Cinematic Designer/Artist (Contract)

This is a mid-level, 3-month fixed-term contract role open to candidates with industry or marketing experience. The position is fully remote, with regular virtual meetings via Google Meets and Slack.

About the role

We are seeking a creative and independent Cinematic Artist to work as part of our Stronghold 4 team, handling the creation and implementation of in-game cinematic content. You will assist in bringing the cinematic campaign content to life with exciting in-game cutscenes, using and developing skills in script analysis, blocking, editing, and presentation to support a story-rich strategy campaign.

You will use our proprietary in-game cinematic creation tool to create cutscenes and provide feedback to the programming team to improve the tool for Stronghold 4 and future projects. Reporting directly to the Video and Cinematics Director, you will plan and execute in-game cutscenes, with potential opportunities to work on pre-rendered content. This role is ideal for a self-driven mid-level candidate with Unreal Engine 5 experience and a strong visual portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Build, iterate, and polish in-game cinematic sequences from script/storyboard to final execution within Unreal Engine 5.
• Utilize our specialized in-engine cinematic tools alongside standard UE5 features to streamline animation, layout, and scene setup.
• Apply strong cinematic principles (camera placement, focal lengths, movement, pacing, and staging) to maximize narrative impact within the engine.
• Assemble character animations, environmental assets, props, and visual effects within our in-game cutscene tool or Unreal’s Sequencer to create seamless narrative moments.
• Work within established technical budgets, optimize cinematic performance, and resolve layout or technical animation bugs as they arise.
• Coordinate with the cinematic and art teams to ensure assets integrate smoothly and visual quality remains consistent.

Requirements

• A cinematic-focused portfolio showing Unreal Engine 5 experience.
• Experience with Unreal Engine 5.
• Experience with video editing.
• Experience with camera systems (both real-life and virtual).
• Proactive nature and a positive attitude.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• A professional manner and experience working in a team.
• Willingness to handle any cinematic task as needed.
• Strong organizational skills and experience working to deadlines.
• Ability to learn quickly, embrace failure, and ask for guidance when needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with SVN or similar server sharing systems.
• Knowledge of and interest in cinematics across the video game industry.
• Experience working on offline/pre-rendered cinematic content made in Unreal Engine 5.

About the Studio

Firefly Studios, creators of the BAFTA-nominated Stronghold series, is a strategy game developer with 25 years of experience publishing games on PC and mobile. Our games are enjoyed worldwide by a dedicated community of millions. We are a growing, close-knit interdisciplinary team of around 40 people from across the world, valuing individual expression, passion, and a flexible working environment.

Pay

£12,500 for the 3-month contract, paid in monthly installments.