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Santa Monica Studio · 3 days ago

Sr Character Technical Artist (Contract)

LA Metro Area

Full-time, Contract

Onsite

Senior Level

$57.98/hr - $86.92/hr

5+ years exp

Santa Monica Studio is seeking an experienced Character Technical Artist for the development of a new unannounced title. The role involves bridging technology and character art, collaborating with artists and animators to deliver high-quality game visuals.

Digital Entertainment

Growth Opportunities

Hiring Manager

Peter Twiby

Responsibilities

Create and maintain Rigging and Animation toolsets, modules, and workflows

Create DCC side tools that assist in producing Engine side content

Research, define, extend, and maintain character pipelines, processes, and workflows

Collaborate with character artists and animators

Identify problems; solve them by inventing or building robust technical implementations

Engage in broader game production challenges as they relate to combat design, animation, and character art

Qualification

MayaRiggingAnimation workflowsPythonC++Linear algebraPolygon topologyShadersEnthusiasmCollaborationInitiative

Required

5+ years of professional experience in computer-generated art

Intimate knowledge of Maya and strong understanding of Maya's rigging tools

Deep knowledge of rigging and animator workflows

Ability to design and architect workflow/pipelines and work effectively with engineers across departments toward a common goal

Ability to apply linear algebra, geometry, and vector math to solve rigging and animation problems

Can recognize efficient polygon topology related to character deformations

Working knowledge of shaders, specifically as they relate to animation

Expertise in Python, PyQt, PySide, and/or C++ – specifically as it applies to programming in Maya

Execute according to proposed plans so individual contributions connect with the big picture

Able and motivated to work with other team members

Enthusiasm and initiative

Preferred

Knowledge in IK, Animation Blending, and/or game engines process data – quaternions, matrices, blending, etc

Knowledge of DCCs outside of Maya – Houdini, Unreal, Wrap3D, etc

Well-versed in human and animal anatomy

A keen eye for proper form and deformation throughout a wide range of movement

Machine Learning, CNNs, or Linear Regression knowledge

Benefits

Medical

Dental

Vision

Company

Santa Monica Studio

Santa Monica Studio (SMS) is the PlayStation® video game development team owned by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is a sub-organization of Sony.

Founded in 1999

Santa Monica, California, USA

201-500 employees