Animation Director

Crystal Dynamics is seeking a visionary Animation Director to lead and inspire our team of talented animators, playing a pivotal role in defining the animation vision for our upcoming high-fidelity action-adventure titles. As the Animation Director, you will blend strategic leadership with hands-on contribution, directly influencing the gameplay experience through the execution of top-tier animations. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the visual and interactive elements of our games, making a substantial impact on our projects.

As an Animation Director, you will:

• Drive the overarching animation vision in collaboration with the Creative Director and Art Director, ensuring the game's visual and interactive identity is maintained.
• Work in close partnership with Department Leads, Animators, and Designers to assess and meet the game's animation requirements.
• Lead and develop a team of skilled animators, directing the creation of high-fidelity game animations and systems.
• Deliver engaging combat and traversal animations in collaboration with combat designers and engineers.
• Set and manage team goals, aligning deliverables with project milestones and deadlines.
• Conduct and direct motion capture shoots for both gameplay and cinematic performances as needed.
• Manage, direct, and review co-developers and external vendors in different countries and time zones.
• Run full pipelines (both internal and external), from narrative / storyboard to fully implemented in-game shippable content.
• Utilize your team's diverse strengths to produce superior quality animations.
• Promote team growth through regular individual meetings, performance reviews, and targeted training.
• Foster a positive, collaborative team environment that values open communication and constructive feedback.
• Streamline animation processes to enhance team productivity throughout the game development cycle.
• Document and manage animation tasks and processes.
• Guide animators across various styles, ensuring a consistent animation approach throughout the project.

To be considered for this role, we require the following:

• Extensive experience in a leadership role within animation (Director, Lead, or Principal Animator) in the game development industry, particularly for high-fidelity action-adventure games.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities with a track record of nurturing and developing animation talent.
• In-depth understanding of gameplay systems, especially in 3rd person perspectives, including weapon, traversal, melee, and ranged combat animations.
• Expertise in animation trees, animation blending, and node-based animation editors.
• Proficiency in Motion Capture, Motion Matching, Maya, and real-time game engines/editors.
• A collaborative mindset, particularly in working with design and engineering teams.
• Examples of relevant work (i.e., demo reel, portfolio, or contributions to shipped title). An ideal reel will include:
  • Up to date examples of realistic animations that clearly demonstrate your skills/expertise
  • Inclusion of a breakdown sheet detailing your specific contributions to each piece is highly recommended.
  • Note: If you directed others, then we would be looking for a director's cut.

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

• Experience with cinematic tools in Unreal Engine.

It'll be a bonus if you also have:

• Shipped 2+ AAA titles as an Animation Director.

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