Animation Director — Lead Character Performance & Vision

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 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