games jobs : games artists & animators - by location

Games artist and animator jobs

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These games jobs were last updated on 30/06/08. You are on the games artist and animation page which also includes rigging, special effects, film and TV roles. If you are interested in any of them please quote the ref no(s) and send your CV and examples of your work to ben@datascopeusa.com.

Graduates - please see our advice on starting your career in games development.

US - North

Founded in 1993 this Ontario studio proudly ranks as one of the world's top development studios in the interactive entertainment industry. They pride themselves on having one of the best teams in the industry and provide them with a rewarding, challenging, and fun atmosphere.
The Environment artist will collaborate with Art and Design leads to design, model, and texture fun, functional, and awe inspiring high quality 3D game worlds.

Candidates must have games experience, strong lighting skills and experience creating normal maps and applying shaders. Experience with Softimage XSI, Photoshop and ZBrush or Mudbox highly beneficial.

Ontario (Toronto) $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 946 26/06/08

Founded in 1993 this Ontario studio proudly ranks as one of the world's top development studios in the interactive entertainment industry. They pride themselves on having one of the best teams in the industry and provide them with a rewarding, challenging, and fun atmosphere.
You will collaborate with the Lead Animator and Content Producer to ensure all animations are created on time and are either motion captured or of motion capture quality

Animators must consistently create convincing performances and characters with complex personalities and contribute innovative and original ideas toward all aspects of game production and development, most specifically to animation.

Required are at least 1-2 years of professional experience, with an excellent sense of timing and knowledge of camera angles along with an intrinsic ability for storytelling through animation.

Ontario (Toronto) $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 945 26/06/08

US - Mid-West

Our client is a leading developer, publisher, and marketer of interactive entertainment software with offices all over the world. In this successful Chicago development Studio, they have created a set of extremely successful and enduring franchises, but continue to look forward and focus on other new and exciting original projects.
They are seeking a talented, enthusiastic Concept Artist to work with an experienced team creating new worlds for groundbreaking Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC titles. You will create the concepts for unique environmental spaces and action sequences, create mood paintings for environments, all while maintaining the look and feel set by the art director.

1 to 4 years of concept art experience in video games is a must. AA/BFA preferred, or at least demonstrated through portfolio an industry standard level of art.

Chicago $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 953 27/06/08

Our client is a leading developer, publisher, and marketer of interactive entertainment software with offices all over the world. In this successful Chicago development Studio, they have created a set of extremely successful and enduring franchises, but continue to look forward and focus on other new and exciting original projects.
They are looking for a highly motivated individual who is enthusiastic to take on a cutting edge roll in their Central FX department.You will work with the Lead FX Artist and FX team to create, texture, animate and polish a variety of in-game special effects and effects sequences.

Game industry experience is required, with a preference for candidates who have shipped 1-2 titles on a major console. Specifically, candidates should have experience developing particle FX for real-time applications, and experience in leading a team of artists. Proficiency in Max or Maya and Photoshop required, experience with UnReal tools a plus.

Chicago $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 952 27/06/08

The ideal candidate will have experience with character and creature animation, facial animation, skeletal construction, point weighting, motion capture and cloth simulation. Experience working on next-generation projects in the video game industry is a major plus.
Responsibilities:
-Create detailed skeletal rigs for AAA titles.
-Create fluid and aesthetically pleasing animations that exude character and personality.
-Create non-organic animations for robots, vehicles, guns and various other mechanical objects.
-Work with Level Designers, Character modelers and Programmers to insure smooth integration of game assets.
-Work as part of a team for the betterment of the project. This includes meeting deadlines, being proactive about problems and being self motivated.


Qualifications:
-3 years of professional experience or equivalent.
-Must be strong in the concepts of shape, form, structure, proportion and silhouette as it relates to animation and deformation.
-Experience with environmental and architectural animation.
-Experience in Maya or 3D Studio Max required, experience with Motion Builder is a plus
-An understanding of UV mapping and texturing is a plus as well as a professional understanding of Photoshop.

Wisconsin $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 899 24/06/08

Our client is a developer of high end games for PC and console. Over the last 10 years they have grown to over 200 employees, and continue to expand. Located in the heart of the Mid-West, they offer great benefits, generous stock options, help with relocation and provide a great working environment. We are seeking an experienced, innovative problem-solver to join an experienced team of Technical Artists in creating cutting-edge tools and pipelines for Xbox 360 and PS3 game development.

Responsibilities:
-Design and assist in developing tools and pipelines for Artists, Animators and Designers.
-Proactively seek out inefficiencies and problems in existing pipelines and identify potential problems.
-Improve and enhance tools/processes throughout the project cycle.
-Assist programmers and designers in researching and developing new game features.
-Assist in checking art content against technical guidelines prior to integration in the game.

