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Steamroller Animation · 3 weeks ago

Animation Supervisor (Creature & Gameplay Focus) Animation Remote (Mount Dora, Florida, US)

United States

Full-time

Remote

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

8+ years exp

Steamroller Animation is seeking a seasoned Animation Supervisor to lead a team in creating high-quality creature and gameplay performances. The role involves defining artistic direction, mentoring animators, and ensuring the lifelike motion of creatures through observation and storytelling.

Animation

Growth Opportunities

No H1B

Responsibilities

Define artistic direction and quality standards for various animated projects, specifically focusing on gameplay mechanics, creature behaviors, and cinematic sequences

Motivate and mentor team members, cultivating technical and artistic excellence with a focus on biomechanical realism and responsive gameplay

Serve as the main point of contact for Animation on projects, adeptly representing the team’s creature and gameplay work to other departments

Attend Partner meetings as a distinguished representative of the team and the studio, ensuring the vision for creature mechanics is aligned

Stay attuned to artistic and production requirements, aligning with the team and Partners to ensure player immersion and believability

Create comprehensive documentation for show workflow and onboarding, ensuring animators understand the pipeline and gameplay systems

Prioritize, assign, and follow up on tasks, ensuring timely deliverables and effective schedule planning

Anticipate and resolve conflicts or production issues proactively, particularly those involving technical constraints or design blockers

Clearly communicate technical and artistic constraints to the team, balancing visual fidelity with gameplay responsiveness

Conduct impactful dailies, rounds, and team reviews, providing clear and decisive feedback to refine motion and support design goals

Provide constructive feedback professionally to a team with diverse skill levels and Partners, ensuring consistency across all assets

Conduct dynamic training sessions for the animation team and department, specifically on creature anatomy and gameplay implementation

Maintain a robust working knowledge of essential production tools, including Autodesk Maya and game engine integrations

Attend relevant training classes, continually enhancing leadership skills

Contribute to team efforts and perform additional tasks to support department goals as needed

Qualification

Animation principlesAutodesk MayaCreature animationMotion capture dataHumanAnimal anatomyLeadership experienceUnreal EngineProblem-solving skillsCommunication skills

Required

At least eight (8) years of proven production experience, ideally within AAA, AA, or high-quality indie titles

Previous leadership or supervisory experience is required

Ability to work efficiently and professionally, demonstrating versatility in both independent and team-based settings

Deep understanding of animation principles: weight, physics, balance, appeal, clear timing, spacing, and staging, particularly as they apply to creature locomotion and combat

Knowledgeable in human and animal anatomy, with the ability to translate real-world studies into fantastical movement

Profound understanding of leveraging reference and research for nuanced performance choices, utilizing biomechanical analysis to ground animation in authenticity

Proficient with Autodesk's Maya

Proficiency in conveying emotion through body language and facial expressions

Clear and cohesive communication of performance ideas that align with the project vision

Proactive and adept problem-solving skills to identify show needs and potential issues

Ability to effectively communicate in English