Gamecompanies is hiring : Senior Gameplay Animator Santa Monica (USA) Naughty Dog

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

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Parts I & II are now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we’re busy at the kennel working on Intergalactic : The Heretic Prophet, and The Last of Us Part II Remastered for PC and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

We are looking for an expert gameplay animator to help us continue setting the standard of interactive animation for our latest project. If you are detail oriented, comfortable in the AAA game space and want to be part of groundbreaking visual quality and tech, you may just be the Dog we’re looking for!

What you will do :

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 identifies 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

Familiar with one of the modern animation systems : Unreal, Morpheme, Unity, etc.

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.

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.

Please note that 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. Click here to learn more.

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

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