years, and still feels they aren’t good enough to get a job. They ask us if anyone can learn animation, or is it just for talented people. Davis and Brent give their best advice.

It’s super important to grab the attention of someone in the first few seconds of your demo reel. Find out how some studios watch your reel so that you may be able to cater it to what they’re going to see.

One of our chat participants was in the middle of working on an 8 second shot, and only had a day and a half to complete it. Is this possible? And how much quality would they need to sacrifice? David and Brent give their best tips on getting through such a fast-paced quota.

It’s so easy to get caught up in work mode. Especially if you’re passionate about what you do. But, how do you allocate time to relax and enjoy life? David and Brent are no strangers to the grind and share what they do to carve out time for enjoying life.

In this episode of our Q & A sessions, David and Brent discuss one of our follower's success stories using the advice of Manny Fragelus and answer questions such as how to animate a big shot in a short amount of time while maintaining quality, how to allocate time to make sure you're enjoying life, how recruiters watch demo reels, and more!You can also check out our Agora Bites clips if you want to listen to a specific question from this episode!Subscribe to our channel on whatever platform you listen on to receive updates when new episodes are posted and don't forget to head on over to agora.community and sign up for access to more free resources, animation reviews, and content. Thanks for listening!

Is creating something while inside VR a thing? It sure is and Brent and Richard discuss what happening with creating content in VR.

We get asked the question a lot if Game Animators should be gamers, and in this clip you’ll find out just exactly why we always say “YES!”

Ok, now that you how Richard found his method, listen to a quick rundown on what exactly it is. If you’d like to learn it for yourself, you can head on over to animationsherpa.net to sign up to Richard’s course.

Creating detailed, amazing game animation can cause a lot of heartaches. Want to know why? Listen to this clip!

Two-time Annie nominated, and DICE nominated Director, Animator, and Game Developer for his work on Moss. Richard Lico has 20 Years of experience directing & animating over 12 shipped titles. From Halo: Reach, to Destiny 2, to Moss. If you've played games recently, you've likely encountered his work. His core strength lies in his ability to mix emotionally resonant characters with fluid gameplay.Richard helped create two of gaming's most influential IPs, Moss and Destiny. As the original animator for both franchises, it was Richard who defined the animation style, animation tone, animation tech, and characters. He has a proven track record for creating new worlds and filling them with fluid, appealing, interactive life.Richard's signature animation style is well known. His unique animation workflow concepts and approach to character direction have been the subjects of his highly rated lectures at venues such as the Game Developers Conference, Siggraph, Montreal International Game Summit, and more. This workflow is also the subject of his online school, Animation Sherpa.During this talk, we'll go over his prolific career as a gameplay animator, how personal circumstances influenced his workflow, the technique he developed and taught to his students over time, the creation of Animation Sherpa, and his ambitions for the future. If you'd like to watch this episode you can find it here:https://agora.community/content/a-conversation-with-richard-licoAlso, check out Agora.Community for daily content, free rigs, and assets, and order an animation review from one of our industry experts:https://www.agora.communityThanks for listening!

We’ve only just scratched the surface on creating VR experiences and there’s still so much potential. Listen to this clip and it may just inspire you to create a VR experience that is truly immersive like no other experience has been!