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Senior Cinematic Animator
1 year ago
The Cinematic Department at Creative Assembly is looking to add to its growing team, at our studio based in Horsham, West Sussex.
In this exciting role, the successful candidate will be responsible for creating a variety of character driven performances for narrative cinematic content. Possessing a versatile animation skill set, to deliver a wide range of animations from humanoid to creature. Having a keen eye for detail and passionate about producing cinematic quality animations, along with being complemented by good technical ability. This position offers an opportunity for career progression into a lead role over time.
Flexible working at Creative Assembly includes hybrid, fully remote within country of employment for eligible roles, and in-studio. We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and empower our teams to define the working patterns which work best for them, which may mean different things for different teams and roles and at different times.
This role can be offered as hybrid / in-studio / fully remote depending on candidate requirements. Further details can be discussed during the recruitment process.
Key Responsibilities
As a Senior Cinematic Animator, you’ll be experienced with working with in-engine cinematics, demonstrating a natural ability to animate both human and creature performances, along with possessing a keen attention to detail, taking ownership of the performances from creation to implementation into the game engine.
On a day-to-day basis, you will:
- Produce feature quality, emotive real-world cinematic character performances for both human, and creatures.
- Deliver believable full body performances, including facial emotion and lip sync using a combination of motion capture and key frame animation.
- Being a key talented content creator – you will help mentor and guide other members of the animation team.
- Have good organisational and time management skills, to ensure animations are delivered within the set task times.
- Good at thinking on your feet with excellent problem-solving skills.
- When required assist the lead animator in planning and organising the cinematic animation requirements for marketing and in-game cinematics.
- Communicate and work interactively with key stake holders across the different disciplines within the cinematics team and the wider studio development teams.
Knowledge, Skill and Experience
Essential
- Maya experience
- Editing and manipulating motion capture data with key frame animation
- Accomplished key frame animation skills - demonstrating feature quality animations involving complex human facial emotions, body mechanics and lip syncing
- In-engine cinematic experience, animation pipeline and processes experience
- Experience with camera narrative and the film making process
- Be agile, adaptable and be proactive problem-solving skills working within a fluid environment
- Work well within a team and be an active team player
Desirable
- Animation supervisory experience
- Prior Experience with animation production planning - knowledge of Excel
- Performance capture acting and direction experience
- Experience working with Storyboard, Layout, 2D animation
- Formal art training
- A love of history, games and film
About Creative Assembly
It’s an exciting time to be a part of our craft-led studio as we push boundaries, creating deep and detailed experiences that last.
Our teams are diverse from across the world, from trainees to industry veterans who constantly challenge us and make sure we are striving for the best within our games and our studio life. We are united through our shared values of Quality, Focus, Teamwork, Respect and Trust and we win awards for our culture and our people-centric approach, having won a Best Place to Work Award for six consecutive years. We invest in our people, the studio, and our projects. We are a company that’s secure and safe – you don’t need to worry about job security at CA.
We’ll give you the creative freedom, tools, support, and development to achieve your potential.
Our studios are based in Horsham, UK and Sofia, Bulgaria, including several bespoke state-of-the-art audio suites and a dedicated motion capture facility.
We offer many benefits to support you and your family including:
- Flexible working: hybrid, fully remote within country of employment for eligible roles, and in-studio working
- Work from Anywhere for a temporary period each year (restrictions apply such as VISAs)
- Enhanced holiday allowance, maternity and paternity breaks, flexibility with our core hours, and no-notice holidays
- Bespoke relocation package for you and your dependents, with support throughout the process from our dedicated Relocation Specialists
- Private medical and dental insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, critical illness cover and free health care screening
- Generous holiday allowance plus full studio closure over the Christmas and New Year period, and all UK Bank holidays
- Annual discretionary studio bonus
- Join our award-winning education and social responsibility programme; the Legacy Project, as an industry ambassador to mentor and educate others
- Defined career development pathways and personalised training support including SEGA Dev Day, internal masterclasses, prestigious creative workshops, on-site training with renowned specialists and global conference attendance
- Opportunity to join our Diversity and Inclusion Network – an employee-led group
- Season ticket travel loans and cycle to work scheme with free bike servicing and discounted car valet service on site
- Free games and merchandise plus access to our extensive games library
- Free breakfast in the studio every day - toast, bagels, pancakes, cereals, yoghurts, fresh fruit, smoothies, juices, milkshakes and more in our fully stocked kitchen
- Wellbeing support with an employee assistance programme and onsite confidential sessions
- In-studio heavily subsidised massage therapy
- Discounts for home technology, travel insurance, corporate gym membership, cinema tickets, holidays, trips out and Ikea vouchers, and many local businesses including estate agents
- Studio parties for you and your family; such as our Summer Festival, Christmas Party plus a separate Children’s Christmas Party. We also have Cinema days and wrap parties for game releases
- Studio community activities such as life drawing, creative writing, Pilates, Walking Challenges, Couch to 5k, basketball, game and movie evenings, board game club, 5-a-side football, CA Choir, Sword fighting (yes, sword fighting) and loads more.
Our studio sites have disabled access. We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.
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