Manager, Storyboard Department (SFD / Cinematics)

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) match

Paid holidays

Paid vacation

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in Irvine, CA, seeks a Manager, Storyboard Department (SFD / Cinematics) to lead a team of storyboard artists delivering in-game and cinematic content across franchises.

You will mentor artists, plan short- and long-term milestones, and partner with cinematic directors to preserve creative vision through the animatic process. This hybrid role combines on-site collaboration in Irvine with remote work, requiring deep storytelling, project management, and talent

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience managing a creative team of artists.
• Experience in TV or feature animation; film and gaming a plus.
• Strong visual storytelling and ability to translate feedback into actionable milestones.

Responsibilities

• Manage all artistic and technical aspects of a storyboard department in a fast-paced production environment.
• Oversee mentoring and growth of storyboard artists with short- and long-term planning for career growth.
• Partner with cinematic directors to clarify notes and carry out their creative vision through the animatic process.
• Hire and onboard artists; track resource planning and review portfolios; collaborate with recruiting.

Skills

Cinematic storytelling

Team leadership

Mentoring

Project planning

Communication

Story development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Film/Animation/Fine Arts

Tools

Flix

Cintiq

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro

Photoshop

Blender 3D

Job description

Manager, Storyboard Department (SFD / Cinematics)

City Irvine California Category Art / Animation Creative Development

Team Name: Creative Development

Job Title:

Manager, Storyboard Department (SFD / Cinematics)

Requisition ID:

R028200

Job Description:

Blizzard Entertainment’s Cinematics team is looking for an experienced Storyboards Department Manager to assist in creating engaging and compelling content across all our franchises. As a talented visual/narrative artist themselves, this person will lead a team of storyboard artists who support in-game and pre-render cinematic content. As a craft expert and mentor, they will successfully manage multiple projects while also balancing creative quality, budget, schedule, and business priorities.

This role is a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Manage all artistic and technical aspects of a storyboard department that works in a very fluid and fast-paced production environment
• Oversee the direction, mentoring, and growth of the storyboard artists through constructive feedback as well as by setting short-term and long-term planning around career growth
• Partner with cinematic directors and stakeholders to help clarify notes and ensure their creative vision is carried out effectively throughout the animatic process
• Cast artists to projects based on skillset and level up artists as needed to work successfully across all IP’s
• Handle day-to-day operational and administrative support, such as absence management, contract extensions, learning and development initiatives, and annual performance reviews
• Hire and onboard new artists based on studio needs; proactively tracking resource planning, reviewing portfolios, and partnering with recruiting
• Effectively collaborate and work through challenges with other department leaders in a respectful and professional manner
• Provide effective communication and transparency with other pipeline departments (i.e., writing, editorial and previz) to mitigate production delays
• Partner with the Tech team to ensure that artists have all the required software/hardware needs as well as research new tools that may increase efficiency
• Plan activities to promote team engagement and bonding

Minimum Requirements

Experience

• 8+ years of experience managing a creative team of artists
• Experience in TV or feature animation; film and gaming a plus
• Professional examples of work that exhibit a strong visual storytelling sensibility

Knowledge & Skills

• Possess expert skills in cinematic storytelling, with a strong understanding of composition, camera, cinematography, staging, lenses, pacing, and continuity
• A deep understanding of the pre-production and story development process, with the ability to accurately gauge the time needed for sequences and to translate feedback into actionable milestones for the artist
• Strong, communicative draftsmanship
• Proven ability to deal with a wide range of personnel issues: recruitment, career development, salary administration, and conflict resolution
• Highly organized with exceptional project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a very dynamic environment
• A degree in Film, Animation, or Fine Arts
• Advanced knowledge of hardware and software including Flix, Cintiq, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, and Photoshop - Blender 3D a plus

Extra Points

• Knowledge of Blizzard Entertainment IPs and games
• Experience working with franchise-driven or brand-based entertainment properties

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. ( www.blizzard.com ), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™, Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment.

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [e-mail]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

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 $99,200.00 - $183,520.00 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.