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Welcome to Agora.Community. “What exactly is Agora.Community?”, you might ask. In a nutshell, it's a free to join online community for artists in the animation industry of all skill levels, and this website serves as its learning hub. Here at Agora.Community, we believe that to get good at anything you need to follow this basic three step recipe.

Learn, create, iterate. This website will facilitate each step of this recipe. Our free library, for instance, consists of both a curated collection of animation learning material from many different places on the internet, and even some of our very own homegrown content, including conversations with industry pros and Learning Paths.

Meanwhile, on our asset page, you can pick from a growing number of free to use professional level animation rigs and props. Then lastly, the most important. We have a panel of industry professionals, our experts, that are here at your disposal when you're ready to get some feedback on your work.

Learn, create, iterate. Rinse and repeat.

So whether you're just starting out or you're just trying to brush up on your skills, we are happy you found us.
Welcome to the community.

Sincerely,
The Agora Family

Review options

We are offering multiple review options. Here’s all you need to know to choose the review adapted to your specific needs.

Public

Public reviews will be automatically included in our library of content available to all users. Be advised that once you agree to make your review public, it will not be possible to make it private afterwards, although we will consider special circumstances.

Private

Private reviews will only show up in your own private page, no one else will have access to it.

Regular review

Around 15 minutes, those are great to receive general feedback on your animation and a few precise actionable suggestions to improve the quality of your animation overall.

Long review

Around 30 minutes, this format allows in-depth analysis and detailed feedback, while providing the opportunity to explore and discuss various ideas that will benefit your animation.

Pricing

Login to see the pricing for affordable personal reviews by our veteran Agora.Community team members.

Can I provide suggestions for new content to be included in the library?

Of course! Our goal is to build a vast library of educational content over time and your suggestions are more than welcome. Click on the Contact Us button and let us know which kind of content you would like to watch; interviews, tutorials, workshop... wathever! We will consider each suggestion and establish priorities according to the feedback we receive.

How can I order a review

Simply click on the Order a review button in the menu and follow the instructions. You need to register if you don't have an account already. We support linkedin and email registration.

What kind of work can be reviewed?

We will expand to various art forms and expertise over time, but at the moment we are only providing cg character animation reviews. Any type of animation at various stages of production can be reviewed. We are also open to not only provide reviews, but support and guidance if needed. Make sure to clearly indicate what feedback you are looking for when you submit the material to be reviewed during the ordering process.

Which reviewer should I choose?

We advise to choose the reviewer that has professional experience with the type of animation you are presenting. They are all experienced professional animators and educators, but if you are looking for quadruped locomotion feedback, it is advised to ask feedback from an animator with lots of VFX and professional quadruped experience. This is the reason we have instructors with varied animation background and are showcasing their personal animation showreel.

What's the price for a review?

The pricing of our different review format is indicated during the ordering process. In short, pre-recorded reviews are more affordable than live reviews, public reviews are more affordable then private reviews and normal 15 minutes reviews are more affordable then long 30 minutes reviews. This provides 6 combinations to fit your specific needs and budget.

What's the difference between a normal and long review?

Normal reviews last around 15 minutes. Those are great to get general feedback on your animation and a few precise actionable suggestions to improve the quality of your animation overall. Long reviews are 30 minutes long. This format allows in depth analysis and detailed feedback, while providing the opportunity to explore and discuss various ideas that will benefit your animation.

What's the difference between a private and public review?

Private reviews will only show up in your own private page, no one else will have access to it. Public reviews that are slightly cheaper will be included in our library of content and will be available to all users. Be advised that once you agree to make your review public, it will not be possible to make it private afterwards, although we will consider it for special circumstances.

Can I have the same work reviewed more than once?

Yes, and perhaps this is the best way to benefit from this service. Getting feedback early in your workflow helps with general character performance choices, feedback on your blocking pass ensures strong posing and timing while feedback at the later stage of animation helps to achieve high quality polishing. Getting those multiple feedback from the same reviewer will definitely increase efficiency.

How long until I receive my review?

