Sr Gameplay Animator

Join the award-winning team that created God of War

Santa Monica Studio is seeking an experienced Sr Gameplay Animator for the development of an upcoming new title. Do you love collaborating with talented developers to build genre-defining games? Join us as we embark on a new journey!

The Sr Gameplay Animator is an experienced and well-rounded craft expert. They have practical experience of prototyping, developing, and implementing combat, locomotion, and other gameplay animations, can effectively balance aesthetic goals with technical constraints, and have a proven track record of execution from concept to ship.

The Sr Gameplay Animator will work closely with the Animation Director, Animation Leads, Technical Artists, and Designers to deliver visually stunning animation work in support of the creative goals of a large-scale new project.

The ideal candidate has held a Senior role on at least one published title, is equally comfortable with keyframe and motion-capture animation pipelines, has extensive experience in Maya, and has worked with multiple game engines and animation systems. The ideal candidate is passionate about the craft of animation and has a proven ability to combine creativity with technical capability to deliver visually stunning in-game animated experiences.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Animation Director, Animation Leads and the Combat Design Team during the pre-visualization process to develop combat and character navigation 3D pre-vis
• Ideate, implement and iterate on animation assets, balancing the needs of style and function
• Focus on character development, choreography, and timing of each move with the Animation Director and Gameplay Animation Lead
• Collaborate with Combat Designers and Gameplay Programmers to achieve the perfect balance between animation fidelity and gameplay responsiveness, to integrate moves into the game engine, and to monitor and troubleshoot any technical issues that might arise
• Animate keyframed characters, creatures, and props by hand. This includes hand-keyed facial expressions and lip sync as necessary
• Assemble, edit, clean up, and enhance motion capture data shot on stage, including both body and face
• Assemble and prepare navigation, combat, and world interactive move-lists for shooting on the motion capture stage
• Assist with mocap shoots, informing the stage crew of prop needs, checking for continuity and keeping track of editing needs for combat and navigation moves
• Work with the Character Tech Art team to improve character rigs, tools, and workflows
• Give concise and timely feedback to outsourcing teams when needed
• Proactively facilitate requests or information needs regarding any aspect of the animation creation process
• Actively advance skill set and abilities by keeping aware of industry trends and techniques, evaluating competitive products, and learning new software packages and traditional art methods

Requirements

• A strong demo reel that demonstrates expert knowledge of fundamental animation principles and acting skills, and the ability to create a full range of lifelike performances from the subtle to the dramatic and powerful
• Proficient command of weight, timing, and posing through both keyframing and the manipulation of motion capture data
• High level of proficiency in Maya
• High comfort level with learning and utilizing animation systems and game engine pipelines
• Ability to rapidly prototype, iterate, and explore animation style and functionality
• Ability to succeed in a creative, team-oriented environment
• Excellent communication, time-management, and organizational skills
• Ability to reach across multiple disciplines to gather feedback and address cross-functional issues
• Strong mentoring skills, production sensibilities, and the drive and talent needed to produce and implement the highest quality work
• An enthusiasm for practical innovation and the ability to bring new ideas to the table
• B.A. in fine arts or relevant curriculum, or equivalent skillset
• Minimum of 5 years’ industry or related experience
• AAA experience

Preferred Experience

• Experience working with MotionBuilder
• Experience working with proprietary animation engines and toolsets

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