Skydance Interactive
Lead Gameplay Animator
Skydance Interactive - Santa Monica, California, United States, 90403
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Overview
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Lead Gameplay Animator
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Skydance Interactive 3 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants Join to apply for the
Lead Gameplay Animator
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Skydance Interactive At Skydance Interactive, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive entertainment. Innovation in game design, technology and storytelling is the passion that drives our agile studio of dedicated and talented game creators. Collaboration across all disciplines is vital to our success and is at the core of the inclusive culture we strive to foster every day.
We empower our employees to take ownership of the features they develop and create their own solutions when challenges arise. As our studio grows, we want to bring even more risk-takers, innovators and diverse voices along for the ride as we continue to create the games that will defy convention and define the future of the medium.
Following the success of our 2020 genre-defining hit
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
and our Webby nominated, Best Immersive Experience, Behemoth, we are currently working on several highly anticipated games for emerging platforms that we can't wait for you to play!
For information on Skydance’s privacy practices, see the Skydance U.S. Personnel Privacy Notice located at https://skydance.com/privacy-personnel/ .
The Lead Gameplay Animator will lead and mentor a team of animators to develop and build high quality animations for gameplay. As an experienced animator, the Lead Gameplay Animator will use their expert-level understanding of the principals and mechanics of animation and a strong technical understanding of animation pipelines to guide and grow their team’s capabilities. With this role, the Lead will work closely with the Animation Director, alongside Designers and Engineers in order to define and enhance the player experience through gameplay.
Responsibility
Leadership: Guide animation team in the overall look and feel of the animation, ensuring consistency in style and storytelling to the artistic vision of the project. Oversee the production process, including planning schedules and allocating resources (internal and external), ensuring the projects remain within budget and timelines. Work closely with other departments to ensure, understand the vision of the game and how those translate to interactive animation. Address any challenges that arise during production, whether they relate to creative differences, technical issues, or team dynamics. Team Management: Manage and mentor a team of animators (internal and external) in various aspects of animation production. Manage the schedule and work of the animation team on a project. Work with production to establish a timeline and needed resources. Work effectively with outsource teams.
Requirements
8+ years of animation production experience, with at least 3 years in game development. Shipped at least 1 title as a Lead. Keyframe and Mocap experience Creature animation experience Highly skilled in all facets of animation: Body Mechanics, Facial Animation, Creation Animation, Mechanical/Prop Animation and Character Acting. Experience working with Maya with familiarity with mel and Python scripting Understanding of all facets of animation pipeline including rigging An eye for in-game results and how animation must support gameplay Experience working with motion capture data. Understanding of physics simulation setup and implementation in Unreal and Maya. Receptive to feedback and able to work through an interactive process. Must be a self-motivated team member who takes ownership of their work.
Plusses
Working knowledge of Animation Blueprints. Worked on a VR project. Familiarity with Python.
The annual salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $120,000 – $140,000. The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors. The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc.
We realize that skills and expertise can come from many different experiences and paths, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements as written in the job description.
#Interactive
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive, and animation divisions.
Recruitment Fraud Alert
It has come to our attention that there may be fraudulent activity by individuals impersonating our Talent Acquisition team. Skydance will only contact you from an official “@skydance.com” email address. If you suspect that you are being contacted by an unauthorized person or believe that the correspondence you have received is suspicious, please do not click on any links or attachments in such emails and submit any questions or concerns to our information security team at https://skydance.com/report-suspected-fraud/ .
Seniority level
Seniority level Mid-Senior level Employment type
Employment type Full-time Job function
Job function Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology Industries Computer Games Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Skydance Interactive by 2x Sign in to set job alerts for “Lead Animator” roles.
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Lead Gameplay Animator
role at
Skydance Interactive 3 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants Join to apply for the
Lead Gameplay Animator
role at
Skydance Interactive At Skydance Interactive, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive entertainment. Innovation in game design, technology and storytelling is the passion that drives our agile studio of dedicated and talented game creators. Collaboration across all disciplines is vital to our success and is at the core of the inclusive culture we strive to foster every day.
