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Art Director
1 year ago
At Wizards of the Coast, we connect people around the world through play and imagination. From our genre defining games like Magic: The Gathering® and Dungeons & Dragons® to our growing multiverse, we continue to innovate and build new ways to foster friendship and connection. That’s where you come in!
Skeleton Key is a new game development studio and division of Wizards of the Coast. We are a group of industry veterans who are guided by the belief that empowering our teams and providing the proper time, tools, and support we can foster a creative culture where everyone can do their best work.
Our new studio will be located in Austin, TX, and we are looking for a passionate and dedicated Art Director to join us and drive the overall design vision and direction for this project. You are the vision holder when it comes to art!
Reporting to the Studio Head you will play a critical role as we concept and kick off pre-production. You'll work with the Creative Director and other team leads to solidify the artistic vision for the project. You will also build and manage a diverse team of artists to bring our shared vision to life.
What You'll Do:
- Establish a unified vision for teams of internal and external artists producing 2D, 3D and VFX assets on multiple platforms.
- Drive the creation of art and ensure that tone, style, and cohesion is maintained and that artists have clear benchmarks for asset production.
- Define the quality bar for asset creation and outsourced art.
- Find artistic solutions which balance creative vision with production realities and timelines.
- Review artists’ work and give feedback to ensure the highest quality expectations are met.
- Collaborate with technical artists, designers and programmers to develop efficient and productive art pipelines and establish metrics which ensure artistic goals are met within technical performance targets.
- Develop and own art creation guidelines and pipeline specifications
- Produce assets to inspire and define art direction; mood videos, image mockups etc
- Keep informed about the latest advances in game art technique and technology
- Be an active mentor, leader and role model for the art team.
- Work to maintain morale and create an atmosphere of creativity and enthusiasm.
What You'll Bring:
- College Diploma/Degree in 2D/3D, video game development or equivalent training/experience.
- 2 shipped titles as an Art Director, 5 or more years at a Senior Level or above.
- Experience of working on a published AAA game from conception to release.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating a high level of artistic creativity in one or more game art disciplines across a range of styles.
- Expert knowledge of Photoshop.
- Experience and ability to mentor team in the latest techniques and tools.
- DeepUnderstanding of fundamental art theory including principles of color, light, composition and anatomy.
- Shown ability to balance aesthetics with performance and usability.
- Excellent communication skills (spoken and written).
- Positive influence and leadership skills - Motivates and encourages others to generate new ideas.
We are an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer
The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for satisfactory performance in this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the duties, responsibilities, or requirements of the position.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you are selected to move forward in our application process and need to request an accommodation, please let your recruiter or coordinator know.
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