Job description
NovaFrame Studio is seeking a seasoned Senior Animator to lead and elevate our character animation pipeline. This role blends creative storytelling with technical excellence to deliver high-quality animations for feature films, episodic content, and immersive experiences.
As our Senior Animator, you will collaborate with directors, modelers, riggers, and lighting artists to craft expressive performances that resonate with audiences. You will mentor junior animators, review work, and optimize animation pipelines for speed and quality.
What you will do
- Lead the character animation process from blocking to polish, ensuring performance and timing meet narrative goals.
- Develop, maintain, and refine animation rigs and workflows for efficiency and consistency.
- Collaborate with directors to establish style, tone, and character movement language across multiple projects.
- Provide mentorship and feedback to junior animators, including review sessions and critique.
- Integrate animation with lighting, VFX, and shading to support storytelling and atmosphere.
- Collaborate with technical artists to optimize rigging and runtime performance across engines like Unreal.
- Maintain documentation of workflows, best practices, and asset pipelines.
What we’re looking for
We’re seeking a creative storyteller with a deep understanding of anatomy and performance, capable of delivering compelling animated characters across styles. You should thrive in a collaborative environment and bring a proactive mindset to problem solving and pipeline improvement.
Responsibility
- Lead the character animation process from blocking to polish, ensuring performance and timing meet narrative goals.
- Develop, maintain, and refine animation rigs and workflows for efficiency and consistency.
- Collaborate with directors to establish style, tone, and character movement language across multiple projects.
- Provide mentorship and feedback to junior animators, including review sessions and critique.
- Integrate animation with lighting, VFX, and shading to support storytelling and atmosphere.
- Collaborate with technical artists to optimize rigging and runtime performance across engines like Unreal.
- Maintain documentation of workflows, best practices, and asset pipelines.
Qualification
- Bachelor's or Master's in Animation, Film, or related field; 5+ years of professional experience.
- Portfolio or reel demonstrating strong character animation across stylized and realistic styles.
- Proficiency in Maya; knowledge of Blender or 3ds Max is a plus.
- Solid understanding of anatomy, timing, acting beats, and weight distribution.
- Experience with rigging and skinning; familiarity with Unreal Engine or Unity is a plus.
- Excellent collaboration and communication skills; experience leading small teams is a plus.
- Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to adapt to a fast-paced production schedule.