Art Director

Sony Bend Studio, renowned creator of Days Gone, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Resistance: Retribution and the Syphon Filter series, is seeking outstanding talent to join our passionate and creative family in crafting our next title.

The Studio Art Director is responsible for inspiring, leading, and driving the artistic vision and art development process at Bend Studio. Equally vital to this role is the ability to set and maintain the creative vision and visual quality across all departments at the studio.

Responsibilities and Functions:

• Develop and maintain the artistic goals and vision of the project through all phases of the game development cycle. Ensure the art in the game upholds the integrity of the game design along with the tone and artistic vision for the project.
• Work with the Studio Leadership and other discipline directors and team leads to identify and solve all issues related to the artistic needs including stylistic choices and artistic goals that establish and maintain aesthetic standards, while influencing achievable technical goals to best support the project needs.
• Lead the development of the artistic vision and design with the art discipline directors, leads and team (as well as other stakeholders, such as internal support groups and external vendors) via discussions, art specifications, reference material. Direct the creation of art bibles, and style guides for environments, characters, props, visual effects, lighting, and rendering as necessary.
• Collaborate with the department and discipline leads to support and enhance the gameplay tone and narrative requirements of the game, offering art-driven solutions to design and narrative challenges when necessary.
• Work with the Creative Leadership, marketing principals and PR to ensure visual continuity across all branding, marketing materials and social media assets.
• Responsible for all final art direction on all studio promotional materials, presentation materials, logo design, art books, etc. Make effective and persuasive presentations on art direction topics to the studio, internal and external groups, and executive leadership.

Requirements:

• Launched high-profile games as art director.
• Exceptional portfolio that exhibits personal and project specific art direction accomplishments.
• Ability to define artistic vision for mainstream titles, with exceptional visual and technical understanding in rendering and asset creation for game development. Must have an eye for graphical quality and knowledge of techniques to achieve visual targets from concept to in-game asset creation.
• Broad knowledge of all art disciplines including concept, character, animation, environment, VFX, UI, lighting, shading, and rendering with the ability to unify those elements across a project.
• Effective leadership, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Passion for making and playing great games. Deep knowledge of current titles, genres, and industry trends.
• A desire to innovate and to go beyond expectations in the pursuit of visual and gameplay differentiators.