Senior Animator

Keywords Studios

4d•Remote

About The Position

Keywords Studios is a global provider of creative and technical services to the video games industry. This role involves creating high-quality keyframe and/or motion capture animations for characters, creatures, vehicles, and gameplay systems. The Senior Animator will develop expressive and believable movement that supports gameplay responsiveness and narrative goals, produce polished animation cycles, and maintain consistency of animation style, quality, and performance across the project. Responsibilities include implementing and refining animations within game engines, troubleshooting animation issues, and collaborating closely with various teams to achieve project objectives. The role also involves optimizing animation assets, assisting with motion capture, contributing to animation systems, and maintaining organized source files.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Animation, Game Art, Fine Arts, Multimedia, or equivalent industry experience.
Shipped at least one AAA, AA, or commercially released game title.
Advanced understanding of animation principles, including timing, weight, posing, spacing, and body mechanics.
Strong portfolio or demo reel demonstrating high-quality gameplay and cinematic animation work.
High proficiency with industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, MotionBuilder, Blender, or equivalent.
Experience implementing animations in Unreal Engine, Unity, or proprietary engines.
Understanding of rigging constraints, animation systems, and technical pipelines.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and feedback skills.
Strong problem-solving and organizational abilities.
Fluent in Japanese and with a high degree of English language proficiency.
Currently residing in Japan and possess valid authorization to work in Japan.

Responsibilities

Create high-quality keyframe and/or motion capture animations for characters, creatures, vehicles, and gameplay systems.
Develop expressive and believable movement that supports gameplay responsiveness and narrative goals.
Produce polished animation cycles including locomotion, combat, traversal, facial animation, cinematic performances, and interactive sequences.
Maintain consistency of animation style, quality, and performance across the project.
Implement and refine animations within game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity.
Troubleshoot and resolve animation issues related to rigging, blending, state machines, and gameplay integration.
Collaborate closely with design, engineering, cinematic, audio, and art teams to achieve gameplay and storytelling objectives.
Participate in creative reviews, sprint planning, and milestone deliverables.
Contribute ideas to improve animation pipelines, workflows, and player experience.
Work with technical artists and programmers to ensure animations meet engine and performance requirements.
Optimize animation assets for runtime performance and memory constraints.
Assist with motion capture shoots, cleanup, retargeting, and implementation.
Contribute to animation systems including blend trees, state machines, IK systems, and procedural animation workflows.
Maintain organized source files and documentation according to studio standards.
Stay current with emerging animation techniques, tools, and industry trends.