About the Role
Animation Director
Remote/Flexible – USA/Canada
Crystal Dynamics is constantly seeking the best gaming talent worldwide to add to our 30-plus year legacy of game development creating new and iconic franchises. We are committed to making great games with great people and living the dream while doing it.
Benefits for our regular full-time positions include, but are not limited to, a competitive regional salary, 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance options, professional development reimbursement, flexible hybrid on-site/off-site work opportunities, company paid holidays, plus additional paid days in December when the studio is closed for holiday break, and the ability to accrue additional paid time-off.
Join us and shape the future of an amazing studio culture committed to creating award-winning franchises like Tomb Raider, the next Perfect Dark, and more!
Crystal Dynamics is seeking a visionary Animation Director to lead and inspire our co-development team of talented animators, playing a pivotal role in defining the animation vision for our upcoming high-fidelity action-adventure titles. As the Animation Director, you will blend strategic leadership with hands-on contribution, directly influencing the gameplay experience through the execution of top-tier animations. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the visual and interactive elements of our games, making a substantial impact on our projects.
As an Animation Director, you will:
- Drive the overarching animation vision in collaboration with the Game Director and Art Director, ensuring the game’s visual and interactive identity is maintained.
- Work in close partnership with Department Leads, Animators, and Designers to assess and meet the game’s animation requirements.
- Work closely with our external co-development partner, guiding animators across different time zones to drive creative alignment and ensure the delivery of high-quality animation assets.
- Deliver engaging combat and traversal animations in collaboration with gameplay designers and engineers.
- Set and manage animation goals, aligning deliverables with project milestones and deadlines.
- Utilize the animation team’s diverse strengths to produce superior quality animations.
- Promote team growth and morale through regular individual meetings, feedback sessions, and mentorship opportunities.
- Foster a positive, collaborative team environment that values open communication and constructive feedback.
- Develop and maintain a modern animation workflow aligned with our Unreal Editor development environment to enhance team productivity and reduce iteration time.
- Document and manage animation tasks and processes.
- Guide animators across various styles, ensuring a consistent animation approach throughout the project.
- Manage, direct, and review external animation vendors, as needed.
To be considered for this role, we require the following:
- Extensive experience in a leadership role within animation (Director, Lead, or Principal Animator) in the game development industry, particularly for high-fidelity action-adventure games.
- Demonstrated leadership abilities with a track record of nurturing and developing animation talent.
- In-depth understanding of gameplay systems, including weapon, traversal, melee, and ranged combat animations, especially from a 3rd person perspective.
- Expertise in animation graphs, animation blending, and node-based animation editors.
- Proficiency in Motion Capture and real-time game engines / editors.
- A collaborative mindset, particularly when working with co-development design and engineering teams.
- Examples of relevant work (i.e., demo reel, portfolio, or contributions to shipped title). An ideal reel will include:
- Up to date examples of realistic animations that clearly demonstrate your skills/expertise, preferably showcasing some or all of the following:
- Character Animation: High-quality, grounded movements like walking, running, jumping, climbing, and other traversal actions.
- Gameplay Animations: Realistic offensive and defensive moves for both melee and ranged combat, including combos and melee weapons.
- Cutscene Integration: Smooth transitions between gameplay and cinematic scenes.
- Inclusion of a breakdown sheet detailing your specific contributions to each piece is highly recommended.
- Note: If you directed others, we would then be looking for a director’s cut.
Preference will be given to candidates who have:
- Experience with Unreal Engine.
- Experience with Unreal Engine Animation Tools.
- Experience with Metahuman Animation Tools.
It’ll be a bonus if you also have:
- Shipped 1+ AAA titles as an Animation Director.
- Experience and willingness to work with co-development teams in EU time zones.
- Experience directing motion capture shoots for both gameplay and cinematic performances.
- Experience working within an existing IP.
- Experience with creature animation.