Skydance Media is hiring: Character Designer in Los Angeles

Santa Monica, Los Angeles Skydance Animation

Skydance Animation is seeking an experienced Character Designer to join our team on an upcoming feature film. In this role, you will play a pivotal part in bringing stories to life by shaping the look, personality, and visual identity of our characters. From early concept exploration to final design execution, you will craft compelling, expressive designs that resonate with both the narrative and audience.

Working closely with directors, art leads, and fellow creatives, the Character Designer will contribute to the development of unique character styles, produce high-quality design assets, and help maintain a cohesive visual language throughout the film. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in drawing, a keen sense of storytelling through design, and the versatility to explore a wide range of shapes, styles, and emotional expression.

Previous experience on a feature animated film is required.

This position is based in Los Angeles, California, and requires the selected candidate to work in an on-site hybrid capacity.

Responsibilities

Develop original artwork for project concepts and characters, including exploratory designs, refined assets, and surface details

Produce a wide range of visual development work from quick sketches and rough ideation to fully realized, production-ready character designs

Create clear and expressive character turnarounds, pose sheets, and supplementary drawings in 2D and/or CG visual development formats

Conduct visual and thematic research to inform design choices, ensuring authenticity, originality, and alignment with the story and world

Design and assemble compelling presentation materials that effectively communicate creative ideas to internal teams and leadership

Collaborate in brainstorming sessions to generate inventive concepts that enhance storytelling, bringing depth, humor, emotion, and personality to each character

Apply a strong understanding of human and/or animal anatomy to create believable, dynamic, and appealing character designs

Contribute creative problem-solving solutions, respond thoughtfully to feedback, and iterate efficiently on designs throughout the production process

Manage time effectively to meet production schedules and deadlines while maintaining a high level of quality

Maintain organized, production-ready files in accordance with the show’s naming conventions and versioning systems

Communicate proactively with supervisors and production partners regarding progress, questions, and any potential challenges

Revise and update designs as needed based on feedback, ensuring all work meets the creative vision before final approval

Partner closely with the Production Designer, Art Director, Lead Character Designer, and production staff to provide status updates and address any issues that arise

Requirements

8+ years of character design experience on animated feature films

Strong visual storytelling skills, with the ability to design characters that support narrative and performance

Advanced proficiency in Adobe Photoshop

Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to present work and respond effectively to feedback

Solid understanding of human and/or animal anatomy

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as collaboratively within a team

Adaptable and responsive to evolving creative direction and production needs

Working knowledge of Autodesk Maya, Blender, or ZBrush is a plus

Must be, or be willing to become, a member of The Animation Guild Local 839

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In Summary: The Character Designer will contribute to the development of unique character styles, produce high-quality design assets, and help maintain a cohesive visual language throughout the film . The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in drawing, a keen sense of storytelling through design . Previous experience on a feature animated film is required .

En Español: Santa Monica, Los Ángeles Skydance Animation está buscando un diseñador de personajes experimentado para unirse a nuestro equipo en una próxima película. En este papel, jugará un papel fundamental en dar vida a las historias al moldear la apariencia, personalidad e identidad visual de nuestros personajes. Desde la exploración temprana del concepto hasta la ejecución final del diseño, crearás diseños atractivos y expresivos que resuenan tanto con la narrativa como con el público. Trabajando estrechamente con directores, líderes artísticos y compañeros creativos, el Diseñador de caracteres contribuirá al desarrollo de estilos de personaje, producirá activos de diseño de alta calidad y ayudará a mantener un lenguaje visual único cohesivo durante toda la película. El candidato ideal tiene una sólida base en el dibujo, un fuerte sentido de contar historias a través del diseño y la versatilidad para explorar una amplia gama de formas, estilos y expresiones emocionales. Se requiere experiencia previa en una película animada de largometrajes. Este puesto se encuentra en Los Ángeles, California, y requieren que el candidato seleccionado trabaje en una capacidad híbrida in situ. Responsabilidades Desarrollar obras originales para conceptos y personajes del proyecto, incluidos diseños exploratorios, activos refinados y detalles superficiales Producir una amplia variedad de trabajo de desarrollo visual desde imágenes rápidas e ideaciones ásperas hasta diseños de personajes completamente realizados, diseñadores están listos para producción Crear desafíos claros y expresivos, fichas y dibujos gráficos en 2D y/o desarrollos visuales Conduce investigaciones creativas y temáticas para generar conocimientos creativos, asegurando la autenticidad de los procesos de diseño, diseño avanzadas y diseño de diseños y diseños, así como las capacidades de diseñar y mejorar la calidad de cada uno de sus propios diseños.