We empower our employees to take ownership of the features they develop and create their own solutions when challenges arise. As our studio grows, we want to bring even more risk-takers, innovators and diverse voices along for the ride as we continue to create the games that will defy convention and define the future of the medium.
Following the success of our 2020 genre-defining hit
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
and our Webby nominated, Best Immersive Experience, Behemoth, we are currently working on several highly anticipated games for emerging platforms that we can't wait for you to play!
For information on Skydance’s privacy practices, see the Skydance U.S. Personnel Privacy Notice located at https://skydance.com/privacy-personnel/ .
The Lead Gameplay Animator will lead and mentor a team of animators to develop and build high quality animations for gameplay. As an experienced animator, the Lead Gameplay Animator will use their expert-level understanding of the principals and mechanics of animation and a strong technical understanding of animation pipelines to guide and grow their team’s capabilities. With this role, the Lead will work closely with the Animation Director, alongside Designers and Engineers in order to define and enhance the player experience through gameplay.
Responsibility
Leadership: Guide animation team in the overall look and feel of the animation, ensuring consistency in style and storytelling to the artistic vision of the project. Oversee the production process, including planning schedules and allocating resources (internal and external), ensuring the projects remain within budget and timelines. Work closely with other departments to ensure, understand the vision of the game and how those translate to interactive animation. Address any challenges that arise during production, whether they relate to creative differences, technical issues, or team dynamics. Team Management: Manage and mentor a team of animators (internal and external) in various aspects of animation production. Manage the schedule and work of the animation team on a project. Work with production to establish a timeline and needed resources. Work effectively with outsource teams.
Requirements
8+ years of animation production experience, with at least 3 years in game development. Shipped at least 1 title as a Lead. Keyframe and Mocap experience Creature animation experience Highly skilled in all facets of animation: Body Mechanics, Facial Animation, Creation Animation, Mechanical/Prop Animation and Character Acting. Experience working with Maya with familiarity with mel and Python scripting Understanding of all facets of animation pipeline including rigging An eye for in-game results and how animation must support gameplay Experience working with motion capture data. Understanding of physics simulation setup and implementation in Unreal and Maya. Receptive to feedback and able to work through an interactive process. Must be a self-motivated team member who takes ownership of their work.
Plusses
Working knowledge of Animation Blueprints. Worked on a VR project. Familiarity with Python.
The annual salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $120,000 – $140,000. The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors. The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc.
We realize that skills and expertise can come from many different experiences and paths, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements as written in the job description.
#Interactive
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive, and animation divisions.
Recruitment Fraud Alert
It has come to our attention that there may be fraudulent activity by individuals impersonating our Talent Acquisition team. Skydance will only contact you from an official “@skydance.com” email address. If you suspect that you are being contacted by an unauthorized person or believe that the correspondence you have received is suspicious, please do not click on any links or attachments in such emails and submit any questions or concerns to our information security team at https://skydance.com/report-suspected-fraud/ .
Seniority level
Seniority level Mid-Senior level Employment type
Employment type Full-time Job function
Job function Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology Industries Computer Games Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Skydance Interactive by 2x Sign in to set job alerts for “Lead Animator” roles.
Expression of Interest - Flying Bark LA Studio
Los Angeles, CA $160,000.00-$220,000.00 2 weeks ago Los Angeles, CA $83,000.00-$116,000.00 3 weeks ago TV Development & Current Series Intern, DreamWorks, Fall 2025
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area 1 month ago Culver City, CA $100,000.00-$135,000.00 5 months ago Visual Development Intern, DreamWorks, Fall 2025
Glendale, CA $78,312.00-$110,000.00 4 days ago Expression of Interest - Character Artist
Culver City, CA $65,000.00-$80,000.00 1 week ago Los Angeles, CA $68,640.00-$80,000.00 3 weeks ago West Hollywood, CA $30.51-$33.65 1 week ago Santa Monica, CA $80,000.00-$85,000.00 6 days ago Los Angeles, CA $53,200.00-$73,920.00 4 hours ago Freelance Motion Graphics Designer/Realtime Artist - IATSE Union
Santa Monica, CA $68,500.00-$85,000.00 3 days ago We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
#J-18808-Ljbffr