Join the award-winning team that created God of War

Santa Monica Studio is seeking a Lead Narrative Animator to join its award-winning Animation team!

In this role you will partner with other Animation Leads, the Animation Director, the Animation Manager, and creative and technical leadership across the studio to define and execute the visual storytelling of an exciting new project. You will work closely with our Story and Design teams to explore creative solutions, establish best practices, and lead an experienced, talented animation team to execute the narrative goals of the project.

Under the guidance of the Animation Director, the Lead Narrative Animator is responsible for individual contributions, planning and oversight for a team of animators, reviews of and feedback on in-progress work, effective cross-discipline collaboration and communication, and upholding the creative and qualitative goals of the Game Director.

The ideal candidate will bring strong creative sensibilities, a thorough understanding of game animation pipelines, and a proven track record of leading experienced animation teams to successfully ship AAA titles.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Animation Director and other Animation Leads to establish and realize the vision for animation at the studio
• Lead and mentor an experienced team of animators, provide guidance and feedback on their work, and uphold the studio’s commitment to high standards
• Unify feedback and creative direction from stakeholders and translate into actionable plans for the team
• Ensure that the animation team’s deliverables are of the highest possible quality, achieve the project’s creative goals, and are technically performant
• Partner with Producers and Leads to define clear targets, prioritize tasks, and guide the project’s execution plans
• Collaborate with engineers and technical artists to identify potential improvements to animation pipelines and processes, and partner with stakeholders across departments to drive progress
• Assist in the planning, preparation, and execution of motion capture performance sessions
• Demonstrate a daily commitment to nurturing a positive and inclusive team culture

Requirements

• 5+ years working in AAA game development with successfully shipped titles
• 2+ years leading animation teams
• Expert understanding of the fundamental tools of visual storytelling via animation, staging, performance, and cinematography
• Experience with both keyframe and motion capture animation techniques
• Strong creative sensibilities and an ability to communicate clear visual goals to colleagues across disciplines and experience levels
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a demonstrated ability to identify issues and manage them to successful resolutions
• Expert in Maya with strong technical capability in animation pipelines

Preferred Experience

• Experience working with MotionBuilder and Shotgrid
• Strong understanding of cinematography
• Experience working with actors and/or motion capture and performance capture
• Familiarity with multiple game engines and pipelines