Senior Gameplay Animator

We are looking for experienced senior-level gameplay animators to help us continue setting the standard of interactive animation for our latest project. If you are detail-oriented and comfortable in the AAA game space and want to be part of groundbreaking visual quality and tech, you may just be the Dog we’re looking for!

Who we're looking for:

• Ability to create high-quality animation content in Maya and implement them correctly in our Naughty Dog engine
• Concept, collaborate, and prototype ideas through mood boards and investigative animations.
• Craft gameplay animations for a broad range of creatures of varied types to a high standard of realism for the game.
• Help mentor and grow other animators’ abilities
• Serve as a positive role model for the team to follow in demeanor, ability, proactivity, communication, and productivity within the department
• Work with design and engineering to create new exciting, mind-blowing systemic animations
• Be involved with directing motion capture shoots
• Learn and understand how Naughty Dog gameplay systems work
• Be able to work with any system using the most efficient practices
• Ability to use the engine debug tools to solve gameplay problems and work with designers and programmers to find a solution
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

What skills you will use:

• Minimum of 1 shipped AAA game as a Senior Gameplay Animator (or equivalent)
• Minimum of 5 years working in the video games industry
• Produce very high-quality animation.
• Proficient command of weight, timing, and posing through both keyframing and the manipulation of motion capture data
• High comfort level with learning and utilizing animation systems and game engine pipelines
• Strong understanding of creature animation and mechanics.
• A strong grasp of physical motion, weight, balance, texture, and form.
• Experience with prototype/quick iteration environments.
• Efficiency and organization in workflow
• Provide accurate and clear feedback for others
• Passion for opening up the boundaries of interactive character animation
• Ability to plan, setup, and direct motion capture shoots independently and efficiently
• Good general technical knowledge of how games work
• Must be comfortable using a script editor
• Excellent problem-solver/firefighter
• Highly motivated and proactive with a CAN DO attitude
• Inspire teamwork and collaboration across the department
• Proactive communicator within animation and other departments
• Take ownership of assignments and proactively identify new tasks to tackle
• Finish tasks quickly. Is an expert at prioritization and letting others know when priorities must change
• Never finds themselves idle and is always proactively finding useful things to work on to progress the company and team
• Deep knowledge of Maya: layers, time/trax editor, mocap tools
• In engine animation layering knowledge
• Familiar with one of the modern animation systems: Unreal, Morpheme, Unity, etc.

BONUS SKILLS:

• Python knowledge
• C, C#, or C++ knowledge