It depends on the number of reviews each reviewer can provide on a weekly basis and the number of reviews already in their backlog. During the order process, we indicate the time expected before receiving a review from each instructor.

Can I schedule a review in advance before I have the playblast?

We are planning to provide this option eventually, but at the moment, you need to submit the material to be reviewed during the ordering process.

Can I send an updated version of my work if it has not been reviewed yet?

This is another feature that will be implemented eventually, but for now we do not provide the opportunity to update the material provided for review once the order is placed.

How long will I have access to the review after I receive it?

Forever! That review is yours to keep. If you had chosen to make your review public, it will also remain in our library of reviews accessible to all users.

How will I receive my review?

You will receive a notification by email when your review is ready with a direct link to access it.

Version: 0.0.2

Agora Community

Terms of Use

Last update: 2023-11-14

Welcome to the Agora Community (hereinafter referred to as the “Agora Community”) operated by Agora VFX Inc. (hereinafter “Agora” or “we”).

By using the Agora Community, you accept to be bound by these Terms of Use.

If you do not accept these Terms of Use, you must immediately stop using the Agora Community.

1. The Agora Community

Access and use of the Agora Community by automated means, such as bots or crawlers, is prohibited except as provided in a written agreement between you and Agora.

We make no warranty as to the constant availability of the Agora Community, in whole or in part, and we reserve the right to interrupt access to the Agora Community for the general public or for one or several users for any period of time, at our sole discretion.

2. Agora Community Account

You must provide accurate, current and complete information during the creation or activation process of your Agora Community Account and keep your information up to date.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of your Agora Community Account credentials and may not disclose your credentials to anyone. You must immediately notify us if you know or have any reason to suspect that your credentials have been lost, stolen or otherwise compromised or in case of any actual or suspected unauthorized use of your Agora Community Account. You are liable for any and all activities conducted through your Agora Community Account.

3. Agora Community Content

Content available through the Agora Community, including text, assets, images, drawings, video sequences, audio content, reviews and logos, is our exclusive property or is used under appropriate license or permission from the owners, holders, or licensees of the applicable rights. Other users own some content available on the Agora Community. You may use content available through the Agora Community only as expressly permitted by the rights owners. Use permissions are stated on the page where content is made available. Most content is not available for commercial use.

You agree that you will not copy, use or share content posted by other users of the Agora Community without their permission, where applicable.

You are authorized to share some Agora Community content on social media platforms through sharing features available on the Agora Community.

4. User Content

Some features of the Agora Community allow you to post content, including comments, on the Agora Community that can be made accessible to the public or certain members of the Agora Community (the “User Content”). You are fully responsible for any User Content you post on the Agora Community and must ensure that you have all necessary authorizations to publish such User Content. You represent and warrant to Agora that you are authorized to share your User Content with the public worldwide and to grant us the license described below. You further warrant that your User Content does not infringe on other people’s or organizations’ rights, including intellectual property rights.

By posting User Content on the Agora Community, you retain all proprietary rights in and to your User Content. Still you grant Agora a worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to use, modify, adapt, translate, communicate to the public by telecommunication or otherwise any User Content only to the extent necessary to operate the Agora Community and provide our services to you and other users.

When you post User Content to the Agora Community, you agree that depending on our choices, the general public or other members of the Agora Community may have access to your User Content. Agora does not grant permission to any person to use your User Content other than as necessary to use the Agora Community. Still, Agora does not take responsibility for the actions of the member of the Agora Community or person visiting the Agora Community Website. You agree that you will not make a claim against Agora because a third party is misusing your User Content based on the fact that this third party accessed your User Content through the Agora Community.

We may remove from the Agora Community any User Content posted in violation of these Terms of Use or if deemed inappropriate at our sole discretion. However, we do not systematically approve User Content before it is posted and will not be responsible for User Content.

5. Discord Server

If you choose to access the Agora Community Discord Server, Discord terms and conditions may apply in addition to these Terms of Use.

6. Reviews

This section applies to reviews purchased on the Agora Community (the “Review Service”).

