Naughty Dog
Senior Gameplay Animator
Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, California, United States, 90403
For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5 . We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we're busy at the kennel working on a brand-new single player game that we're excited about and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us.
Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.
Who we're looking for:
Ability to create high quality animation content in Maya and implement them correctly in our Naughty Dog engineConcept, 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 gameHelp mentor and grow other animators' abilitiesServe as a positive role model for the team to follow in demeanor, ability, proactivity, communication, and productivity within the departmentWork with design and engineering to create new exciting, mind blowing systemic animationsBe involved with directing motion capture shootsLearn and understand how Naughty Dog gameplay systems workBe able to work with any system using the most efficient practicesAbility to use the engine debug tools to solve gameplay problems and work with designers and programmers to find a solutionAdditional responsibilities may be assigned as neededWhat 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 industryProduce very high-quality animation.Proficient command of weight, timing, and posing through both keyframing and the manipulation of motion capture dataHigh comfort level with learning and utilizing animation systems and game engine pipelinesStrong understanding of creature animation and mechanics.A strong grasp of physical motion, weight, balance, texture and formExperience with prototype/quick iteration environmentsEfficiency and organization in workflowProvide accurate and clear feedback for othersPassion for opening up the boundaries of interactive character animationAbility to plan, setup, and direct motion capture shoots independently and efficientlyGood general technical knowledge of how games workMust be comfortable using a script editorExcellent problem solver / fire fighterHighly motivated and proactive with a CAN DO attitudeInspire teamwork and collaboration across the departmentProactive communicator within animation and other departmentsTake ownership of assignments and proactively identifies new tasks to tackleFinish tasks quickly. Is an expert at prioritization and letting others know when priorities must changeNever finds themselves idle and is always proactively finding useful things to work on to progress the company and teamDeep knowledge of Maya: layers, time/trax editor, mocap toolsIn engine animation layering knowledgeFamiliar with one of the modern animation systems: Unreal, Morpheme, Unity, etc.BONUS SKILLS:
Python knowledgeC, C#, or C++ knowledge
As a part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an animation test.
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and gender reassignment), race (including color, nationality, ethnic, national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.
We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.
#LI-AB1
At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Base pay is one component of our total compensation package. Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location, as well as additional compensation components, such as annual bonus, profit sharing, and other incentive plans.
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE's top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click
here
to learn more.
The estimated USA base pay range (all regions) for this role is listed below.
$126,400-$227,500 USD
Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.
Who we're looking for:
Ability to create high quality animation content in Maya and implement them correctly in our Naughty Dog engineConcept, 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 gameHelp mentor and grow other animators' abilitiesServe as a positive role model for the team to follow in demeanor, ability, proactivity, communication, and productivity within the departmentWork with design and engineering to create new exciting, mind blowing systemic animationsBe involved with directing motion capture shootsLearn and understand how Naughty Dog gameplay systems workBe able to work with any system using the most efficient practicesAbility to use the engine debug tools to solve gameplay problems and work with designers and programmers to find a solutionAdditional responsibilities may be assigned as neededWhat 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 industryProduce very high-quality animation.Proficient command of weight, timing, and posing through both keyframing and the manipulation of motion capture dataHigh comfort level with learning and utilizing animation systems and game engine pipelinesStrong understanding of creature animation and mechanics.A strong grasp of physical motion, weight, balance, texture and formExperience with prototype/quick iteration environmentsEfficiency and organization in workflowProvide accurate and clear feedback for othersPassion for opening up the boundaries of interactive character animationAbility to plan, setup, and direct motion capture shoots independently and efficientlyGood general technical knowledge of how games workMust be comfortable using a script editorExcellent problem solver / fire fighterHighly motivated and proactive with a CAN DO attitudeInspire teamwork and collaboration across the departmentProactive communicator within animation and other departmentsTake ownership of assignments and proactively identifies new tasks to tackleFinish tasks quickly. Is an expert at prioritization and letting others know when priorities must changeNever finds themselves idle and is always proactively finding useful things to work on to progress the company and teamDeep knowledge of Maya: layers, time/trax editor, mocap toolsIn engine animation layering knowledgeFamiliar with one of the modern animation systems: Unreal, Morpheme, Unity, etc.BONUS SKILLS:
Python knowledgeC, C#, or C++ knowledge
As a part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an animation test.
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and gender reassignment), race (including color, nationality, ethnic, national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.
We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.
#LI-AB1
At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Base pay is one component of our total compensation package. Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location, as well as additional compensation components, such as annual bonus, profit sharing, and other incentive plans.
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE's top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click
here
to learn more.
The estimated USA base pay range (all regions) for this role is listed below.
$126,400-$227,500 USD