Senior Gameplay Animator (Combat Specialist)

LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS•Los Angeles, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Collaborate with game designers and programmers to craft high-quality animations that look and feel exceptional. Own the full animation pipeline, from previz and mocap planning through clean-up, keyframing, implementation, and playtesting; iterating until the result meets the highest standard. Proactively communicate with programmers, designers, artists, and writers to ensure animations align with gameplay intentions, mission objectives, art direction, and narrative. Embrace iteration and feedback, with a willingness to explore new ideas and both give and receive constructive critique. Contribute to a collaborative, supportive, and creatively driven team environment.

Requirements

7+ years of animation experience in video game development.
Expert knowledge of range and/or melee combat animation in AAA games.
Proficiency in editing and animating motion capture data in Maya.
Highly skilled in hand-key animation, with deep understanding of animation principles and strong aesthetic judgment; capable of accurately controlling the rhythm, impact, and silhouette appeal of character animation.
Demonstrates exceptional creativity and is capable of independently delivering high-quality combat action design.
Strong understanding of realistic body mechanics and performance.
Ability to learn and adapt to new tools and animation implementation techniques.
Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Self-motivated with a proactive approach to problem-solving and a drive to raise the quality bar.

Nice To Haves

At least one shipped AAA title.
Project experience using Unreal Engine.
Experience with motion-matching, and pose-matching techniques.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with game designers and programmers to craft high-quality animations that look and feel exceptional.
Own the full animation pipeline, from previz and mocap planning through clean-up, keyframing, implementation, and playtesting; iterating until the result meets the highest standard.
Proactively communicate with programmers, designers, artists, and writers to ensure animations align with gameplay intentions, mission objectives, art direction, and narrative.
Embrace iteration and feedback, with a willingness to explore new ideas and both give and receive constructive critique.
Contribute to a collaborative, supportive, and creatively driven team environment.