  1. Purpose. The purpose of the Review Service is to provide feedback on your 3D animation materials (a “review”). Agora may publish public review.
  2. Reviews. Pre-recorded reviews are provided within a reasonable time after your order. No refund will be provided under such circumstances.
  3. Order and Payment. Your order is subject to the availability of the Review Service, the availability of the reviewers, and the appropriateness of your Submitted Materials. Agora may cancel your order at its sole discretion, in which case you will be provided a full refund. You authorize Agora and its payment processing contractors to charge your payment card in accordance with your order.
  4. Intellectual Property
    1. License. You hereby grant Agora a fully paid-up, non-exclusive, transferable, sublicensable license (subject to the restrictions set forth hereafter) to use, modify, copy, adapt, translate, distribute, or publish on any medium in any territory any materials you submit to the Service (your “Submitted Materials”).
    2. If you selected a Private Review, the License shall allow Agora to use your Submitted Materials only to the extent necessary to provide you with the Service. Agora shall not be authorized to disclose or publish your Submitted Materials or the result of your review.
    3. If you selected a Public Review, you irrevocably authorize Agora to publish your Submitted Materials and the result of your review on any medium or platform without restrictions, including for promotional purposes, you irrevocably waive, in favor of Agora, any moral rights you may hold in your Submitted Materials, you irrevocably waive any rights to oppose the use of your image or likeness to the extent the same is included in your Submitted Materials or materials created as part of the Service.
    4. Warranty. You warrant that (a) your Submitted Materials are original works and that you are authorized to grant Agora the license set forth herein, (b) your Submitted Materials do not contain any harmful code or content that is illegal in Canada.
  5. License from Agora. Any material provided to you by Agora pursuant to the Review Service is subject to intellectual property rights which are reserved by Agora. Agora grants you a license to use such materials for your own personal or professional use. You may share such materials privately, but you may not publish the results of your review without Agora’s prior consent. If you selected a Private Review, the results of your review are licensed to you on an exclusive basis.

7. Personal Data

We may collect personal data through the Agora Community. To use the Agora Community, you must consent to the collection, processing, and disclosure of your personal data under our Privacy Policy. By accepting these Terms of Use, you declare that you have read our Privacy Policy and that you give us your consent.

Under certain circumstances, the collection and processing of personal data is subject to your specific consent, which may be withdrawn at any time, as provided in our policy.

8. Users’ Feedback

If you choose to contact us about improvements to the Agora Community or to our services (such communications being hereinafter designated as “Feedback”), you authorize us to use your Feedback without restrictions. You warrant that your Feedback contains no information that is confidential or proprietary to third parties. You acknowledge that (i) we have no expressed or implied obligation of confidentiality with respect to your Feedback; (ii) we are authorized to use or disclose (or choose not to use or disclose) your Feedback for any purpose whatsoever, in any way, on any medium, anywhere in the world; (iii) we may already have considered or be in the process of developing elements identical or similar to those mentioned in your Feedback; and (iv) you will not be compensated in any way with regards to our use of your Feedback.

9. Prohibited Use

You may not use the Agora Community for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Terms of Use.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you are prohibited from, among other things, making any use of the Agora Community or allowing any third party to make any use of the Agora Community that:

  1. violates these Terms of Use;
  2. violates applicable laws or regulations;
  3. involves copying, using, or distributing any content available through the Agora Community without permission from the intellectual property rights holders;
  4. disseminates or promotes the dissemination of pornographic content;
  5. harasses or advocates harassment of another person;
  6. involves transmitting unwanted junk mail or mass emails (spam);
  7. involves disseminating any malicious computer code, virus, Trojan horse, worm, harmful code, shutdown mechanism, or similar mechanism;
  8. encourages illegal activities or conduct;
  9. solicits passwords or personally identifiable information for commercial or illicit purposes from other users;
  10. interferes with or disrupts the functionality of any website or any server or network involved in the operation of the Agora Community;
  11. systematically collects or 'harvests' the names or other information about other users of the Agora Community;

10. Disclaimer of Warranty

Your use of the Agora Community and the services offered through it is entirely at your own risk. The Agora Community and the services offered through it are provided 'as is' and, to the extent permitted by law, without warranty of any kind, whether express or implied.

