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Get a job: Sony is looking to hire a Senior Mo-Cap Animator
SCEA's Los Angeles outpost is in need of an experienced hand to lead motion capture efforts and "create compelling and consistent performances for all major characters" of an upcoming game.
April 2, 2015
4 Min Read
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Senior Mo-Cap Animator, Sony Computer Entertainment America
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Contribute to the artistic vision and development of a product with a specialized focus on supporting and creating industry leading animation. Key frame skills and understanding of basic animation techniques are necessary.
It is also important to have a thorough knowledge of motion capture driven animation principles and pipelines. You can work with high-level direction, possessing strong leadership skills, production-sensibilities, and the talent to produce and implement the highest quality work.
Requirements
Work with a group of animators to create compelling and consistent performances for all major characters and utilizes both hand and mo-cap animation techniques to create animation of primary and secondary characters.
As a key contributor in creating high quality character animation at a quality bar suitable for next-generation console development in order to define and achieve a product’s visual style or encourage artistic evolution within the studio. This entails expanding methods to improve the production pipeline, tools, systems and visual integrity.
Work closely with the animation director, lead animator and animation team to develop animation practices and assets that fulfill the requirements of the project’s game design and visual design.
Fully capable of resolving a range of complex artistic development issues for both artists as well as other team members.
Proactively facilitates requests or information needs regarding any aspect of the animation creation process as requested.
Work in a team-oriented environment and use organizational and interpersonal skills on a daily basis and bring a creative and proactive attitude to the task of animating performances.
Actively advances skill set and abilities by keeping aware of industry trends and techniques, evaluating competitive products, learning new software packages and traditional art methods.
Qualifications
An expert in working with motion capture performance data. Fluent in Maya and Motion Builder as well as with motion capture editing. Includes both body and facial performance capture pipelines.
Demonstrated extensive professional character animation experience in the entertainment industry, showing command of weight, timing and posing through manipulating motion capture data as well as key-framing.
A high level of proficiency of classic animation principles and its fundamentals (staging, timing, anticipation, follow through, exaggeration, squash and stretch) as well as the ability to create the full range of lifelike performances from the subtle to the dramatic and powerful. Demonstrated by a strong demo reel.
Should have a good understanding of camera movement, staging, and storytelling techniques that will be carried through the creation of cinematic sequences
Working knowledge extending Maya and Motion Builder functionality.
Knowledge of scripting in Maya and Python would be a plus.
Highly knowledgeable with video game product development including, but not limited to experience animating bipedal characters that showcase both acting/pathos and action performances, animating creatures, mechanical (machinery) animation, and with facial animation and lip-synch.
Excellent communication, time-management and organizational skills. A strong ability to work across multiple disciplines to gather feedback and address cross-functional issues. Penchant for practical innovation and the ability to bring new ideas to the table.
Passionate player of games with an ability to analyze competitive products for their strengths and weaknesses.
B.A. in fine arts or relevant curriculum or equivalent skillset
Minimum 5-7 years industry experience or related experience.
Two or more published titles working with motion capture performance data a major plus.
Interested? Apply now.
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