Technical Animator - Silver Spoon Animation

Tech Artists; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading animation studio in New York is seeking a passionate Technical Animator to join their talented team. In this role, you will retarget motion capture data, create animation loops, and develop innovative solutions to technical challenges. Ideal candidates will have over 3 years of experience, mastery of Maya, and a comprehensive understanding of animation principles. Collaboration and motivation are key, as you will work closely with motion capture specialists. This position requires relocation to New York for full-time employment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of industry experience as a technical animator/director.
• Strong understanding of the production process and effective communication.

Responsibilities

• Retargeting motion capture data to character rigs.
• Animating on top of motion capture data (motion editing).
• Creating custom tools and scripts to increase productivity.

Skills

Maya expertise

Classic animation principles

Human anatomy understanding

Python coding

Collaboration

Problem-solving

Tools

Maya

Unreal Engine

C++

Job description

Silver Spoon specializes in motion capture and animation services for feature films, TV, video games and commercials. We work with VFX shops and animation houses large and small, pushing the boundaries of motion capture, character animation and modeling. Our in-house team of artists, engineers and developers constantly seeks to hone our skills and give our clients the best data and animation. Our team members come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, with experience in video games, feature film, commercial production, special effects, architectural design, and software development. The culture at Silver Spoon is one of centered learning and professional growth, and as a company we welcome any opportunity to further our expertise in this exploding field. We love getting into the details, doing fun stuff on our coffee breaks, and welcoming new friends to our East Coast family!

Silver Spoon is looking for a talented Technical Animator who is passionate about performance capture and wants to be part of a small talented team. You must be able to create emotionally believable characters for a variety of projects. The role requires the ability to adapt to custom toolsets and workflows while maintaining the highest data quality. As a Technical Animator, you will regularly collaborate with the motion capture specialists within the studio to investigate and implement solutions for project technical problems.

Responsibilities

• Retargeting motion capture data to character rigs
• Animating on top of motion capture data (motion editing)
• Create animation loop cycles and blend animations
• Bring innovation and resolution to technical problems and challenges throughout production
• Create custom tools and scripts to increase the productivity and efficiency of the production team
• Keep up to date with new technologies and continue to improve on existing workflow

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of industry experience as a technical animator/director
• Expert knowledge of Maya
• You can demonstrate a strong understanding of classic animation principles and fundamentals
• Strong understanding of human anatomy
• Ability to maintain motivation, has an excellent work ethic, and works well with others
• Have a deep understanding of the production process and the ability to communicate effectively

Desired Qualifications

• Previous experience with retargeting motion capture data and rigging in Maya a huge plus
• Previous experience working with motion capture data a huge plus
• Expert knowledge of coding in Python
• Knowledge of C++ a huge plus
• Knowledge of Unreal Engine and techniques for real-time production
• Ability to write customs tools for motion capture animation pipeline in Unreal Engine

As a part of the Silver Spoon Animation application process, candidates will be expected to provide a demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an animation test. All applicants are required to relocate for full-time positions in New York.