Qualifications:
-Solid understanding and demonstrated ability to work in 3DS MAX, Maya or equivalent 3D Software.
-Ability to work comfortably with MAXScript, MEL and/or Python.
-Demonstrated initiative and strong problem-solving skills
-3+ years experience in the game industry or 5+ years in 3D computer graphics industry.
-At least 2 shipped games.
-Bachelor’s degree in fine arts or similar is preferred.

Illinois $HIGH

Contact: Ben Ref: 908

Our client is a leading developer, publisher, and marketer of interactive entertainment software with offices all over the world. In this successful Chicago development Studio, they have created a set of extremely successful and enduring franchises, but continue to look forward and focus on other new and exciting original projects. Requirements:
-Create engaging and immersive artificial worlds, often tied closely to gameplay.
- Ability to digitally sculpt/model & texture both high & low polygon environments.
- Ability to map environments & paint high quality textures utilizing photo manipulation techniques.
- Generate realistic shaders / material surfaces / and texture assets in engine.
- Possess solid understanding of lighting techniques and practices.
- Function relatively autonomously with less art direction.
- May be responsible for leading a small group within a project team.
- Strong interpersonal skills.


Qualifications
- BA degree in 3D art and five years of industry experience.
- At least two shipped titles, next-gen experience strongly preferred.
- Professionally capable with most of the major production software packages: Alias Maya / Max / ZBrush / Mudbox / Photoshop
- Superior knowledge of world building, level design, architecture, and other environment creation principles.
- Familiar with high resolution modeling, next generation shading and texturing techniques, and a high capacity to learn new tools.
- Knowledge of Unreal Editor 3 is a big plus.

Chicago, IL $HIGH

Contact: Ben Ref: 774

US - Deep South

This Austin studio is part of a larger team of successful developers, with studios worldwide. Austin has it's share of advantages, it has been voted as 'Best Places for Business & Careeres', 'Live Music Capital of the World', 'Best City for Relocating Families' & 'Best Cities for Singles.' See what it might have in store for you!
The Associate Art Project Manager assists in leading multi-disciplinary teams through the game development lifecycle according to their production processes. This position aids the project side of game development and works with other Project Management staff to meet the planned schedule, defined feature set, and resource constraints to deliver a high-quality game to market. This position will deal with daily logistics and liaison work between internal art and localization staff and external vendors to ensure seamless communication and production.

Candidates must have Project Management or Associate Producer experience, be capable of facilitating a 3 year project with a full production team, and should have 2 years of experience with scheduling resources and managing projects of significant complexity.

Austin, TX $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 941 25/06/08

This Austin studio is part of a larger team of successful developers, with studios worldwide. Austin has it's share of advantages, it has been voted as 'Best Places for Business & Careeres', 'Live Music Capital of the World', 'Best City for Relocating Families' & 'Best Cities for Singles.' See what it might have in store for you! Our client is seeking Environment Artists with meticulous modeling and texturing abilities to do level / environmental art. The successful candidate will:

-Show an understanding of color theory, and be able to create balanced & appealing color palettes;
-Understand the aesthetics of environment, function vs. form relationships, as well as what makes a game level fun and intriguing;
-Be a good communicator;
-Work well in a team spanning artists, programmers, and designers;
-Be able to teach and be taught.

Architectural and drafting experience are assets, as are previous game experience and level design.

Austin, Texas $HIGH + Excellent benefits

Contact: Ben Ref: 844

This Texas client is a rapidly growing, award winning developer whose games have spectacular graphics and gameplay, and utilize cutting-edge technology. They have already released 5 successful titles in the last 6 years, and with three new AAA projects in development, they are quickly solidifying their place among the industry's leading multiplatform developers. Description

They are looking for a Technical Artist to act as a liaison between artists and programmers. He/She must understand the relationship between art creation and the technical code. He/She must be able to demonstrate the most effective techniques for creating art that pushes the boundaries of existing and future hardware. The Technical Artist must also be able to generate art that demonstrates advanced capabilities of the engine and help to drive development of the engine to support more advanced art features.

Qualifications

- 2+ years of experience in computer generated art.
- 3DSMax experience.
- Ability to create art assets to demonstrate advanced techniques.
- Ability to communicate effectively with both artists and programmers.
- Ability to solve technology issues as they relate to art production.
- HLSL, CG, or GLSL shader programming.
- Scripting language programming experience (MaxScript, MEL, etc.).
- Game development experience.