We do not warrant that access to the Agora Community and the services offered by or through it will be uninterrupted or secure or that the content available through the Agora Community will be error-free, accurate, complete, or current. We do not warrant the results obtained from the use of the website or the Agora Community or the accuracy or reliability of any information obtained through the website.

We do not warrant that material downloaded through the Agora Community is free of viruses or other destructive code that may damage or contaminate your computer equipment or other property. We will not be liable for any damage to your computer system or loss of data that may result from the download of any data or materials from the Agora Community.

11. Limitation of Liability

[Not applicable to consumers in the Province of Quebec]

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree that Agora will not be liable or responsible for any damages or injury of any kind that you may suffer in connection with your use of the Agora Community or as a result of your inability to use the Agora Community unless such damage is directly caused by Agora gross negligence or intentional action.

This limitation of liability includes, but is not limited to, loss of profits, loss of opportunity, property damage, equipment failure, disclosure of confidential information, penalties, fines, and expenses that may be incurred or suffered by any user of the Agora Community as a result of their use of the Agora Community.

12. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Agora, its affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, employees, agents, and licensors from and against any and all damages, claims, liabilities, losses, expenses, claims, fines, penalties, costs, and liabilities, including reasonable legal fees and expenses, arising out of:

  1. Of any alleged violation by you of these Terms of Use.
  2. Any allegation that your User Content is infringing on the intellectual property rights of any person.
  3. Your unauthorized use of any content available on the Agora Community.

13. Governing Law

These Terms of Use shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Quebec and the laws of Canada applicable therein. They shall be interpreted in accordance with these laws.

[Not applicable to consumers in the Province of Quebec]

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising from these Terms of Use or your use of the Agora Community and the services provided thereby shall be exclusively adjudicated by a competent court of the Province of Quebec, sitting in the judicial district of Montreal, thereby excluding any other forum in any jurisdiction. You waive any right, if any, to claim that the jurisdiction mentioned above is not appropriate, including under the doctrine of forum non conveniens.

14. Severability

If a provision of these terms of use is, for any reason, found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, such invalidity, illegality, or impossibility of performance will not impact the other provisions hereof, and these terms of use will be interpreted as if the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been a part of them.

15. Changes to Terms of Use

We may modify these Terms of Use at any time by notifying you upon sign-in. You will need to accept the revised Terms of Use before accessing the Agora Community once the modified Terms of Use are in force.

Version: 0.0.1

Agora Community

Privacy Policy

Last update: 2023-10-23

This policy describes how Agora VFX Inc. ('we' or “Agora”) collects, processes, uses and shares personal information and personal data about members of the Agora Community ('the Agora Community' or “the Website”). The use of the second person ('you', 'your', 'yours') refers to a member of the Agora Community.

In this policy, the term personal data or personal information refers to information about an identifiable individual.

1. Summary

  • Data Collection: Agora collects user data including, but not limited to account details, user activity, and analytics metrics.
  • Purpose of Data Use: Data is used for user identification, responding to requests, operating the community, processing payments via third parties like Stripe & Paypal, and improving the platform through analytics.
  • Data Storage & Security: Your personal information is stored electronically and safeguarded with robust security measures to protect against unauthorized access.
  • Security Measures: Agora employs security protocols to protect data, complies with payment card industry standards, and controls access through a role and permission management system.
  • User Rights: Users have the right to access, correct, or delete their data. They can also object to data processing and have the option to withdraw or modify consent.

2. What data do we collect?

2.1. Data collected through the Agora

We collect the following data about customers using the Agora Community.

