Senior Graphic Designer, Animation Research Library

Job Description

Located in Burbank, WDAS continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, stretching from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 2013's Academy Award®-winning Frozen, the biggest animated film of all time. At Walt Disney Animation Studios' top filmmakers, artists and technical wizards collaborate to create the magic of animation. Bring your unique talents, passion and ideas to our team and prepare to play in a creative, artist-friendly environment.

The Walt Disney Animation Animation Research Library (ARL) is looking for qualified individuals for the position of:

Senior Designer

The ARL houses a collection of artwork, created for the production of Disney's animated feature length and short films from the 1920s until present day. The collection is comprised of more than 65,000,000 pieces of physical artwork, as well as a rapidly growing collection of born digital artwork-currently estimated at
4.9 petabytes-which includes, but is not limited to, conceptual art, storyboards, maquettes, hand-drawn production artwork, 3 dimensional models, textures, image files and final rendered images.

The Senior Designer we are seeking is a graphic designer with the ability to think conceptually and an innate talent for creating visual stories. Drawing upon a rich legacy of animation artwork dating back almost 100 years, our job is to create quality experiences for guests in museums, theme parks and resorts, cruise lines, and a variety of projects in collaboration with other Disney divisions.

This position requires the individual to create visual concepts for a myriad of projects ranging from exhibition layouts, books / catalog design, presentations, and a variety of print needs. The position calls for an emphasis on communication skills used in: spatial design, print design, presentations, and may include some web design.

The Senior Designer will work closely with the Design Manager, ARL Director, and WDAS Creatives on projects which include: ideation and giving notes to clients, reworking design concepts, building presentations, creating layouts for spaces, printing artwork for displays and buildings, some oversight regarding web design, and occasionally overseeing installations.

Through design aesthetics, our team is mindful of our external brand identity and our internal studio identity hoping to inspire, inform, and educate our vast community.

Responsibilities:
• Oversee projects small and large from concept through completion, including: pre-planning, budgets, production, and in some cases, installation
• Develop concept sketches / Photoshop overlays or renderings
• Create layouts, knows how to work with floorplans and elevations
• Build out print-ready graphics for banners, catalogs or other print needs
• Proven problem-solving skills
• Solicit and procure bids from vendors and manage the production timeline
• Knowledge of latest industry tools, concepts, and trends
• Be an innovator with fresh ideas and approaches
• Ensure consistency and quality of design throughout each project
• Works closely with Design Manager and/or ARL Director and know how to accept and give creative notes internally and to external partners
• Create or fine-tune presentations and pitches for department projects
• Mentoring or overseeing interns or temp labor for projects
• Well organized and able to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Collaborative and works well with a team and is also self-motivated to work independently
• Works well under pressure with projects that require quick turnarounds
• Some installations may require physical exertion, including long days of standing and working, or lifting, etc; but nothing that would be unsafe
• Excellent communication skills to be able to express ideas both visually and verbally

Basic Qualifications:
• High proficiency in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
• Proficient in InDesign, Keynote, Adobe XD, Premiere, and AfterEffects
• Minimum 6+ years' experience working for a design studio (or similar experience) doing graphic design
• Print production experience
• This is a hands-on position that requires flexibility, imagination, a can-do attitude, a sense of fun, and the desire to learn and grow with the position

Preferred Qualifications:
• Desired proficiency in: SketchUp, or Revit
• Photography and lighting skills
• Strong familiarity of/affinity for Disney characters, films, and branding
• Comfort with power tools
• Job may require some travel

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gqoxkx-18-191-228-88-42 in your application.