Houston, Texas $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 813

This Texas client is a rapidly growing, award winning developer whose games have spectacular graphics and gameplay, and utilize cutting-edge technology. They have already released 5 successful titles in the last 6 years, and with three new AAA projects in development, they are quickly solidifying their place among the industry's leading multiplatform developers. They are hiring for an environment artist to work with the Lead Artist and Level Design team to maintain a coherent vision of the game's look and feel and ensure that the game has beautiful next-gen environments.

Qualifications

- Must have a minimum of 2 years experience creating 3D game environments.
- Must have a high proficiency with 3DS Max and Photoshop.
- Must have ability to quickly learn and adapt to well-established art and production pipelines.
- Must be credited on at least one commercially released game as Environment Artist.

Houston, Texas $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 812

US - East

This successful East Coast client has been spearheading the creation of Triple A titles for years, and their team members are collectively responsible for over 10 million units in the game market worldwide. It is their never-ending quest to reach new audiences with some of the most innovative, immersive games in the industry, while continuing to offer their employees a progressive, rewarding work environment.
They are looking for Concept Artists to help visualize characters and environments for some exciting upcoming projects! Candidates must be able to originate unique and creative ideas and render them in a clear, detailed and timely manner. The ideal candidate will be a traditionally skilled artist with an exceptional understanding of the human anatomy as well as architectural and environmental design. Strong understanding of lighting, composition, color theory, atmosphere, materials and textures is also important.

A portfolio demonstrating exceptional concept art is required.

Boston $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 961 30/06/08

This successful East Coast client has been spearheading the creation of Triple A titles for years, and their team members are collectively responsible for over 10 million units in the game market worldwide. It is their never-ending quest to reach new audiences with some of the most innovative, immersive games in the industry, while continuing to offer their employees a progressive, rewarding work environment.
They are looking for Character Artists to help them create hi-fidelity expressive characters for some exciting upcoming projects! Candidates must be able to create interesting and unique characters in a range of styles. 2-3 years working in games and a portfolio demonstrating exceptional characters is required.

Boston $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 960 30/06/08

This successful East Coast client has been spearheading the creation of Triple A titles for years, and their team members are collectively responsible for over 10 million units in the game market worldwide. It is their never-ending quest to reach new audiences with some of the most innovative, immersive games in the industry, while continuing to offer their employees a progressive, rewarding work environment.
As a Character Rigger on their very unique titles, you will create character rigs and provide support throughout the production process working closely with animators and programmers. Experience with motion capture is a plus as well are additional skills in other areas such as animation or modeling. A portfolio demonstrating exceptional 3D rigging skills is required. Opportunities for growth and advancement are available.

Boston $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 959 30/06/08

This successful East Coast client has been spearheading the creation of Triple A titles for years, and their team members are collectively responsible for over 10 million units in the game market worldwide. It is their never-ending quest to reach new audiences with some of the most innovative, immersive games in the industry, while continuing to offer their employees a progressive, rewarding work environment.
They are looking for Visual Effects Artists to create a vast compliment of visual effects for characters, environments, and devices within a fully realized world. A portfolio demonstrating exceptional 3D Visual Effects within an environment is required. All applicants will be considered. Opportunities for growth and advancement are available.

REQUIREMENTS:
·Positive, solution-oriented individual with a passion for game development.
·Strong understanding of Visual Effects and Particle systems in games.
·Strong understanding of development issues involved in getting Visual Effects and Particle systems into a game.
·2+ years of experience with particle effects and shaders, preferably with PS3, XBOX 360, and/or PC.
·Bachelors Degree in Art from a competitive program preferred.
·Traditionally skilled artist with an exceptional understanding of cinematic visuals and dynamics as well as color, space, structure, and form.
·Advanced knowledge in 3D Studio Max, Maya, or equivalent 3D program.

Boston, MA $ DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 916

This successful East Coast client has been spearheading the creation of Triple A titles for years, and their team members are collectively responsible for over 10 million units in the game market worldwide. It is their never-ending quest to reach new audiences with some of the most innovative, immersive games in the industry, while continuing to offer their employees a progressive, rewarding work environment.
They are looking for a Lead Level Artist to help create awe-inspiring and immersive worlds for an exciting line up of projects!
You will create immersive, living, and fully-realized environments through lighting, atmosphere, object placement, models, and textures, and will work with the team to create balanced solutions to all related technical and aesthetic issues. You will manage and mentor staff and junior artists. And assist in maintaining the artistic vision for a given project.

