Lead Gameplay Camera Designer

Crystal Dynamics; Canada; On-site; CAD 115,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Crystal Dynamics as a Lead Gameplay Camera Designer and play a pivotal role in shaping the visual narrative of our games. You will design immersive camera dynamics, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and lead camera design initiatives for iconic franchises like Tomb Raider. A competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package await you in a creative studio culture dedicated to excellence and innovation.

Benefits

100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance

Professional development reimbursement

Flexible hybrid work opportunities

Company-paid holidays

Accrued additional paid time-off

Qualifications

• Experience managing camera design initiatives and leading designers.
• Strong portfolio showcasing contributions to gameplay camera design.
• Proficiency with commercial game engines, particularly Unreal Engine.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement gameplay cameras to enhance narrative impact.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to refine camera solutions.
• Own systematic cutscenes, ensuring clarity in storytelling and gameplay.

Skills

Leadership

Cinematography

Camera Design

Collaboration

Education

Experience with Unreal Engine

Professional experience in gameplay camera design

Job description

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!

As a Lead Gameplay Camera Designer at Crystal Dynamics, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping the visual and narrative journey of our players. Your expertise will bridge the gap between storytelling and gameplay, crafting immersive camera dynamics that enhance player engagement and deliver a seamless, rich narrative experience. Working closely with a cross-disciplinary team, you will design, implement, and refine gameplay cameras, custom level camera systems, and cinematic transitions. Your vision and technical skill will ensure that each scene is not only impactful and purposeful but also maintains the highest quality of interactive gameplay.

As a Lead Gameplay Camera Designer, you will:

• Strategically design and author gameplay cameras to enhance narrative impact while ensuring interactivity and player immersion.
• Develop and fine-tune custom cameras and cinematic transitions, creating a smooth and engaging player journey through our game's narrative.
• Own systematic cutscenes and dialogue scenes, ensuring they are shot with clarity and intent to support story, pacing, and gameplay flow.
• Collaborate with Engineers, Animators, and Designers to create and refine tools and camera solutions that elevate the player experience and contribute to the game's dynamic worlds.
• Work closely with System Designers to synchronize gameplay systems with their visual representation on screen, ensuring a cohesive player experience.
• Conceptualize, present, and execute camera design ideas within a project schedule, actively engaging in technical and design problem-solving processes.
• Coordinate with representatives from various departments to address design challenges, enhance narrative storytelling, eliminate production bottlenecks, and clearly communicate design requirements.
• Proactively evaluate, initiate, and implement new processes, tools, and features related to camera design that are specific to the game title or franchise.

To be considered for this role, we require the following:

• Experience in leading camera design initiatives and managing other designers, demonstrating strong leadership capabilities and a collaborative spirit.
• Significant professional experience as a Gameplay Camera Designer, with a strong portfolio or clips showcasing contributions to gameplay camera design, particularly in gameplay and cinematic contexts.
• A deep understanding of cinematography concepts and their application within game development, with proven ability in camera placement and interactive scene composition.
• Proficiency in commercial and/or proprietary game engines, with hands-on experience in implementing camera systems within these environments.
• Experience with Unreal Engine, showcasing a strong command of its camera and sequencer capabilities.
• Skill in at least one core animation tool, demonstrating an understanding of camera animation techniques.

Preference will be given to candidates who have:

• Successfully shipped a 3rd person action-adventure title, demonstrating a keen eye for camera design that enhances gameplay and narrative.
• Prior experience in working with procedural facial animation systems.

It'll be a bonus if you also have:

• A background in narrative design or storytelling, adding depth and context to camera design decisions.
  
  

En français

En tant que Responsable de la conception des caméras de gameplay chez Crystal Dynamics, vous jouerez un rôle clé dans la création du parcours visuel et narratif de nos joueurs. Votre expertise vous permettra de faire le lien entre la narration et la mécanique de jeu, en concevant des mouvements de caméra immersifs qui améliorent l’engagement des joueurs et offrent une expérience narrative fluide et riche. En collaboration avec une équipe pluridisciplinaire, vous concevrez, mettrez en œuvre et perfectionnerez les caméras de gameplay, les systèmes de caméra spécifiques aux niveaux et les transitions cinématiques. Votre vision et vos compétences techniques garantiront que chaque scène soit non seulement percutante et réfléchie, mais qu’elle maintienne également la plus haute qualité d’interactivité.

