Job description
Join Nebula Studio, a premier animation studio in the heart of Los Angeles, delivering award-winning 3D animation for feature films, television, and streaming content. We are seeking a Senior 3D Animator to elevate our character work, mentor junior artists, and collaborate with directors and riggers to bring stories to life.
As a key contributor on high-profile projects, you will own animation from blocking through final polish, contribute to shot reviews, and help set the creative direction for performance and timing.
We value artistic excellence, technical precision, and a collaborative spirit. Our team uses Maya, ZBrush, and modern look development tools, with pipelines designed to empower artists to do their best work.
Responsibility
- Lead and supervise the character animation process from blocking to final polish on assigned shots.
- Collaborate with directors, storyboard artists, and layout to translate performances into compelling motion.
- Define and refine timing, posing, weight, and acting to achieve cinematic quality.
- Mentor junior animators, provide constructive feedback, and contribute to training materials.
- Partner with Rigging and TD teams to troubleshoot issues and improve the animation pipeline.
- Review progress in regular shot reviews, iterate based on feedback, and ensure on-time delivery.
- Contribute to performance capture workflows, retargeting, and animation cleaning as needed.
Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in Animation, Computer Graphics, or related field (or equivalent professional experience).
- 5+ years of professional 3D character animation experience in feature film, TV, or game production; strong reel required.
- Expert proficiency with Autodesk Maya; familiarity with ZBrush, Substance Painter, and Houdini is a plus.
- Solid acting sense, understanding of weight, balance, timing, and storytelling through motion.
- Experience working with rigs and collaborating with Rigging TDs to resolve rigging issues.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
- Portfolio demonstrating range of character performances and high-quality acting in various camera languages.