Expert Character Artist - Heads Santa Monica (USA) Activision Publishing USD 97,200-179,900 per[...]

Gamecompanies; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 97,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading gaming company is seeking an Expert Character Artist to shape iconic characters for a new IP. This role involves collaboration with skilled developers, focusing on character design and look development, ensuring high standards in facial animation and gameplay storytelling. Join a diverse team dedicated to creating innovative gaming experiences.

Benefits

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) with Company Match

Tuition Reimbursement

Paid Holidays

Paid Sick Time

Parental Leave

Mental Health Programs

Fitness Programs

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of experience in creating Character Art in AAA game development.
• Outstanding portfolio showcasing expertise in character art and look development.

Responsibilities

• Acts as a trusted creative leader for complex facial and creature blendshape development.
• Fosters collaboration between animation, tech art rigging, and development teams.
• Mentors junior artists in facial animation techniques.

Skills

Character Art

Look Development

Facial Animation

Problem Solving

Communication

Education

AAA Game Development

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

Blender

ZBrush

Substance Painter

Substance Designer

Job description

Elsewhere Entertainment is looking for an Expert Character Artist - Heads to join the development of a new IP.

Feed your creativity while collaborating with our team of highly skilled developers to build something innovative, exhilarating, and expansively entertaining!

As Expert Character Artist at Elsewhere Entertainment, you will be at the forefront of defining and shaping our game's iconic characters. You will play a pivotal role in bringing our game world to life through your exceptional character design and look development skills. If you 're a creative artist with a strong technical background, a keen eye for detail, and a passion for gaming, this role offers the perfect opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking video game projects.

As a member of the project, you’ll help take the studio and our game from great to even better—with a focus on inclusivity, mutual respect (for ourselves and our players), thoughtfulness, empathy, professionalism, and collaboration.

You’ll help us by…

Acts as a trusted creative leader for complex, system-wide facial and or creature blendshape development, bringing original concepts to life through exceptional technical execution

Fosters positive cross-disciplinary collaboration between animation, tech art rigging, and development teams to ensure character facial systems meet artistic and technical requirements

Routinely takes on the most creatively complex facial artwork, demonstrating ability to work independently while managing asset creation effectively

Creates formal networks involving coordination between photogrammetry, rigging, and animation departments to establish efficient facial animation pipelines

Recommends viable solutions using original ideas and outside-the-box concepts for facial performance challenges for in game implementation.

Possesses extensive industry experience with advanced blendshape creation across multiple projects/tasks of varying complexity

Demonstrates exceptional understanding of how facial animation contributes to impactful gameplay and storytelling

Proactively influences development of pipeline efficiency and workflow improvements around facial systems and blendshape pipelines.

Sets high standards for character and creature facial assets , ensuring they align with established style guides while introducing innovative technical approaches

Mentor ing junior artists in facial animation techniques, serving as a role model for upholding core values within the team

Works independently for extended periods, establishing achievable production schedules while maintaining visibility to all stakeholders

Advises leaders on technical risks, opportunities and decisions regarding facial animation systems

Focuses on refining existing facial animation pipelines and improving overall quality and performance

You’re awesome because you have…

Outstanding portfolio showcasing expertise in character art and look development for video games, featuring a diverse range of character portraits.

At least 5 years of experience in creating Character Art in AAA game development with at least one full development cycle completed and credited in your name.

Experience working in Modern Game Engines with an awareness of game budgets, limits, and memory constraints.

Excellent artistic and design skills, including a keen eye for composition, color theory, and visual storytelling with a focus on character portraits.

Expertise with hair and fur development and workflows.

Proficiency in industry-standard 3D modeling and texturing software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, ZBrush , Substance Painter/Designer).

Solid understanding of PBR (Physically Based Rendering) principles, with In-depth knowledge of shader creation, material pipelines, and advanced texturing techniques.

Strong grasp of FACs, facial scan workflows and animation integration.

Ability to consistently resolve issues from a visual, production, and technical perspective.

Excellent communication skills and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Ability to adapt to evolving project needs and work under tight deadlines.

Experience in performance capture and lip sync generation workflows.

Experience in muscle/fat, hair and cloth simulation workflows.

Comprehensive knowledge of cinematic design and storytelling through facial animation.

Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Guitar Hero. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?
# elsewhere

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;

401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;

Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;

Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;

If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/ .

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $97,200.00 - $179,900.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.