Senior Gameplay Animator (Creatures) Job at Naughty Dog in Santa Monica

Overview

Ability to work hybrid from our Santa Monica, CA based studio is required.

Naughty Dog has a long history of crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. We recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered and a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. The Last of Us Parts I & II are now available for the first time on PC. We are busy at work on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC, and we’re looking for talented individuals to join us.

Naughty Dog games are known for evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation and welcome diverse candidates, believing that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contributes to the studio and the titles we craft together.

Responsibilities

• Create high quality animation content in Maya and implement them correctly in our Naughty Dog engine
• Conceptualize, collaborate, and prototype ideas through mood boards and investigative animations
• Craft gameplay animations for a broad range of creatures of varied types to a high standard of realism for the game
• Mentor and grow other animators’ abilities
• Serve as a positive role model for the team to follow in demeanor, ability, proactivity, communication, and productivity within the department
• Work closely with design and engineering to create new exciting, mind-blowing systemic animations
• Be involved with directing motion capture shoots
• Learn and understand how Naughty Dog gameplay systems work
• Be able to work with any system using the most efficient practices
• Use the engine debug tools to solve gameplay problems and work with designers and programmers to find a solution
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

What skills you will use

• Minimum of 1 shipped AAA game as a Senior Gameplay Animator (or equivalent)
• Minimum of 5 years working in the video-games industry
• Ability to produce very high-quality animation
• Proficient command of weight, timing, and posing through both keyframing and the manipulation of motion capture data
• Strong understanding of creature animation and mechanics
• A strong grasp of physical motion, weight, balance, texture, and form
• Experience with prototype/quick iteration environments
• Efficiency and organization in workflow
• Provide accurate and clear feedback for others
• Passion for opening up the boundaries of interactive character animation
• Ability to plan, setup, and direct motion capture shoots independently and efficiently
• Good general technical knowledge of how games work
• Must be comfortable using a script editor
• Excellent problem solver / fire fighter
• Highly motivated and proactive with a CAN-DO attitude
• Inspire teamwork and collaboration across the department
• Proactive communicator within animation and other departments
• Take ownership of assignments and proactively identify new tasks to tackle
• Utilizing expert prioritization skills to finish tasks quickly and to let others know when priorities must change
• Proactively finding useful things to work on to progress the company and team
• Deep knowledge of Maya: layers, time/trax editor, mocap tools
• In engine animation layering knowledge
• Familiar with one of the modern animation systems: Unreal, Morpheme, Unity, etc.

Bonus skills

• Python knowledge
• C, C#, or C++ knowledge

As part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an animation test.

The estimated USA base pay range for this zone (Los Angeles area) is listed below. This role may be eligible for additional compensation packages that includes annual bonus and other incentive plans.

Compensation and benefits

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.

$139,000 — $173,800 USD

Legal and privacy notice

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about how we process your personal information, and your data protection rights.

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. The base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Please note the base pay range shown above is a general guideline and may change.