En tant que Responsable de la conception des caméras de gameplay, vous serez amené à :

• Concevoir et programmer stratégiquement des caméras de gameplay afin d’amplifier l’impact narratif tout en garantissant l’interactivité et l’immersion du joueur.
• Développer et affiner des caméras sur mesure et des transitions cinématographiques, afin d’offrir un parcours fluide et engageant à travers la narration du jeu.
• Superviser les cinématiques systématiques et les scènes de dialogue en vous assurant qu’elles soient tournées avec clarté et intention afin de soutenir l’histoire, le rythme et la fluidité du jeu.
• Collaborer avec les ingénieurs, animateurs et concepteurs pour créer et affiner des outils et des outils de caméra qui enrichissent l’expérience des joueurs et contribuent aux mondes dynamiques du jeu.
• Travailler en étroite collaboration avec les concepteurs de systèmes pour synchroniser les systèmes de gameplay avec leur représentation visuelle à l’écran, garantissant une expérience de jeu cohérente.
• Conceptualiser, présenter et exécuter des idées de conception de caméras dans le cadre d’un plan de projet, en vous engageant activement dans la résolution de problèmes techniques et de conception.
• Coordonner avec les représentants des différents services pour relever les défis liés à la conception, améliorer la narration, éliminer les goulets d’étranglement dans la production et communiquer clairement les exigences de conception.
• Évaluer de manière proactive, initier et mettre en œuvre de nouveaux processus, outils et fonctionnalités liés à la conception des caméras, spécifiques au titre du jeu ou à la franchise.

Critères de sélection pour ce poste:

• Une expérience en direction de projets de conception de caméras et en supervision d’autres concepteurs, avec un fort leadership et un esprit de collaboration.
• Une expérience professionnelle significative en tant que Concepteur de caméras de gameplay, avec un portfolio solide ou des extraits démontrant vos contributions à la conception de caméras de gameplay, notamment dans le contexte de l’expérience de jeu et des cinématiques.
• Une compréhension approfondie des concepts de cinématographie et de leur application dans le développement de jeux vidéo, avec une forte compétence en placement de caméras et en composition interactive des scènes.
• Une maîtrise des moteurs de jeu commerciaux et/ou propriétaires, avec une expérience pratique dans la mise en œuvre de systèmes de caméras dans ces environnements.
• Une expérience avec Unreal Engine, en maîtrisant ses capacités en matière de caméras et de séquenceur.
• Des compétences dans au moins un outil d’animation de base, démontrant une compréhension des techniques d’animation de caméras.

Une préférence sera accordée aux candidats possédant :

• Une expérience de livraison d’un jeu d’action-aventure à la première ou à la troisième personne (action-aventure ou FPS) démontrant une grande sensibilité à la conception de caméras qui enrichit le gameplay et la narration.
• Une expérience préalable en animation faciale procédurale.

Un atout supplémentaire si vous avez également :

• Une formation en conception narrative ou en narration, apportant de la profondeur et du contexte aux décisions relatives à la conception de caméras.

The pay range for this role includes the annual base salary, not including bonus and the generous benefits package that Crystal Dynamics provides all full-time employees. Individual compensation is determined by work location within our approved states or regions, as well as additional factors, including job related skills, experience, and relevant education.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about total compensation.

Pay Range (United States)

$125,000 — $157,000 USD

Pay Range (Canada)

$115,000 — $142,000 CAD

Not sure if you are qualified? We hope that you will still choose to apply so we may review your application!

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Crystal Dynamics is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to identifying and implementing positive and persistent measures to ensure equal opportunity in the recruitment, hiring, development, training, promotion and compensation of a diverse team employee group. This includes persons of different race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or medical conditions related to breastfeeding, genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, political affiliation, age, veteran status, uniform service member status, marital status, physical or mental disability, or citizenship, as well as any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Crystal Dynamics is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. If you require any accommodations, please notify us at your earliest convenience during the interview process.

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