Outsource Game Cinematic Director - Temp (SFD / Cinematics)

ACTIVISION BLIZZARD SHARED SERVICES, INC.; Oregon; Hybrid; USD 137,000 - 254,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) and retirement benefits

Paid holidays and vacation

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Blizzard Entertainment, in collaboration with external vendors, seeks an Outsource Game Cinematic Director to define cinematic vision and manage external teams to deliver high-quality assets for multiple IPs.

The role is hybrid (on-site Irvine, CA with potential remote options) for an approximate five-month term, reporting to Blizzard's Creative Development team and coordinating with internal game studios.

Qualifications

• 13+ years' experience in cinematic direction or production within the game industry.
• Experience overseeing an external vendor and managing external production teams.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Blizzard stakeholders to understand creative goals and convey them to external vendors.
• Develop and pitch story ideas with writers, storyboard artists and editors.
• Provide clear direction to external production teams and monitor progress.
• Approve outsourced assets and ensure quality meets Blizzard standards.
• Monitor vendor performance against budgets and schedules, escalate as needed.
• Collaborate with composers, sound designers, and external vendors on audio elements.
• Guide voice-over casting and manage external recording sessions.
• Oversee post-production processes, including VFX integration and final edits.

Skills

Cinematic direction

Vendor management

Story development

Budget & scheduling

Communication

Tools

Unreal Engine

Job description

Team Name: Creative Development Job Title: Outsource Game Cinematic Director - Temp (SFD / Cinematics) Requisition ID: R028005 Job Description

The Outsource Game Cinematic Director represents Blizzard Entertainment in collaboration with third‑party vendors to deliver high‑quality cinematics for various IPs. This role involves partnering with internal game teams to define the cinematic's vision, story, and purpose, then managing external artistic teams to execute it within budget, schedule, and quality constraints. As the primary liaison, the director handles all internal and external reviews, feedback notes, revisions (kickbacks), approvals, and escalations, ensuring alignment between Blizzard's creative standards and outsourced deliverables while fostering strong vendor relationships. This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on‑site and some work‑from‑home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA. However, we understand each person's circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore other possible options, including remote work arrangements. This is roughly a 5‑month temporary position.

What You Bring to the Table

• Partner with Blizzard stakeholders to understand creative goals and expand ideas to elevate the project and effectively communicate that vision to the external vendor
• Develop and pitch story ideas in collaboration with writers, storyboard artists and editors, incorporating notes from stakeholders in order to get alignment
• Provide clear, detailed direction to external production teams in dailies and reviews, maintaining awareness of production status, timelines, and quality.
• Approve all outsourced assets and shots before final internal review, ensuring they meet Blizzard's quality level
• Partner closely with the project producer to monitor vendor performance against budgets and schedules, escalating issues, negotiating adjustments and providing feedback as needed
• Collaborate with composers, sound designers, and external vendors to replace temp sound with original elements, preserving the piece's emotional and storytelling intent.
• Guide casting for voice‑over with stakeholders and the Voice Over Director, managing external recording sessions as needed.
• Oversee post‑production processes with outsourcers, including final edits, VFX integration, and quality checks, ensuring timely delivery and approval.

Minimum Requirements

• 13+ years' experience in cinematic direction or production within the game industry, with a strong portfolio of pre‑rendered cinematics (e.g., trailers, in‑game sequences).
• Experience in overseeing an external vendor

Knowledge & Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication to effectively represent Blizzard externally and help align internal stakeholders
• Ability to balance creative vision with practical constraints, with a track record of delivering projects on time and within budget.
• Familiarity with game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine), animation pipelines, and industry standards for high‑fidelity cinematics.

Key Attributes

• Passion for storytelling, epic narratives, and Blizzard's IPs; self‑motivated with strong problem‑solving abilities.
• Ability to shift working hours to accommodate working with a vendor in a different time zone

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™ and 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. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well‑being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! 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 love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all 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! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply. 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

• 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 $137,170.00 - $253,806.00 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.

Blizzard Entertainment® is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software. After establishing the Blizzard Entertainment label in 1994, the company quickly became one of the most popular and well‑reserved makers of computer games. By focusing on creating well‑designed, highly enjoyable entertainment experiences, Blizzard Entertainment has maintained an unparalleled reputation for quality since its inception.