Data category Purpose of use
  • Name;
  • Email address;
  • Username;
  • Address (only if using payment and paying in CAD)
  • Last IP
  • Timezone (returned by the browser)
  • LinkedIn is connected using this provider
User identification and authentication.
The content of communications transmitted by users Respond to your requests.
User Content Operate the Agora Community.
Payment Card information We use payment card information to process payments through a third-party provider (Stripe & Paypal).
Analytics data which may include:
  • The operating system of your device;
  • The language of your device;
  • The IP address from which your device accesses the Agora Community;
  • Browsing and clickthrough data such as the number of connections to the Agora Community, the duration of a session, the date of connections to the Agora Community, the functions used;
  • The web page from which you accessed the Agora Community;
We use analytics data to improve the Agora Community, for example, by determining which features are used more often or what type of content is preferred by the Agora Community members. We do not use analytics data to monitor individual members of the Agora Community. We may use analytics data to prevent misuse of the Agora Community, to identify problems or bugs with the Agora Community, and to determine what features need to be improved.

2.2. Data from analysis tools

When you access the website, we collect certain data from analysis tools such as Google Analytics. This data is transmitted to us in aggregate form and does not enable us to build individual profiles. You can deactivate Google Analytics on your browser with an add-on available at this address: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. For more information on the processing of personal data by Google Analytics, please consult the Google policies at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

2.2.1. Tracking Technologies

We use browser cookies and other tracking technologies to improve the performance of the Agora Community and to personalize your experience on the Website. Cookies are small files stored on your storage space by the server on which the Website is hosted or by third-party servers that enable the Website to recognize your device when you visit the Website and to personalize the content of the Website. Some cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser, while others are stored indefinitely. You can control the storage of browser cookies from your browser. Some browser cookies are provided by our suppliers, and our suppliers may be able to combine some of the data collected through cookies with other data they hold about you.

3. How do we store your data?

We retain collected personal data until you request that we destroy it or until our business no longer requires us to maintain it. We do not, however, commit to keep personal data for a specific period of time.

Personal data is stored electronically in the United States by our service providers on encrypted databases.

Our service providers process some data through facilities that may be located in other jurisdictions.

We keep personal data as stated below:

Type of data Conservation and deletion
Analytics data collected through the Website We do not keep individualized analytics data. To the extent that individualized data about Website visitors is collected, it is immediately aggregated into anonymous analytics data.
Agora Community Profile We keep data about Agora Community members until they request their profile be removed.

4. How is your data protected?

Your personal data is hosted on servers operated by our service providers and is protected by security measures proportionate to the sensitivity of the data against unauthorized access. Your payment card information is subject to security measures that comply with the standards established by payment card networks.

Our employees and suppliers are informed of the confidential nature of personal data collected through the Agora Community. They are made aware of the appropriate security measures to prevent unauthorized access to personal data. We control access to your personal data through a role and permission management system.

5. Who has access to your data?

We only share your personal data in the manner described in this policy and when we have obtained your consent. Your personal data may be disclosed to the categories of persons depicted below for the following purposes.

5.1. Employees

Personal data is accessible to our officers and employees who must have access to it in order to use the same as outlined in this policy.

5.2. Members of the Agora Community

When you share content on the Agora Community, your profile information will be visible to other members of the Agora Community and the public accessing the Agora Community website.

5.3. Service Providers

We share personal data with service providers that allow us to provide our services more efficiently. We obtain confidentiality undertakings from these service providers with respect to the personal data provided to them. Our suppliers include the businesses listed below:

Supplier Details Useful links
Google, LLC

We use the services of Google Analytics on the Agora Community. We use Google's services in order to analyze usage of the Agora Community and the Website and to personalize our advertising campaigns according to Website traffic.

Google Analytics obtains information about the behavior of visitors to the Website and users of the Agora Community, including through 'cookies', which allow Google to collect information about certain events such as the pages you visit, the length of a session or, the products you view.

The data processed by Google Analytics through the Website allows us to personalize advertising campaigns on the Google advertising network according to these behaviors.

Google Privacy Policy :
https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=fr

Google's use of data from third-party sites :
www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/

Deactivation tool:
https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Hosting Providers

Our data is hosted by one or several hosting provider(s) following industry standard procedures and security measures.