REQUIREMENTS:

- Positive, solution-oriented individual with a passion for game development.
- Strong understanding of lighting and shadows in games including radiosity, ray-tracing, HDRL, dynamic lighting, lightmaps and vertex lighting.
- Strong understanding of development issues related to getting environments into a game in addition to experience with level design and implementation.
- Traditionally skilled artist with an exceptional understanding of photography and composition, color, space, structure, and form.
- 3+ years of experience creating, texturing, populating, and lighting levels for film/games.
- Advanced knowledge in Photoshop.
- Advanced knowledge in 3D Studio Max, Maya, or equivalent 3D program.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Must be able to work closely with Artists, Designers and Programmers.

A portfolio demonstrating exceptional 3D environments is required.

Boston DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 915

Our client is a leading international developer and publisher of video games for mobile phones. Established in 1999, it has emerged as one of the top innovators in its field. Your Profile:
- You are highly motivated, with a passion for video games.
- You have a strong understanding of the principles of animation.
- You have a solid background in academic drawing, sketching, and/or illustration.
- You are proficient in Photoshop, Promotion and/or other drawing software.
- You have already done pixel art for released products (low-resolution computer graphics - 2D video games, sprites, icons or even web design).
- Understanding of optimization of computer art is a PLUS.

Your Role:
- Upon joining the art department, your mission will be to execute game art and work with a project team (game designers, engineers, producer), from the concept through delivery.
- They are mainly seeking people with good all-round experience (applications from self-taught candidates will also be accepted).
- The projects in question are video games for mobile phones and N-Gage.

The position is based in New York.

New York, NY $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 205

Our client is an extremely well known developer who has seen much success over the past decade. They pride themselves on keeping a fun, highly productive work environment while making games and technology that appeal to everyone. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles and their latest game broke sales records on Xbox 360, selling more than 3 million copies worldwide in its first ten weeks. They’re looking for talented modelers with an ability to model detailed high-poly characters for next gen engine tech. Cinematic quality work needed with strong sense for detailing. Characters will require knowledge of muscle structures and form. Hyper-real shader knowledge a big plus, but not required for this position.


Preference to applicants with:

- Shipped-title experience
- Experience with 3d Studio Max, Zbrush, or Mudbox
- Familiarity with Unreal Technology art pipeline
- Traditional sculpting background.

North Carolina $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 801

Our client is an extremely well known developer who has seen much success over the past decade. They pride themselves on keeping a fun, highly productive work environment while making games and technology that appeal to everyone. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles and their latest game broke sales records on Xbox 360, selling more than 3 million copies worldwide in its first ten weeks. They are looking for Concept artists that can work on the pre production aspects of the game development process ranging from character designs and weapon designs to world and environment designs. This position requires experience in Graphic design as well as costume and mechanical designs. You must have a combination of skills in addition to concept art such as modeling, skinning, FX, etc. A diverse and polished portfolio would be a must. This is not an entry level position.

Qualifications:

* concept artists must have outstanding traditional illustration and coloring skills, and the ability to range across numerous genres
* must have have additional skills such as hud/ui, modeling, skinning, animation, fx
* game industry experience required

Preference to applicants with:

* shipped-title experience
* familiarity with real-time engine pipelines
* experience and demonstration of strong painting and traditional skills
* BFA in Painting/3D art or similar background/traditional training.

North Carolina $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 627

This successful East Coast client has been spearheading the creation of Triple A titles for years, and their team members are collectively responsible for over 10 million units in the game market worldwide. It is their never-ending quest to reach new audiences with some of the most innovative, immersive games in the industry, while continuing to offer their employees a progressive, rewarding work environment. They are looking for Environment artists to help create next-generation worlds for upcoming projects. Candidates must be able to create immersive, living, and fully-realized environments through lighting, object placement, models, and textures. A portfolio demonstrating exceptional 3D environments is required.

REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelors Degree in Art from a competitive program preferred.
- Traditionally skilled artist with an exceptional understanding of photography and composition, color, space, structure, and form.
- 2+ years of experience of modeling and mapping for video games.
- Proven industry experience as environmental artist on at least one AAA title.
- Expert-level skill in Photoshop.
- Expert-level skill in 3D Studio Max, Maya, or equivalent 3D program.
- Applicants with a strong understanding of lighting and shadows in games including radiosity, ray-tracing, HDRL, dynamic lighting, lightmaps and vertex lighting preferred
- Strong understanding of development issues involved in getting environments into a game and experienced level design and implementation.

PLUSES:
- Production experience with PS3, XBOX 360, and/or PC.
- Production experience with UnrealEd or Gamebryo.

