Senior Character Animator

Sphere Entertainment Group • Burbank, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Senior Character Animator to join the Exo Sphere Mograph Production team for content creation for the Exo Sphere. This artist is key in helping guide the development of a pipeline that can include bespoke character animation to create and deliver final content that goes up on Exo Sphere. The Senior Character Animator is an integral part of our Production and Creative team, responsible for the execution of visual content across a gamut of immersive experiences and Ads on Exo Sphere. The ideal candidate is progressive, forward thinking, values design, storytelling, animation, innovation, and enjoys pushing the creative boundaries to visualize the unseen. They work with the Creative Directors, VFX Supervisors, and project leadership to contribute to the execution of large-scale content production, delivering world-class ideas and first-of-its-kind experiences and innovations. This artist will be part of a larger Production team creating final content for the Exo Sphere venue. A Senior Character Animator at Sphere is a highly skilled professional dedicated to breathing life into characters and objects through animation. This role demands a profound understanding of movement, timing, and storytelling to create animations that are both believable and engaging. The Senior Animator will work on high-profile projects and campaigns, blending creative artistry with technical expertise. Beyond creating captivating character performances, this position involves leading teams, solving complex problems, and ensuring the final product meets the highest standards. Your work will bring stories to life, making characters and scenes truly immersive and compelling for the audience.

Requirements

• Mastery of industry-standard software such as Maya, Cinema 4D (C4D) and other animation software.
• Knowledge or full animation pipelines
• Working closely with other departments, including modeling, texturing, lighting, and VFX, to ensure cohesive integration of animation within the broader project.
• Ability to identify and solve technical challenges related to animation and rigging, whether it's through software adjustments or creative problem-solving.
• Able to interact and communicate with key stakeholders such as Executive teams and clients
• Exceptional talent for visual storytelling, creating animations that enhance the narrative and emotional impact of the project.
• Need and innovative thinker that stays up-to-date with the latest trends in animation and VFX, and continuously seeking innovative techniques to push the boundaries of what is possible in animation

Responsibilities

• Develop complex, high-quality animations (character, cinematic, motion design) using keyframe or motion capture.
• Refine, document, and simplify long term assets..
• Responsible for Rigging the characters, creating the skeletal structure and controls for characters, enabling them to move within the style of the content
• Interpret scripts/storyboards, ensuring movement, timing, and expression to match to the creative vision and/or to help define the creative
• Working closely with other departments, including modeling, texturing, lighting, and VFX, to ensure cohesive integration of animation within the broader project.
• Ability to lead a project managing shot assignments, deadlines, and quality control for their team's work.
• Have a strong enough understanding of all other aspects of the CG pipeline outside of animation to lead a team of artists with a variety of skillsets
• Documenting tools, techniques, and best practices to improve efficiency and streamline the animation pipeline.
• Mentoring junior animators and providing constructive feedback to help them grow and improve.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed