Senior Gameplay Animator

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5 . We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we’re busy at the kennel working on a brand-new single player game that we're excited about and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

Who we're looking for:

• Ability to create high quality animation content in Maya and implement them correctly in our Naughty Dog engine
• Concept, collaborate, and prototype ideas through mood boards and investigative animations.
• Craft gameplay animations for a broad range of creatures of varied types to a high standard of realism for the game
• Help mentor and grow other animators’ abilities
• Serve as a positive role model for the team to follow in demeanor, ability, proactivity, communication, and productivity within the department
• Work with design and engineering to create new exciting, mind blowing systemic animations
• Be involved with directing motion capture shoots
• Learn and understand how Naughty Dog gameplay systems work
• Be able to work with any system using the most efficient practices
• Ability to use the engine debug tools to solve gameplay problems and work with designers and programmers to find a solution
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

What skills you will use:

• Minimum of 1 shipped AAA game as a Senior Gameplay Animator (or equivalent)
• Minimum of 5 years working in the video-games industry
• Produce very high-quality animation.
• Proficient command of weight, timing, and posing through both keyframing and the manipulation of motion capture data
• High comfort level with learning and utilizing animation systems and game engine pipelines
• Strong understanding of creature animation and mechanics.
• A strong grasp of physical motion, weight, balance, texture and form
• Experience with prototype/quick iteration environments
• Efficiency and organization in workflow
• Provide accurate and clear feedback for others
• Passion for opening up the boundaries of interactive character animation
• Ability to plan, setup, and direct motion capture shoots independently and efficiently
• Good general technical knowledge of how games work
• Must be comfortable using a script editor
• Excellent problem solver / fire fighter
• Highly motivated and proactive with a CAN DO attitude
• Inspire teamwork and collaboration across the department
• Proactive communicator within animation and other departments
• Take ownership of assignments and proactively identifies new tasks to tackle
• Finish tasks quickly. Is an expert at prioritization and letting others know when priorities must change
• Never finds themselves idle and is always proactively finding useful things to work on to progress the company and team
• Deep knowledge of Maya: layers, time/trax editor, mocap tools
• In engine animation layering knowledge
• Familiar with one of the modern animation systems: Unreal, Morpheme, Unity, etc.

BONUS SKILLS:

• Python knowledge
• C, C#, or C++ knowledge

As a part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an animation test.

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and gender reassignment), race (including color, nationality, ethnic, national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

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