Animation Director

Crystal Dynamics is seeking a visionary Animation Director to lead and inspire our co-development team of talented animators, playing a pivotal role in defining the animation vision for our upcoming high-fidelity action-adventure titles. As the Animation Director, you will blend strategic leadership with hands-on contribution, directly influencing the gameplay experience through the execution of top-tier animations. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the visual and interactive elements of our games, making a substantial impact on our projects.

As an Animation Director, you will:

• Drive the overarching animation vision in collaboration with the Game Director and Art Director, ensuring the game's visual and interactive identity is maintained.
• Work in close partnership with Department Leads, Animators, and Designers to assess and meet the game's animation requirements.
• Work closely with our external co-development partner, guiding animators across different time zones to drive creative alignment and ensure the delivery of high-quality animation assets.
• Deliver engaging combat and traversal animations in collaboration with gameplay designers and engineers.
• Set and manage animation goals, aligning deliverables with project milestones and deadlines.
• Utilize the animation team's diverse strengths to produce superior quality animations.
• Promote team growth and morale through regular individual meetings, feedback sessions, and mentorship opportunities.
• Foster a positive, collaborative team environment that values open communication and constructive feedback.
• Develop and maintain a modern animation workflow aligned with our Unreal Editor development environment to enhance team productivity and reduce iteration time.
• Document and manage animation tasks and processes.
• Guide animators across various styles, ensuring a consistent animation approach throughout the project.
• Manage, direct, and review external animation vendors, as needed.

To be considered for this role, we require the following:

• Extensive experience in a leadership role within animation (Director, Lead, or Principal Animator) in the game development industry, particularly for high-fidelity action-adventure games.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities with a track record of nurturing and developing animation talent.
• In-depth understanding of gameplay systems, including weapon, traversal, melee, and ranged combat animations, especially from a 3rd person perspective.
• Expertise in animation graphs, animation blending, and node-based animation editors.
• Proficiency in Motion Capture and real-time game engines / editors.
• A collaborative mindset, particularly when working with co-development design and engineering teams.
• Examples of relevant work (i.e., demo reel, portfolio, or contributions to shipped title). An ideal reel will include:
  • Up to date examples of realistic animations that clearly demonstrate your skills/expertise, preferably showcasing some or all of the following:
  • Character Animation: High-quality, grounded movements like walking, running, jumping, climbing, and other traversal actions.
  • Gameplay Animations: Realistic offensive and defensive moves for both melee and ranged combat, including combos and melee weapons.
  • Cutscene Integration: Smooth transitions between gameplay and cinematic scenes.

• Inclusion of a breakdown sheet detailing your specific contributions to each piece is highly recommended.
  • Note: If you directed others, we would then be looking for a director’s cut.

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

• Experience with Unreal Engine.
• Experience with Unreal Engine Animation Tools.
• Experience with Metahuman Animation Tools.

It'll be a bonus if you also have:

• Shipped 1+ AAA titles as an Animation Director.
• Experience and willingness to work with co-development teams in EU time zones.
• Experience directing motion capture shoots for both gameplay and cinematic performances.
• Experience working within an existing IP.
• Experience with creature animation.