Animation Supervisor

Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic and innovative animation studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of character animation and storytelling. We are working on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series and Stranger Things animated series, as well as our production Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan.

*Prioritising candidates based in Australia, remote opportunities available.*

The Animation Supervisor's role is to guide and supervise the animation crew, together with the Animation Director, to ensure that the Clients' creative vision for animation is realised and delivered to the technical & creative standards required by the Production Company.

About the role:

• Work closely with the Client and Animation Director to establish and drive the look of performance for all characters;
• Work with the Animation crew to create a library of poses and cycles in order to set the style and benchmark for the teams;
• Collaborate with the Rigging Supervisor and provide feedback on character rigs and ensure they meet the creative requirements for animation;
• Work with the Client and VFX Supervisor to provide solid creative performance briefs for animators;
• Supervise and mentor the Animation crew to ensure that the Director’s creative vision for animation is realised and delivered;
• Offer leadership to all members of the Animation crew by leading by example;
• Ensure continuity of performance (quality and look) across characters and sequences;
• Participate in daily animation reviews and offer creative and constructive feedback to artists;
• Clearly understand the creative requirements of the project and help develop workflows and techniques that will ensure that these requirements are met;
• Participate in on-box animation reviews and briefings;
• Work closely with Animation TDs and Pipeline crew to ensure tools are developed and applied correctly;
• Identify areas of inefficiency within the workflow and work with the CG Supervisor, Pipeline crew and Animation Coordinator to rectify these;
• Help to maintain administrative and pipeline tools as required;
• Participate in regular production meetings to inform the Producers, VFX Supervisor and production crew on animation progress including any concerns that may impact the delivery of final animation;
• Work with relevant Production Coordinator/s to inform and establish shots and sequences ready for Client review;
• Work with relevant Production Coordinator/s to ensure the status of each shot is known, allowing them to track the progression of shots;
• Work with the relevant Production crew to establish and maintain scheduling for the Show and ensure the team is hitting their deadlines and is working within the budget;

About you:

• Strong sense of composition, animation timing and narrative storytelling
• Extensive experience and understanding of Maya in a production-based environment;
• Ability and enthusiasm for leading and mentoring an animation team;
• Excellent communication skills and willingness to share information in a team environment;
• Passion for great storytelling and animation.
• Flexibility and ability to be responsive to change;
• Ability to consistently meet deadlines;
• Extensive experience in character animation, animation workflows and rigging (as it relates to animation) in a production-based environment;
• Strong understanding of traditional 2D Animation, with proved 2D and 3D animation experience.

What do we do?

Flying Bark Productions is a renowned independent producer of family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our 2D and 3D production facility has created award-winning feature films and TV series.

Why work with us?

• We work on some pretty cool projects - check out our website: https://www.flyingbark.com.au/
• We have an industry leading studio space in Alexandria, complete with a cinema, quiet room, Zen Garden, games room, and state of the art animation facilities.
• Breakfast is served daily - on us!
• We have cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a culture club dedicated to coordinating our busy social calendar!
• The Barkers have big hearts too, with our Paws for a Cause fundraising arm raising much needed funds for charities such as Beyond Blue, RSPCA and the Cancer Council.
• We love dogs and you will often see some of our regular fluffy companions in the studio.
• We have a hybrid approach to work with flexible work from home days on offer.
• Career development is important to us so we offer training and support opportunities whenever possible.
• Our employees say our culture is the best they've ever experienced - everyone is welcome and celebrated!
• You'll have access to mental health resources and free counselling via our Employee Assistance Provider, Support Act.
• Enjoy holistic wellbeing support through discounted health insurance with Bupa, financial wellbeing initiatives from our superannuation partner Media Super, and access to staff qualified in Mental Health First Aid.

Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.