Boston, MA $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 831

US West Coast and Canada

This Southern California studio has one simple goal: make fun games that everyone will want to play. With that mission in mind, they understand making games is hard work and takes good talent. They encourage exploration of new ideas and promote working together to make the best possible gameplay experience. With one hit title already under their belt, and their next release expected to be even better, their hard work certainly seems to be paying off.
They are looking for a talented FX Artist to collaborate with the Art Director, Animators, Cinematic Artists, and Designers to develop visually stunning in-game FX elements for game environments, characters and cinematics and to contribute to the development and enhancement of particle effect systems, tools, and pipelines.

Qualifications Include:
+ At least two years of applicable industry experience
+ Fluent knowledge of at least one major 3D package (Max, Maya)
+ Fluent knowledge of Premiere, After Effects, Combustion, or similar compositing software
+ Experience with Photoshop or comparable program.
+ Experience with rendered effects and compositing a plus
+ Strong texturing skills a plus.

Orange County $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 958 27/06/08

Our client is a well known international developer with a reputation for releasing some of the highest quality entertainment and cutting edge original content in the industry. Over the last 9 years they have grown to over 300 developers working at two modern studios, making them one of the largest and most successful independent developers in the world.
They are looking for an experienced Technical Animator for next generation console game development. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 1/2 to 5 years experience in the game industry. The Technical Animator will work directly with the Lead Animator and in parallel with several departments in order to ensure successful pipeline for the animators.

These responsibilities will include: maintaining and troubleshooting all rigging issues, supporting the animation team’s technical needs, animation integration, and maintaining ragdoll physics. A well-rounded individual with a multi-skilled background with both technical and artistic capabilities is essential for this role.

Los Angeles $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 957 27/06/08

Founded in 2001 and located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, this company is a potent mix of industry vets and fresh talent, offering full game development, ports, and consulting for all current and next-generation consoles. They have been extremely successful working with licensed properties from companies such as Disney, Warner Brothers, Nike, NASCAR, and the NFL. They are currently looking for great talent to help them embark on several new and exciting projects.
They are looking for an experienced Lead Animator
You will work with all teams within the studio to develop, convey and implement the game’s animation style, and will create animations using multiple systems, key-framed, motion capture, and facial rigs.

Other responsibilities include supervising the animation team, creating the animation schedules, and evaluating, designing and problem solving technical animation processes with art leads and the engineering team.

Candidates must have a minimum of 4 years of relevant industry experience, including some leadership experience. Experience creating Key-frame animations and working with Motion Builder are a huge plus. Equally important is deep understanding of game development and the interrelation between character animation and game design.

Oregon $ DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 926 26/06/08

Headquartered in the Midwest, with offices throughout the world, our client is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for all major video game systems and personal computers. Here in their Austin, TX studio they are hard at work creating their latest next-gen FPS title.
Responsibilities:

-Collaborate with an internal team of artists and external team of contractors to deliver level environment treatments on a strict timeline.
-Model, texture, and polish interior & exterior architecture and world objects based on conceptual artwork and reference photography.
-Create and compile concept art and other reference imagery to help drive the construction of the environment.
-Work together with the Art Director, Environment Lead and other team members to create amazing, gameplay focused environments.
-Must be able to direct external contractors to coordinate out-sourcing of models, textures, and other environment needs.
-Incorporate the feedback from your leads & peers to make requested changes in a positive and constructive way.
-Participate in meetings, reviews, and planning as part of effective communication with the team.

Requirements:
- AA/BFA preferred; or a portfolio that demonstrate an industry standard level of art.
-The candidate must have shipped titles; preferably on PS2 / Xbox or both and has 3-6 years industry experience.
-Familiarity with 3DsMax & Photoshop and a high capacity to learn new procedures & tools.

Austin, Texas $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 919 26/06/08

Our client is an award winning, independent game studio located in San Francisco. Their first game developed for the X-box was a huge success, and they are currently working on a new, as yet unannounced next-gen project. They have established a highly creative, innovative, small, intimate development environment, and are looking forward to adding a few more talented individuals to their team.
They are looking for a highly experienced, professional Senior Materials to create highly original game world art.

The position requires the ability to create materials, including authoring the input textures such as normal, gloss and diffuse maps, and apply them to the models and integrate the models into the game using proprietary editing tools. The ideal candidate has at least 5 years experience creating textures, materials and shaders for architectural buildings, terrain, ecosystems, characters and props in Maya with at least two years in a senior position on highly regarded, published console titles.

The ideal candidate has a strong preference for working in a highly creative, innovative small development environment.

