Naughty Dog
Senior Gameplay Animator (Creatures)
Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, California, United States, 90403
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.
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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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr