Art Director

At Velan Studios we foster a culture of curiosity. Our games embrace diversity and are fueled by the adventurous spirit of our team. We are the creative minds behind titles like Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and Knockout City; as well as the upcoming releases Midnight Murder Club and Bounce Arcade. Our mission is to pioneer ground-breaking game experiences and reimagine play in new ways. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of traditional gaming, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, and revolutionizing the industry one game at a time.

About the Role

We are looking for a skilled and passionate Art Director to join our team. The Art Director will be a critical member of this project consisting of a small team and is expected to additionally contribute in one or more of the following areas; Concept, character modeling, environment building, VFX, etc. This role will help define the visual and aesthetic direction of our projects by working with the team and establishing the style of the environments, characters, look and feel for a Brand-New IP.

Responsibilities

• Working closely with the Game Director and other key project leaders to help define and build out the look of this project and possibly multiple internal projects.
• The ability to lead a small team of artists towards a brand identity.
• The skills to either create concept art, or in-game VFX, or 3D assets (characters or environments) at a senior level. The breakdown for each is as follows:

1. Concept Art skills would include providing thumbnails, sketches, studies, mood paintings, polished illustrations, concepts to hand over to the 3D team, and art bible creation. Stylization, knowledge of optimization and ability to edit, modify, and enhance content in-engine is a must.
2. 3D modeling skills include being a highly skilled 3D artist in Maya, Blender, Max, and/or Zbrush to create stylized and optimized in-game assets. Examples showing wireframes are extremely useful in addition to shader or material samples.
3. In-game VFX skills include working in engine as well as utilizing other industry standard software to create on-style VFX quickly and efficiently.
4. Expert knowledge of industry standard gameplay engines, such as Unity and Unreal.

• Joining in on discussions of gameplay with the group during playtests.
• Deliver needed content according to the schedule set by the project leads.
• Create high quality artwork to support studio needs such as marketing, pitch decks, and PR events.

• 8+ years of industry experience as a game artist, with 5+ years in an AD role or other relevant experience.
• Strong understanding of anatomy, storytelling, lighting, composition, perspective, and color theory.
• Experience using 3D applications such as ZBrush, 3DSMax, Maya, Substance Designer, and/or other game production tools.
• Strong foundational art skills and a keen eye for keeping art consistent and on-model.
• The ability to create in a wide variety of styles, themes, and genres to fully understand how to explore an art direction.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Self-direction, passion, and creativity in your work.
• A receptiveness to feedback and the ability to act successfully on direct critique.

Big Plusses

• Experience with UI and graphic design.
• Ability to storyboard.
• Prototyping experience in an artist capacity.
• Leadership and/or mentoring experience.

The salary for this position is typically within the range specified below* per year. Please note that the actual base pay may vary based on factors such as your qualifications, skills, experience, and other relevant considerations. In addition to your salary, our comprehensive compensation package includes various perks, such as potential annual bonuses (though they are not guaranteed), health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays, and flexible time-off benefits.

 This range covers associate-mid level salary ranges: *$100,000.-$150,000.

We're thrilled that you're considering joining our team. We want to let you know that candidates who can work onsite in our Troy, NY studio are highly preferred. We believe that working together in person can foster better collaboration and creativity, and we're excited about the opportunity to have you right here with us. Velan Studios is made up of a team of remote, hybrid, and onsite employees, with hybrid and onsite team members operating from our Troy, NY office.

Velan Studios is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about a role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to submit a General Application. Velan Studios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion, diversity, and providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. We seek to create a work culture that matches the diversity of our players.