Character Designer for Drone Sky Shows

Nova Sky Stories; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company matching

Flexible PTO and paid sick leave

Paid parental leave

Company-paid holidays

Equity opportunities for eligible

Annual bonus potential

Job summary

Nova Sky Stories is seeking a talented Character Designer to shape unforgettable characters for large-scale drone performances that fuse art, animation, technology, and live entertainment. You will develop concepts into production-ready designs and collaborate closely with creative directors and technical teams to execute world-building visuals.

Ideal candidates bring strong drawing and anatomy skills, plus experience turning sketches into 3D-ready assets and a passion for immersive aerial

Qualifications

• Professional experience designing characters for animation, games, feature films, themed entertainment, or comparable visual storytelling environments.
• Exceptional drawing, illustration, and concept design skills with strong understanding of anatomy, gesture, shape language, silhouette, proportion, and character appeal.
• Ability to translate abstract ideas and creative direction into memorable characters that communicate personality, emotion, and story.
• Experience creating character turnarounds, expression sheets, pose explorations, technical callouts, and production-ready design packages.
• Strong understanding of visual storytelling, design fundamentals, color, and form.
• Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop and other industry-standard digital illustration tools.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and organizational skills with the ability to incorporate feedback and iterate within a multidisciplinary creative team.
• Ability to manage multiple creative priorities while maintaining artistic quality and meeting production deadlines.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for exploring how character design can evolve within an emerging storytelling medium that combines art, animation, technology, and live entertainment.

Responsibilities

• Design original characters from early concept exploration through final production-ready artwork for large-scale drone performances.
• Translate story ideas, briefs, and artistic direction into compelling characters for narrative, emotion, and audience engagement.
• Develop character turnarounds, expression sheets, pose explorations, silhouettes, and supporting design assets.
• Collaborate with Creative Directors and leadership to refine concepts through feedback and iteration.
• Create visual guides and design documentation to enable artists, animators, and tech teams to develop characters into 3D aerial experiences.
• Work with cross-disciplinary teams to ensure designs are visually compelling and meet production and tech constraints.
• Explore solutions balancing artistic vision with live drone entertainment opportunities and constraints.
• Maintain organized production files, documentation, and assets to meet project schedules and quality expectations.
• Participate in reviews and meetings to shape the artistic direction of each project.
• Support additional concept development, world-building, and visual design initiatives as needed.

Skills

Character design

Animation storytelling

Anatomy & gesture

Illustration

Communication & collaboration

Tools

Adobe Photoshop

Job description

Nova Sky Stories is seeking a talented Character Designer to shape unforgettable characters for large-scale drone performances that fuse art, animation, technology, and live entertainment. You will develop concepts into production-ready designs and collaborate closely with creative directors and technical teams to execute world-building visuals.

Ideal candidates bring strong drawing and anatomy skills, plus experience turning sketches into 3D-ready assets and a passion for immersive aerial