San Francisco $doe

Contact: Ben Ref: 947 26/06/08

This Bay area client has been bringing cutting edge gameplay and graphics to video gaming since 1992. With over 20 published titles they have proven excellence in the 3rd and 1st person action genre. They now utilize their internally developed, state of the art technology and tools to consistently create the best possible gameplay experiences.
The Cinematic Animator will primarily be focusing on next-gen cinematic animation for games in collaboration with designers, animators and the Cinematic Director. The Cinematic Animator will be animating movement of human characters, animals and objects/devices.

Preferably candidates will have 3 or more years of professional experience with game- and/or motion picture based animation, with strong experience with character based animation preferred.

Bay Area $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 943 26/06/08

This successful studio first opened its doors in Canada, and has since expanded to a second studio in Texas, as well as creating lasting partnerships with other international publishers and developers. They are famous for creating innovative, highly successful RPG’s, and are now using their tools and technologies to develop other exciting projects in the MMORPG genre. By offering great benefits and a fantastic work environment, the company has consistently been recognized as one of Canada’s top 100 employers. Our client is looking for a talented and experienced 3D artist with meticulous modeling and texturing abilities for a senior level/environment artist position. The successful applicants must:
- show an understanding of color theory, and be able to create balanced & appealing color palettes;
- understand the aesthetics of environment, function vs. form relationships, as well as what makes a game level fun and intriguing;
- be a good communicator;
- work well in a team spanning artists, programmers, and designers;
- be able to teach and be taught.

Architectural and drafting experience is an asset, as is previous game industry experience and level design.

Alberta, Canada $HIGH CAN + Excellent perks

Contact: Ben Ref: 933

Our client is a well known international developer with a reputation for releasing some of the highest quality entertainment and cutting edge original content in the industry. Over the last 9 years they have grown to over 300 developers working at two modern studios, making them one of the largest and most successful independent developers in the world. Primary Responsibilities:
-Creating character animation for next-generation assets and/or in-game cinematics.
-Works closely with the Lead Animator and Art Director to establish a cohesive and consistent animation style.

Required:
-Minimum of 4 yrs video games animation experience.
-Undergraduate degree; or college coursework in relevant fields; or proven portfolio of equivalent industry experience
-3+ years experience in 3D key-frame animation
-Knowledge of character set up.
-Knowledge of character rigging and weighting
-Creative approach to animating
-Understanding of traditional animation theory.
-Team player.

Los Angeles, CA $HIGH

Contact: Ben Ref: 872

Founded in 2001 and located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, this company is a potent mix of industry vets and fresh talent, offering full game development, ports, and consulting for all current and next-generation consoles. They have been extremely successful working with licensed properties from companies such as Disney, Warner Brothers, Nike, NASCAR, and the NFL. They are currently looking for great talent to help them embark on several new and exciting projects.
They are looking for an experienced Character Artist to create high caliber and visually stimulating creatures and characters.

You will create exciting and unique 3D creature and characters under the direction and guidance of the studio’s art director, and will collaborate with the world and character modelers to ensure that generated models and textures meet established quality standards. Candidates will also actively participate in character workflow processes, and assist leads in defining and maintaining an effective character pipeline.

You must have a minimum 4 years experience in the gaming industry with a primary focus on character creation, and possess exceptional 3D modeling and texturing skills. A background and understanding of character design and principles, including but not limited to; form (pose), balance and color theory is a big plus, as is experience with Maya and Adobe Photoshop.

Oregon $ DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 928

Founded in 2001 and located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, this company is a potent mix of industry vets and fresh talent, offering full game development, ports, and consulting for all current and next-generation consoles. They have been extremely successful working with licensed properties from companies such as Disney, Warner Brothers, Nike, NASCAR, and the NFL. They are currently looking for great talent to help them embark on several new and exciting projects.
They are looking for an experienced User Interface Artist .

You will Design, prototype and develop user interface elements, and will collaborate with the Art Director and design team to ensure that the user interface meets functionality and visual requirements.

Candidates must have prior experience and passion for designing user interfaces, and have a familiarity with game development and the capacity to create a user interface which is both functional and visually appealing.

A background and understanding of art design and principles, including but not limited to; color theory and composition is a big plus, as is experience with Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Flash.

Oregon $ DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 927

Our client was founded by an experienced producer in 2000. In their seven years, the studio has released over 11 titles, every single one to commercial success. They have an exclusive deal with one of the world’s leading video game publishers, and continue to grow with new franchised products, as well as original IP’s. Being located on the East coast of Canada; fresh coastal air, scenic landscapes, beautiful beaches, no traffic jams and affordable living are just a few things their employees can enjoy. We are looking for an animator that will work with motion capture to produce game ready animation as predetermined with the Producer and Art Director to agreed schedules.

