The ESPN Creative Studio Animation team provides award-winning creative for Studio & Event productions, high-end Sales & Marketing initiatives, and next-level programming initiatives such as The Simpsons Funday Football & Dunk The Halls Animated Altcasts. The Senior Animator role is responsible for creating visually compelling animations for both short and long-term projects. Individuals must work well within a team and independently. The role is a hands-on position that requires expertise in Cinema 4D, After Effects, Photoshop, and Illustrator, with the ability to develop animations from concept to completion. Strong communication, proactive problem solving, and adaptability are essential. The position involves mentoring newer animators, evolving internal workflows, and staying informed of emerging technology and animation software advances.
Responsibilities:
- Expertise in Cinema 4D, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator
- Expertise in Octane, Redshift (additional renderer knowledge is a plus)
- Strong design skills - layout, typography, composition and color theory
- Streamline recurring projects for efficient versioning/seasonal updates
- Skilled in translating creative direction into compelling visual solutions
- Receptive to feedback and able to pivot direction easily
- Experience working with remote/external partners
- Drive solutions to balance client expectations with workflow, timeframe realities
- Provide software/technical/troubleshooting support for in-house and vendor files
- Proactively identify and resolve tech challenges; establish reliable internal workflows
- Actively mentor emerging animators; expand team’s overall knowledge and versatility
- Must be highly motivated, take initiative, thrive under pressure and prioritize effectively
- Must have excellent organization, communication skills and attention to detail
- Expect to align with East Coast work hours
- Certain assignments (i.e. Monday Night Football) will require non-traditional off days
Basic Qualifications:
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in Animation/Motion Graphics
- Must provide online portfolio/demo reel
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in Unreal, Substance, ZBrush, Houdini, Maya
- Expertise in C4D VFX techniques (dynamics, pyro, UV’s)
- Character animation experience (C4D / Maya / Reallusion iClone)
- Character design / ZBrush sculpting experience
- Character Rigging / Weighting experience in C4D or other
- Expertise in After Effects Scripting and Expressions
- Passion for sports and familiarity with ESPN show animation identities
Required Education:
- HS Diploma or Equivalent
Preferred Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree or Equivalent
Additional Information:
- This is a remote position