Animation Director

Flying Bark; Burbank, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Cake days

Culture club

Studio social events

Career development

Job summary

Flying Bark Productions is seeking an Animation Director to join our Burbank studio, leading the creative execution of animation and ensuring alignment with the project vision. This role collaborates with internal leadership and our external vendor studio to maintain quality and consistency across episodes and sequences.

The position requires 5+ years in animation and prior leadership as an Animation Director or Lead Animator, with strong communication skills and a track record of delivering

Qualifications

• 5+ years professional experience on animated series or features.
• Experience as Animation Director or Lead Animator.
• Strong understanding of animation principles, character acting, performance, timing, posing, staging, and storytelling.
• Proficiency with industry-standard animation software and production tools such as Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, Autodesk Maya, SyncSketch, and ShotGrid.
• Experience providing animation direction and detailed creative feedback to artists.
• Strong visual and storytelling instincts with an ability to clearly communicate creative ideas.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Showrunner, EPs, supervisors, directors, and other creative departments.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to give clear, constructive feedback while maintaining a collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make thoughtful creative decisions within established direction.
• Experience working with outsourced animation teams is a plus.]

Responsibilities

• Support the creative execution of animation throughout production under the direction of the Supervising Animation Director.
• Translate the project's creative vision into actionable guidance for animators.
• Review animation work and provide notes on performance, acting, timing, spacing, and staging.
• Collaborate with the external vendor studio to guide character performances and storytelling.
• Identify creative issues and develop effective solutions with artists.
• Maintain consistency in character performance and animation style across sequences.
• Provide feedback through draw-overs, notes, and other communications.
• Establish and maintain animation standards and expectations with leadership.
• Coordinate with Layout, Story, and other departments to address animation needs.
• Review boards and animatics from an animation perspective to anticipate challenges.
• Communicate animation requirements and intent to leadership across teams.
• Participate in animation reviews, screenings, and production meetings.
• Help ensure notes are understood and implemented throughout the process.
• Stay engaged with the work to uphold quality across production.

Skills

Animation direction

Team collaboration

Feedback provision

Tools

Adobe Animate

Toon Boom Harmony

Autodesk Maya

SyncSketch

ShotGrid

Job description

Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic and innovative animation studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of character animation and storytelling. We are working on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series, and Stranger Things animated series as well as upcoming feature film, Zac Power.

Flying Bark Productions is seeking an Animation Director to join our Burbank studio’s growing team! Reporting to the Supervising Animation Director, the Animation Director will help lead the creative execution of animation throughout production, ensuring that character performance, acting, movement, timing, and staging align with the project's creative vision and established animation direction.

This role works closely with the internal animation leadership team and our external vendor studio to communicate creative intent, provide clear and constructive feedback, and maintain consistency and quality across the project.

This role is located onsite in our Burbank, CA office.

Key Responsibilities

• Work under the direction of the Supervising Animation Director to support the creative execution of animation throughout production.
• Translate the project's creative vision and animation direction into clear, actionable guidance for animators.
• Review animation work and provide detailed notes on performance, acting, posing, timing, spacing, movement, staging, and overall execution.
• Work closely with our vendor studio’s AnimationLeadership to help guide the development of strong character performances and storytelling through animation.
• Identify creative issues in animation and work with artists to develop effective solutions.
• Maintain consistency in character performance, movement, and animation style across sequences and episodes.
• Review animation at various stages of completion and provide timely, constructive feedback through draw-overs, written notes, and other forms of communication as needed to best convey animation notes.
• Collaborate with the Supervising Animation Director to establish and maintain animation standards and expectations.
• Work closely with Layout, Story, and other relevant departments to address animation-related creative needs and challenges.
• Review storyboards and animatics from an animation perspective, identifying potential performance, staging, or technical challenges before they reach animation.
• Help communicate animation requirements and creative intent to the leadership team working across internal and external teams.
• Participate in animation reviews, screenings, and production meetings as needed.
• Support the Supervising Animation Director in maintaining the overall quality and consistency of animation across the production.
• Stay engaged with the work throughout the animation process and help ensure notes are understood and successfully implemented.

Qualifications

• 5+ years professional experience on animated series or features.
• Previous experience as an Animation Director or Lead Animator.
• Strong understanding of animation principles, character acting, performance, timing, posing, staging, and storytelling.
• Proficiency with industry-standard animation software and production tools such as Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, Autodesk Maya, SyncSketch, and ShotGrid.
• Experience providing animation direction and detailed creative feedback to artists.
• Strong visual and storytelling instincts with an ability to clearly communicate creative ideas.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Showrunner, EPs, supervisors, directors, and other creative departments.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to give clear, constructive feedback while maintaining a collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make thoughtful creative decisions within established direction.
• Experience working with outsourced animation teams is a plus.

Why Work with Us?

• We work on some of the coolest projects in the industry! Check out our website: Flying Bark
• We have cake days, a dedicated culture club, and regular studio social events!
• We offer a hybrid working approach, with flexible work-from-home days
• Career development is a priority for us, and we provide ongoing training and support opportunities
• Our employees rave about our inclusive and welcoming culture—everyone is celebrated here!

Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Salary Range: $3,250 - $3,400 weekly.