Art Director

Skydance Animation; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 131,950 - 182,000; Full time

Job summary

Skydance Animation is looking for an Art Director to shape the visual identity of an upcoming animated feature film. This pivotal role involves collaborating with the Director and Production Designer to ensure a cohesive visual experience that resonates with the film's story and characters.

Ideal candidates will have a strong artistic sense, extensive experience in animated features, and the ability to lead artists effectively. The position offers competitive compensation and the chance to work in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 6 years of experience working on animated feature productions.
• Experience in leading or supervising an Art Department preferred.
• Exceptional understanding of design fundamentals, including composition and color theory.

Responsibilities

• Champion and help execute the Director’s creative vision.
• Define and develop the film’s artistic style and visual language.
• Create and contribute high-quality concept art and visual development materials.

Skills

Visual storytelling

Leadership

Creative problem-solving

Communication

Design fundamentals

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Skydance Animation is seeking an Art Director to help shape the visual identity of an upcoming animated feature film. This role is central to defining and executing the overall look and feel of the film, ensuring a cohesive and compelling visual experience that supports both story and character.

The Art Director will report to the Production Designer and will work in close partnership with the Director and the rest of the creative leadership team to bring the film’s visual vision to life, translating conceptual ideas into a clear and actionable visual direction for the broader art team. Throughout production, they will collaborate across departments, including environments, characters, lighting, and effects, to maintain artistic consistency and elevate the quality of every frame.

This position requires a strong artistic sensibility, a deep understanding of visual storytelling, and the ability to lead and inspire artists in a fast‑paced, highly collaborative environment. The ideal candidate is both a visionary and a problem‑solver and someone who can balance creative ambition with production realities while pushing the film’s aesthetic to new heights.

Responsibilities

• Champion and help execute the Director’s creative vision for the film’s visual identity, in close partnership with the Production Designer, ensuring consistency and excellence from development through final delivery
• Define, develop, and clearly communicate the film’s artistic style, with a particular focus on environments, sets, props, and color design, establishing a cohesive visual language across all departments
• Create and contribute high-quality concept art, visual development materials, and key imagery
• Collaborate with the Production Designer to lead and oversee the Los Angeles and Madrid based Art Departments, fostering alignment, consistency, and a unified creative direction across global teams (including occasional travel as needed)
• Provide ongoing artistic direction, feedback, and mentorship to team members, supporting their growth while maintaining high creative standards
• Work closely with studio leadership, production, and technical teams to align on creative goals, production timelines, tools, and budget, balancing artistic ambition with practical execution
• Prepare and deliver compelling presentations that communicate the film’s visual direction to studio executives, stakeholders, and external partners
• Partner with production leadership, Talent Development, and Talent Acquisition to identify, evaluate, and help secure top artistic talent for key roles across departments (both internally and externally)
• Facilitate clear and proactive communication across departments
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• 6 years of experience working on animated feature productions; experience in leading or supervising an Art Department, preferably within CG animated feature films a plus
• Demonstrated ability to develop visual ideas from initial concept through final execution, with a strong sense of ownership and creative problem‑solving
• Exceptional understanding of design fundamentals, including composition, color theory, lighting, shape language, and visual storytelling
• Proven leadership and team management skills, with the ability to guide, motivate, and develop artists in a collaborative production environment
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize across multiple demands while maintaining a high standard of artistic quality
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a collaborative mindset and the ability to clearly articulate creative direction to diverse teams
• Ability to balance creative vision with production realities, aligning the needs of the show, department, and studio
• Solid understanding of animation production pipelines, workflows, and tools, with proficiency in industry standard software such as Adobe Photoshop
• Experience working across multiple locations or with distributed teams is a plus

Prior experience on an animated feature film is required.

The compensation range for this non‑exempt position in Los Angeles, CA is $2,900-4,000/week. The rate offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors. The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc.