Advanced Artist, Animation

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Avalanche is a Warner Bros. Games studio located in downtown Salt Lake City nestled against the backdrop of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. We’ve been in the video game business since 1995, creating interactive experiences for fans of the world’s largest franchises. Join the team behind the blockbuster open world, action RPG Hogwarts Legacy as we create what’s next!

WB Games Avalanche - Advanced Animator

Avalanche Software, a division of Warner Bros. Games Inc. seeks an Advanced Animator. Join the team who created Hogwarts Legacy, an open world, action RPG set in the Wizarding World.

As an Advanced Animator at Avalanche Software, you'll bring in-depth animation expertise to bear on our most visible character performances and gameplay moments. You'll help define scope and approach for complex animation work, set the quality bar for the team, and mentor other animators as you collaborate closely with our multidisciplinary team to craft unforgettable experiences for players worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive keyframe animation for hero characters, creatures, and key gameplay moments, setting the standard for quality across the team

• Partner with Leads and Production to help define animation scope, schedules, and project benchmarks

• Take an active role in establishing and improving animation pipeline efficiency and best practices

• Collaborate with designers and programmers to implement and refine animations in Unreal Engine 5, determining technical and creative approaches for complex problems

• Mentor animators across the team and provide clear, constructive feedback that improves outcomes and skillsets

• Lead motion capture sessions and oversee processing of mocap data for in-game use

• Contribute to the evolution of tools and workflows, working with engineering to create and improve pipeline tools

• Partner with art directors to translate the game's visual style and narrative goals into actionable direction for the animation team

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressively complex professional game animation experience, or an equivalent combination of experience and a BA in art or a related field

• Shipped multiple AAA titles as an animator, with a portfolio demonstrating breadth of style and range of technical skill

• Advanced understanding of human and animal anatomy, locomotion, and performance

• Advanced proficiency animating both realistic and stylized characters

• Proven experience mentoring animators and reviewing others' work to raise team quality and skill level

• Ability to help define scope of work for complex, varied assignments and drive them independently with minimal oversight

• Excellent communication skills, with experience interacting with and directing internal and external resources

• Demonstrated ability to establish project taxonomy, file formats, and naming conventions

• Advanced understanding of the production pipeline, with a track record of driving efficiency improvements

• Advanced knowledge of Maya, MotionBuilder, and Unreal Engine 5's animation systems

• Deep experience with procedural animation techniques and runtime animation systems

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.