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Senior Animator

Would you like to work on some of the greatest franchises in gaming history? Certain Affinity brings an exceptionally talented group together to form the largest independent developer in Austin, Texas, and we opened a second studio in Toronto, Canada, last year. Our company culture reflects the vibrant nature of the cities we call home. This includes a commitment to our evolution, excellence, and work-life balance. We’re best known for co-developing numerous AAA FPS games, though we are also creating compelling new games of our own.

As a Senior Animator at Certain Affinity, you’ll be part of a creative team generating highly polished in-game animations. You will assist in the design of the project by providing pre-visualization animations for gameplay elements as well as evolving and refining motion for characters, weapons, vehicles, and environmental objects.

Responsibilities

• Work with Art Director, Lead Animator & Design team to visualize and integrate motion into a highly immersive world
• Lead/direct activities and implementation of animation assets
• Mentor other animators on technique and process
• Create animations in a variety of styles, from ultra-realistic mocap-based movement to highly stylized hand-keyed motion depending on the needs of the project

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience in the game industry, specifically associated with character and object animation or 5+ years of progressively complex related experience
• Understanding and application of both keyframe and performance capture animation in a real-time environment
• Experience using proprietary editors, software, and tools
• Experience establishing and driving new workflows for content creation
• Shipped 2+ titles as an animator
• Experience mentoring other artists and animators
• Strong foundational knowledge in traditional arts, including but not limited to graphic design or illustration, life drawing, acting, and cinematography
• Expert-level knowledge of Maya and/or Max, MotionBuilder, or other 3D animation packages
• Expert-level knowledge of Photoshop or other image editing tools
• Expert-level understanding of the principles of motion as applied to characters, cameras, objects, and vehicles
• Experience using proprietary editors, software, and tools or other similar experience with Unreal 3, Radiant, Source Engine, etc.
• Solid grasp of performance requirements and constraints of the current-generation console and PC development
• Excellent understanding of animation pipelines and workflow
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills to bridge the gap between art, design, and tech
• Ability to work within predefined styles from realistic to stylized and effectively communicate this style to the rest of a team
• Solid understanding of how animation by way of performance, staging, dynamics, timing, and pacing influences player response and feedback to help make a game fun and engaging
• Team player with the drive and initiative to deliver extremely high-quality work within performance and time restrictions
• Adept at time constraints and multiple priorities
• Can initiate visual direction without a specific concept or design
• Portfolio showing off your work
• A desire to work in a diverse and inclusive environment
• Passion for video games

Extra Credit

• Experience managing, scheduling, and critiquing work for multiple artists
• Experience in the setup, organization, and performance direction of a motion capture shoot
• Experience in the application of motion as related to the physical simulation of particles, fluids, and other related fields
• Shipped 1+ AAA title in last 3 years

Certain Affinity is authorized to do business in many, but not all, of the states in the US and the Canadian provinces. If you are not located in or able to work from a state where Certain Affinity is registered, you will not be eligible for employment. Please speak with your recruiter to learn more about where we are registered.

Certain Affinity or its partners or affiliates run background checks on candidates or employees with written authorization from the candidates or employees. These may be done for the purposes of offering employment or determining eligibility to work on a specific project. Multiple searches may be required.