Character Animator

Carousel Studio; Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; On-site; EUR 24,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Carousel Studio in Spain is seeking a motivated Character Animator to bring our 3D characters, creatures, and vehicles to life. You will craft performances from subtle facial expressions to dynamic action sequences, aligned with the director's vision.

You will apply the 12 Principles of Animation, collaborate with Rigging, and may edit motion capture data to fit the project's stylized or realistic needs. A strong reel and proficiency in Maya or Blender are essential.

Qualifications

• A showreel demonstrating character animation, weight, and acting.
• Strong understanding of the 12 Principles of Animation.
• Ability to adapt between stylized and realistic styles.

Responsibilities

• Create believable animations for 3D characters, creatures, and vehicles.
• Work with Rigging to test assets and refine deformation.
• Edit motion capture data if applicable to fit the project look.
• Assist in camera work and layout when required.

Skills

Performance eye

Character animation

Stylized / photoreal

Communication

Tools

Autodesk Maya

Blender

Job description

Carousel Studio | Expression of interest

Character Animator

As a Character Animator, you are the soul of the character. You won't just move controls; you will craft performances. Whether it's a subtle facial expression or a high-octane action sequence, you will be responsible for the movement and acting of our 3D characters, creatures, and vehicles.

Key Responsibilities

• Performance: Create believable, appealing animation that meets the creative direction (from blocking to final polish).
• Acting & Mechanics: Apply the 12 Principles of Animation to ensure characters have weight, personality, and physical plausibility.
• Camera Work: Animate cameras for layout or specific shots if required, ensuring good composition and flow.
• Pipeline Collaboration: Work closely with Rigging to test assets and provide feedback on deformation and control schemes.
• Mocap Editing: (If applicable) Clean up and enhance motion capture data to fit the stylized or realistic needs of the project.

What You Bring (The Toolkit)

• Maya Mastery: Expert proficiency in Autodesk Maya and its Graph Editor or Blender.
• Performance Eye: A strong reel demonstrating body mechanics (weight, balance) and acting (emotion, dialogue, subtext).
• Adaptability: Ability to switch between styles (e.g., stylized/cartoony vs. photoreal/creature).
• Communication: Ability to interpret direction from the Animation Supervisor and iterate quickly.

Bonus Points

• Experience with Unreal Engine (Control Rig / Sequencer).
• Basic rigging knowledge (understand how to fix a broken constraint).
• Traditional 2D animation skills (drawing/sketching).
• Experience with creature animation (quadrupeds/flight).