Sony Pictures Animation hiring Previs Artist, California 2026

Sony Pictures Animation

is an industry-leading animation studio based in Los Angeles, California, that creates groundbreaking feature films and animated series in partnership with world-class artists from across the globe. Our studio culture is built around a singular core philosophy: empowering filmmakers to lead the creative process.

Sony Pictures Animation

intentionally design our production pipelines to allow the distinct hand of the artist to be truly felt, with the ultimate goal of producing bold, subversive, and innovative visual storytelling that challenges the boundaries of traditional animation.

Job Overview : Previs Artist
Company

Sony Pictures Animation

Location

Los Angeles, California, United States (Onsite/Hybrid)

Project Type

High-Profile Animated Feature Film Productions

Hourly Rate Range

$45.00/hour – $75.00/hour (Commensurate with skill level)

Primary Engine

Unreal Engine 5

Primary DCC

Autodesk Maya

Infrastructure Tools

Perforce (Version Control) & ShotGrid (Production Tracking)

The Opportunity as

Previs Artist
Sony Pictures Animation

is seeking an exceptionally versatile and technically proficient

Previs Artist

to contribute to both the artistic and technical infrastructure of our feature film pre-visualization projects. This role bridges the gap between creative storytelling and pipeline design, operating heavily inside concurrent Autodesk Maya and Unreal Engine 5 pipelines.

In this position( Previs Artist ), you will act as a foundational technical and creative collaborator during the early stages of pre-production. You will partner with the Executive in Charge of Pre-Production, the Previs Department Head, and our dedicated technology teams to develop, maintain, and optimize extensive libraries of digital assets, materials, textures, and motion files.

Your work will directly empower production designers, art directors, and layout artists by ensuring they have stable, rigged, and performance-optimized assets ready for deployment. This is a rare opportunity to help shape the development of a next-generation previs pipeline while working directly on premium cinematic features.

The Previs Artist balances asset preparation, technical pipeline development, and shot assembly. Your day-to-day operations will center around three core functional areas:

1. Asset Prep, Rigging & Technical Setup

Character Systems:

Develop, weight, and test rigged characters tailored specifically for pre-visualization workflows, creating efficient character export tools to streamline data translation to external vendors.

Library Architecture:

Build, curate, and maintain standardized libraries of 3D assets, master materials, complex visual effects (FX), and pre-saved motion files for instantaneous use by the previs crew.

DCC Interoperability:

Support art and previs departments by systematically auditing, preparing, and maintaining complete asset compatibility across multiple Digital Content Creation (DCC) software suites.

Material Graphs:

Author, debug, and optimize complex shader configurations and material graphs within both Maya and Unreal Engine 5 to preserve visual fidelity during early pre-production.

2. Shot Assembly & Real-Time Production

Unreal Sequencer Integration:

Actively work within Unreal Engine 5’s Sequencer tool to assemble complex shots, hook up character animations, control virtual cameras, and manage a mix of proprietary in-house and vendor-supplied assets.

Lighting & Level Design:

Assist with setting up lighting schemes and shading levels directly inside Unreal Engine 5 environments to properly establish the intended mood, depth, and atmospheric tone of each sequence.

Pipeline Collaboration:

Partner closely with internal software development teams to actively design, test, and debug a brand-new, cutting-edge real-time previs pipeline.

Workflow Optimization:

Continuously identify structural inefficiencies across departments, championing strategic pipeline improvements to facilitate rapid creative iteration.

Technical Troubleshooting:

Act as a front-line technical support resource for artists and supervisors, troubleshooting rigging, asset conversion, or engine performance roadblocks, and guiding them through the native use of custom pipeline tools.

Position Requirements for Previs Artist
Sony Pictures Animation is looking for an individual who couples a vivid imagination and an appreciation for film language with deep technical troubleshooting capabilities within real-time engines.

Essential Skills & Technical Qualifications

DCC Proficiency:

Proven professional experience working with Autodesk Maya or equivalent high-end 3D software packages within a feature animation or VFX pipeline.

Unreal Pipeline Mastery:

Deep technical knowledge of the Unreal Engine asset, skeleton, and animation pipeline frameworks.

Rigging & Retargeting:

Demonstrated experience managing character rigging setups and skeletal animation retargeting pipelines specifically engineered for compatibility between Maya and Unreal Engine.

Cinematic Literacy:

A strong foundational understanding of physical cameras, focal lengths, framing, character blocking, and cinematic film language.

Troubleshooting Aptitude:

Exceptional problem-solving and technical debugging skills inside Maya and Unreal Engine 5, particularly regarding complex shader graphs and asset data conversion.

Production Iteration Knowledge:

A solid understanding of the high-velocity nature of Previs, VFX, or CG shot production and the rapid iteration cycles it demands.

Collaborative Mindset:

A strong desire to collaborate with, learn from, and support others within an agile team framework, paired with the drive to take on increasingly complex technical challenges.

Creative Focus:

A vivid imagination capable of translating abstract artwork and high-level storyboards into fully functional 3D templates.

Required Software Toolsets

Autodesk Maya

Unreal Engine 5

Autodesk MotionBuilder

Perforce

(for source control management)

ShotGrid

(for task tracking and asset review)

Application Submission Guidelines
1. An up-to-date, professional resume outlining your relevant production credits and software proficiencies.

2. A link to your digital portfolio or animation showreel highlighting your previs, layout, or technical asset work.

3. Important Note on Accessibility:

Please make sure to explicitly include any necessary passwords or access codes to your work within your cover letter or directly on your resume document.

Sony Pictures Animation is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics.

#J-18808-Ljbffr