Job description
Join NovaFrame Studios in Los Angeles as a Senior Animator. You will craft engaging 3D and 2D animations for film, television, and advertising, collaborating closely with directors, designers, and motion graphics artists to deliver high-quality visuals on time.
We seek a storyteller with a strong reel, deep knowledge of animation pipelines, and a passion for bringing characters to life. This role offers growth, collaboration with industry-leading talent, and the opportunity to shape timelines for large-scale projects.
Responsibility
- Collaborate with directors and art teams to storyboard, plan animation pipelines, and translate concepts into compelling visuals.
- Create high-quality 3D and 2D animation across characters, props, and environments, ensuring consistent style and motion.
- Rig and skin characters; develop and refine animation rigs for efficiency and flexibility.
- Light, shade, and composite scenes; work with lighting and compositing teams to achieve cinematic result.
- Review work-in-progress, provide constructive feedback, and iterate to meet project milestones.
- Optimize animation pipelines for speed and stability and troubleshoot technical issues.
- Collaborate with VFX and sound teams to synchronize motion and audio for impactful storytelling.
- Assist in mentoring junior animators and sharing best practices across the studio.
Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in Animation, Fine Arts, Computer Graphics, or related field (or equivalent professional experience).
- 5+ years of professional animation experience with a strong reel demonstrating character animation, timing, and storytelling.
- Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Autodesk Maya or Blender, Adobe After Effects, Toon Boom Harmony, and a good grasp of Unreal Engine or Unity.
- Experience with rigging, skinning, weight, and dynamics; solid understanding of lighting, shading, and compositing pipelines.
- Excellent communication skills, ability to participate in creative reviews, and strong time-management under tight deadlines.
- Portfolio showcasing diverse projects across animation styles (2D, 3D, motion graphics) and ability to adapt to different styles.
- Knowledge of traditional animation principles and strong sense of storytelling and character performance.