Principal Animator

Job Description

Principal Animator (Singleplayer Incubation Team)

Founded in 2010 by the original creators of the Call of Duty Franchise, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they'll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. From our roots as an indie studio to joining the expansive roster of studios at Electronic Arts, this remains our guiding principle. We truly love what we do and want to share our passion with players worldwide.
Our shipped titles include critically acclaimed multi-platform games Apex Legends, Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Star Wars™ Jedi: Fallen Order and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.

We are looking for a talented and experienced Principal Gameplay Animator to help build a brand new Respawn single player adventure. You will have experience being the vision holder for gameplay animation pillars and is passionate about making games in a highly collaborative environment. In this role you will help establish and realize a visceral and cinematic gameplay experience through remarkable animation vision and talent.

This new singleplayer title is a developer's dream playground with a freedom to innovate made possible by the unique universe it inhabits. Our critically acclaimed, multi-platform games have always established a ''fun comes first'' sensibility created with the notion that great ideas can come from anyone, which allows creativity to shine and individuals to shape the game in meaningful ways.

What you'll do...
• Define the look and feel of gameplay animation for the project.
• Work with the tech art team to establish and refine the animation pipeline.
• Review the process of taking characters from concept to ingame with a focus on what is needed to get the best performance from the character models/rigs.
• Work with writers, designers, and artists to develop characters, tone, the world, and set-piece moments.
• Maintain strong communication between all departments and foster a culture of collaboration.
• Serve as an advocate for the department's goals, needs, and desires. Remove roadblocks, raise red flags, etc.

Ideally, you'll have…
• 7+ years professional experience.
• A deep understanding of how to create gameplay animations that 'feel' good.
• A deep understanding of animation blending trees and state machines
• A deep understanding of how to express the internal backstory and motivations of characters through only pantomime and posing.
• Mastery of animation principles and experience with a variety of animation styles.
• The ability to balance creative goals with the requirements of production.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-r11w6e-52-14-130-13-42 in your application.