Payment Providers

We use third-party providers to process payments and payment card information. We ensure that such providers have all the required qualifications and certifications to process financial information.

Stripe Privacy Policy:
https://stripe.com/en-ca/privacy

Google's use of data from third-party sites :
https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/privacy-full

Hyvor Talk

A commenting platform.

Privacy Policy:
https://talk.hyvor.com/docs/privacy

Mailgun

Mailgun is an email automation service used to send, receive, and track emails for transactional and communications.

Privacy Policy:
https://www.mailgun.com/legal/privacy-policy/

SyncSketch

Review platform (only if ordering a review)

Privacy Policy:
https://unity.com/legal/developer-privacy-policy

5.4. Sharing Content on Social Media

Our service allows you to share content on various social platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Email, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. When you share content, you may be disclosing information to these platforms, and their respective privacy policies will govern it.

5.5. Legal Obligations

We may also disclose personal data to third parties if expressly permitted or required by law or if we are compelled to do so by a competent authority. We may disclose personal data in connection with legal proceedings if necessary to protect our rights or those of our users.

5.6. Transfer of Business

In the event that the sale or restructuring of all or part of our business is contemplated, we may disclose personal data to the persons or organizations involved before and after the transaction, whether or not the transaction actually takes place. In such a case, these persons or organizations commit to us to maintain the confidentiality of personal data so disclosed and to use the same exclusively for the purpose of assessing the transaction and in accordance with this policy.

6. What are your rights regarding your personal data?

6.1. Access your Data

If you would like access to the personal data we hold about you, or if you would like us to amend any of the personal data we hold about you that is incorrect, you may also send us a written request to the following address: privacy@agora.studio.

Upon written request, we will provide you with additional information about the processing of your personal data as required by applicable law, including the categories of persons who have access to your information and the length of time we retain it to the extent that such information is not already set out in this Policy.

We will respond to your request promptly (within 30 days of receipt).

6.2. Withdrawal of Consent

Settings and preferences within the Agora Community may allow you to withdraw or modify your consent to the collection, processing, and disclosure of your personal data to a certain extent.

If you wish to withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data beyond what is permitted by the Agora Community, please notify us by writing to us at privacy@agora.studio. Using the Website or the Agora Community entails some processing of your personal data. The only way to stop all processing of your personal data is to stop using the Website and the Agora Community.

6.3. Objection

In certain circumstances, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data that we carry out for our legitimate interests. Your rights in this respect depend, among other things, on your place of residence. To object to the processing of your personal data, you can write to us at privacy@agora.studio.

6.4. Deletion

Under certain circumstances, you may request the deletion of the personal information we hold about you when its collection was unauthorized or when the purposes for which it was collected have been fulfilled. To make such a request, please write to us at privacy@agora.studio. We will respond to your request as soon as possible (but no later than 30 days after receipt).

If you continue to use the Website or the Service, we will collect certain information about you again.

6.5. Complaints

If you reside in the European Union, you have the right to file a complaint regarding the processing of your personal data with a supervisory authority responsible for the protection of privacy. This authority varies depending on your country of residence.

Our business is governed by the laws and regulations applicable in Quebec and Canada. It is subject to the jurisdiction of privacy protection authorities in Quebec and Canada. Any complaint or claim based on this policy or on our processing of your personal data should be addressed to the authorities in the province of Quebec or in Canada.

6.6. Identity validation

We may verify the identity of individuals asking to exercise their rights concerning their personal data. Any information collected to perform this verification will not be used for any other purpose.

7. Modifications

We may amend this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our personal information handling and management practices. If a change is made, the new policy will be available through the Service and on our website (this page).

If we have collected your contact information, we will notify you of any material changes to our privacy policy by e-mail before the new policy takes effect.

8. Responsibilities; Complaints

The contact details of the person responsible for processing personal information under this policy are as follows:

Eve Turpin
privacy@agora.studio

The Privacy Officer is responsible for all matters relating to the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

Any complaints regarding the processing of your personal information should be addressed to the Privacy Officer.