Senior Gameplay Animator

About the role

A Senior Gameplay Animator at Cloud Chamber will be part of a talented team creating the world of BioShock. The role involves creating gameplay, AI, and scripted animations, collaborating with programmers and designers, and setting standards for the team.

Responsibilities

• Create gameplay, AI, and scripted animations that match the visual style of the game, using both keyframe and augmented mocap techniques.
• Work closely with programmers and designers to support a multitude of features.
• Collaborate with Senior Animators on complicated sets of animation data to fulfill various gameplay and AI systems.
• Participate in reviews with the gameplay team, giving and receiving constructive feedback.
• Communicate and collaborate with members of other disciplines as needed.
• Estimate the time required to carry out your own tasks and to meet deadlines.
• Provide knowledge and solutions for everyday animation challenges.
• Work closely with programmers to establish and refine the animation pipeline.
• Develop high-quality gameplay animations that meet project standards and ensure animations align with the animation director's vision for the project.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to integrate animations into the game.
• Problem-solve, debug, and optimize animations to ensure smooth gameplay experiences.
• Utilize exceptional knowledge to create and maintain gameplay and AI systems related to gameplay animation.
• Maintain a strong understanding of character performance, form, gestures, and silhouettes for both player characters and AI entities.
• Apply expertise in anatomy and caricature to enhance the visual appeal and believability of character animations.
• Excel in animating various elements, including the human bipedal figure, organic forms, quadrupedal creatures, and mechanical objects.
• Utilize motion capture data and hand-keyed facial animation techniques for realism.
• Engage in research, gather reference materials, and document findings to share with the team, aiding in animation development.
• Mentor, coach, and train more junior animators.

Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Senior Animator on a AAA title.
• Exemplary skills in keyframe, stylized 3D animation, using Maya and/or Motion Builder.
• Experience working in Unreal Engine for animation implementation and debugging.
• Strong understanding of character performance, form, gesture, and silhouette in regard to player character and AI.
• Excellent understanding of anatomy and caricature.
• Exceptional skills in animating the human bipedal figure, organic forms, quadrupedal, and mechanical objects.
• Exceptional knowledge of how to create and maintain gameplay and AI systems in game engines as they pertain to video game animation.
• Experience structuring & maintaining animation processes such as rigging or prototyping.
• Experience working with motion capture data and editing it.
• Excellent problem solving and debugging skills.
• Experience with hand key facial animation and tools such as Jali.
• A love for research, reference, and documenting your findings to share with the team.

Benefits

Cloud Chamber offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days)
• Paid sick days per calendar year (up to 10 days)
• Paid parental and compassionate leave
• Wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support
• Family planning support through Maven
• Commuter benefits
• Reimbursements for fitness-related expenses

Pay

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $100,200 and $148,320 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.

Schedule

Regular, full-time employees are eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days)
• Paid sick days per calendar year (up to 10 days)
• Paid parental and compassionate leave
• Wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support
• Family planning support through Maven
• Commuter benefits
• Reimbursements for fitness-related expenses