Main Responsibilities
-Working with proprietary animation tools to create sequences of motion capture for sports titles.
-Creating cut scenes in a highly effective manner to aid TV style presentation.
-Ensuring all completed work is in a build ready format.
-Preparing motion capture for use within the workflow.
-Collaborate effectively with Art Director, Producer and Creative Director during art review sessions that result in the finest artistic look possible.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience
-A portfolio or reel demonstrating outstanding animation skills. Work must clearly demonstrate exceptional ability in the areas of human motion, face and hand animation plus scene creation.
-Command of MotionBuilder, understanding of Maya and XSI.
-Ability to meet deadlines and work effectively in a team environment.
-Passion for video games.
-Graduate or more than two years industry experience.

East Coast, Canada $DOE CAN

Contact: Ben Ref: 918

This Texas client is a rapidly growing, award winning developer whose games have spectacular graphics and gameplay, and utilize cutting-edge technology. They have already released 5 successful titles in the last 6 years, and with three new AAA projects in development, they are quickly solidifying their place among the industry's leading multiplatform developers. As the Environmental Concept Artist you are expected to be familiar in multiple disciplines such as modeling, texturing, animation, and/or conceptuals. The Concept Artist will work closely with the creative leads to create a compelling artistic vision for this exciting next generation MMORPG.

Responsibilities:
-Ability to create detailed and believable visuals based on real world settings.
-Produce art ranging from rough thumbnails to print quality images.
-Strong focus on character and environment concepts.
-Motivated and driven to face challenges.
-Digital painting with strong knowledge of lighting & color.

Qualifications:
-Strong traditional art skills.
-Flexible with art style and can work in multiple genres.
-Motivated and driven to face challenges.
-Ability to communicate effectively with member of all teams (design, programming, and art).

Houston, TX $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 909

Our client are one of the premier developers of next generation console and PC titles in the Southwest. Having already established themselves with a solid line of successful game franchises, they’ve continued to expand and were recently named Game Informer's 'Developer of the Year.' With over 15 years in the industry, they have come to rely on their extensive game play experience and understanding of current game technology to produce the most original, engaging games possible. Position Summary: Leads by example and ability in mentoring other artists in the same discipline. Evaluates, innovates, solves problems, and pushes the technical/visual limitations on a given project

Essential Job Functions:
-Innovates and solves technical issues for tool development used in game production
-R&Ds with an eye towards visual and technical innovation in dealing with process and pipeline creation
-Documents processes and procedures thoroughly
-Pushes and/or defines hardware and art limitations for the project
-Works efficiently with programming staff while representing the art
-Mentors other artists in this discipline
-Reviews and recommends software for production
-Meets deadlines with proficiency
-Uses commercially available digital software competently
-Develops new techniques and processes to solve production challenges.
-Works closely with the tech team to design, debug and evaluate new tools.
-Interacts and communicates effectively with management on both a project and studio level

Experience/Skills:
-5-8 years of industry experience
-Has shipped multiple current generation or next generation console titles
-Maxscript or equivalent experience
-Working knowledge of MAX and/or other 3D software package Photoshop, Z-brush, Alienbrain
-Understanding of proprietary tools
-Thorough understanding of integration of assets into game
-Understanding of scripting, shaders, and other technical issues
-Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to interact effectively
-Ability to multi-task and to adapt easily to change

Education/Certification/Licensing: Bachelor's (BA) degree from an accredited
4-year college or university or equivalent industry experience.

Phoenix, AZ $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 734

Founded in 2001 and located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, this company is a potent mix of industry vets and fresh talent, offering full game development, ports, and consulting for all current and next-generation consoles. They have been extremely successful working with licensed properties from companies such as Disney, Warner Brothers, Nike, NASCAR, and the NFL. They are currently looking for great talent to help them embark on several new and exciting projects. They are seeking a Senior Environment Artist with a passion for quality and an eagerness to work in a world-class game development studio.

Responsibilities:
- Creation of game environments, including modeling, materials, and lighting
- Collaborating with the Art and Design teams to create high standard models and textures
- Contributing innovative and original ideas towards new processes and tools

Requirements:
- Minimum 5 years experience in the gaming industry, with a primary focus on in-engine asset creation.
- Solid knowledge of Max or Maya
- Must have a basic understanding of game creation limits and dependencies
- Willing to accept and provide direction, work well under pressure, and handle multiple tasks
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.

