2D Key Animator

With ROUGE; New York (NY); Remote; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

ROUGE Collective in a remote, Southeast Asia–anchored team is seeking Key Animators to translate storyboards into compelling frame-by-frame animation. You’ll collaborate with project leads, adapt to diverse workflows, and maintain readability for future team members.

The role emphasizes strong timing, acting, and collaboration over solo delivery, with a focus on consistent quality across projects. Experience with multiple tools and a passion for 2D animation are valued.

Qualifications

• You must be based in Southeast Asia.
• You work with us in English, remotely, with a team across the region.
• You’re fluent in Toon Boom or Clip Studio.
• You've had rough animation produced.
• You’re comfortable passing or working from another animator’s file.
• You are able to adapt to different studio processes.
• You participate in the room, even remotely.
• You adapt to the project's style.
• Working knowledge of more than one animation tool.

Responsibilities

• Turn storyboards and animatics into rough animation with clear acting, timing and staging
• Produce roughs and tie-downs as the minimum scope. Depending on the project, this may include shading, highlights, clean-up, in-betweens, or colour if that is part of your agreed role.
• Match each project's style, model sheets and art direction
• Collaborate early with the assigned project leads, so story and animation grow together
• Take notes, revise quickly and keep shots consistent across scenes and episodes
• Hand off organised files to schedule, ready for clean-up, colour and compositing
• Flag problems early and bring ideas that make a shot stronger

Skills

Toon Boom

Clip Studio

Based in Southeast Asia

Rough animation produced

Passing or working from another file

Adapting to studio processes

Room participation remotely

Adapting to project style

Multiple animation tools

Job description

We're looking for Key Animators to join us on our 2D frame-by-frame animation projects.

Our work is steady, and each good project tends to bring the next. We hire project by project, but we're not looking for a writer for one job. We're looking for a voice we can trust and keep coming back to. Consistency matters more to us than volume.

Remote is fine. You don't have to live in Malaysia, but you have to know it in your bones: how people speak, what's happening there now, the humour and references that don't survive translation.

Must Have (these are non-negotiables)

If these don't fit, we can't consider your application:

You're based in Southeast Asia. You work with us in English, remotely, with a team spread across the region.

You're fluent in at least one of Toon Boom or Clip Studio. Any one is enough. Tell us which.

You've had rough animation produced. Show us your shots from finished films, series or commissions.

You’re comfortable passing or working from another animator’s file. Keeping your work readable for the next person.

You are able to adapt to different studio processes. Every project has its own workflow, file setup, style requirements, and review rhythm.

Should Have (these will make you shine)

You participate in the room, even remotely. We’re building a remote studio, not a drop-off folder. You don’t need to be the loudest person in the call, but we appreciate animators who stay connected to the team.

You adapt to the project's style. From character-led performance to stylised or illustrative looks, you match the model sheet and art direction rather than imposing your own.

Working knowledge of more than one animation tool. Some shots need a bit of problem-solving, so if you know more than one animation tool, that can be very handy. Tell us what you use and where you’re strongest.

Nice to Have (this is the cherry on top)

Animal and creature movement, from real observation

Experience with NGOs, B Corps or mission-driven organisations

A Note on Working Style

This is a collaborative remote production. We need animators who can show progress, receive direction, ask useful questions, and keep their work readable for the people who come after them. Notes from the director and project leads are part of the process. Sometimes the note will be specific. Sometimes it will be about what the character should feel, what the scene should convey, or what is not reading clearly yet.

You will not be expected to disappear into the work and only return with finished files. We want an animator who treats a note as material rather than a verdict. If your instinct on a revision is to find another way in rather than defend the first pass, you'll fit. We care about making the work stronger, not protecting the first pass.

What You'll Actually Do

Turn storyboards and animatics into rough animation with clear acting, timing and staging

Produce roughs and tie-downs as the minimum scope. Depending on the project, this may include shading, highlights, clean-up, in-betweens, or colour if that is part of your agreed role.

Match each project's style, model sheets and art direction

Collaborate early with the assigned project leads, so story and animation grow together

Take notes, revise quickly and keep shots consistent across scenes and episodes

Hand off organised files to schedule, ready for clean-up, colour and compositing

Flag problems early and bring ideas that make a shot stronger

Why This Matters

We believe there are many original stories from Southeast Asia that can be told through frame-by-frame 2D animation. We also believe this style can help clients tell stories with more feeling, specificity, and craft. The films you'd animate make people care about the people, places and creatures that rarely get a story, many of them under pressure right now. When it works, a viewer feels something new, and sometimes that feeling becomes action.

So we’re not looking for a delivery machine. We’re looking for animators who love the medium, want to keep growing, and are excited to help us build more ambitious 2D animation from this region.

ROUGE Collective is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members.