Oregon $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 839

Our client is an award winning, independent game studio located in San Francisco. Their first game developed for the X-box was a huge success, and they are currently working on a new, as yet unannounced next-gen project. They have established a highly creative, innovative, small, intimate development environment, and are looking forward to adding a few more talented individuals to their team. The primary job responsibilities include the creation of in-game character models, rigs, animations and cutscenes that convey charm and personality. The ideal candidate has at least 5 years experience in Maya with at least 2 years in a senior position on highly regarded, published console titles. Knowledge of the essential facets of both 2D and 3D animation is critical, as is the ability to accept critiques and work well with a team of animators. Since new intellectual property is involved, a clear, long-term understanding of the game’s design vision is needed, and the ideal candidate will understand how to uphold it through the modeling and animation of the game’s characters. The candidate has a strong preference for working in a highly creative, innovative, small development environment.

San Francisco, CA $HIGH

Contact: Ben Ref: 878

Our client is an award winning, independent game studio located in San Francisco. Their first game developed for the X-box was a huge success, and they are currently working on a new, as yet unannounced next-gen project. They have established a highly creative, innovative, small, intimate development environment, and are looking forward to adding a few more talented individuals to their team. They are looking for a highly experienced, professional Senior Technical Artist. The primary job responsibility is to bridge communications between the art and technology teams to generate tools and workflow enhancements to benefit artists in technical specifications for the programmers creating those tools and pipelines. It is the function of the Senior Technical Artist to ensure the cutting edge of graphical tools and technologies is made accessible to the team’s content creators.

The ideal candidate has a minimum of 4 years experience in technical art production, with at least 2 published console titles. Published or current games should reflect direct experience defining art pipelines on Xenon, PS2, Xbox and/or Gamecube development. The role demands extensive knowledge of scripting languages, error reduction tools, and character and world modeling/animation technical direction. The position requires an extensive knowledge of 3D art packages and scripting languages, and an avid interest in staying and pushing the bleeding edge of game art development. The ideal candidate has a strong preference for working in a highly creative, innovative, small, intimate development environment.

San Francisco, CA $HIGH

Contact: Ben Ref: 798

This Bay area client has been bringing cutting edge gameplay and graphics to video gaming since 1992. With over 20 published titles they have proven excellence in the 3rd and 1st person action genre. They now utilize their internally developed, state of the art technology and tools to consistently create the best possible gameplay experiences. Position Requirements:
*Must have a thorough understanding of general game production, and every aspect of the art, animation, and design creation process
*Design and creation of custom scripts and plug-ins to build art-centric toolsets focusing on increasing productivity, aiding workflow, and reducing human error
*Communicate and troubleshoot technical art issues with an emphasis on studio wide global solutions
*Assist in educating art staff from a technical, workflow, and efficiency standpoint
*Mentor and train other technical and production artists in studio
*Research and develop software that may assist in improving efficiency and raising the visual quality of the art department
*Build art for testing purposes and develop R&D demonstrations for other teams to use as learning tools
*Exceptional problem solving, analytical, organizational skills
*Able to self motivate, prioritize tasks, track and deliver technical solutions while managing multiple requests from different departments
*Strong understanding of MEL scripting and an expert level Maya user
*Thorough understanding of all standard art tools and plug-ins in that include Maya, Photoshop, 3DMax, and Perforce
*Must have a full understanding of all aspects of game art and animation production and have worked though at least one production cycle in an artistic capacity
*Must show a portfolio that demonstrate both artistic and technical knowledge
*Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present ideas, concepts, and approaches, to both peers and studio management
*Service and client oriented, driven to improve the environment and process for art content creation for all artists within studio
*Next generation experience, and the capability to foresee future tools needs based on this knowledge

Position Preferences:
*5+ years in the game industry
*Arts related degree
*Prior leadership experience a plus.

Bay Area, CA $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 140

This Southern California studio has one simple goal: make fun games that everyone will want to play. With that mission in mind, they understand making games is hard work and takes good talent. They encourage exploration of new ideas and promote working together to make the best possible gameplay experience. With one hit title already under their belt, and their next release expected to be even better, their hard work certainly seems to be paying off. The Character Artist will be responsible for creating visually stunning 3d characters and interactive gameplay models that both closely capture the "look" and artistic style of the concept art, as well as efficiently satisfy all technical engine and animation requirements.

A successful candidate must demonstrate a strong understanding of sculptural form, anatomy, and a familiarity with and ability to work in a wide range of artistic styles. A high attention to detail and strong technical and artistic problem solving abilities are equally important for the position.

Qualifications:
-3+ years games industry experience
-Software: Maya, Photoshop (or comparable programs).
-Strong traditional art, drawing, painting, and texturing skills are a huge plus.

Orange County, CA $DOE

Contact: Ben Ref: 907