animation jobs | Dreamworks

Supervising Animator


The Supervising Animator works closely with the Head of Character Animation, the Production Supervisor, and other Supervising Animators to manage and run the animation department.  This person is the creative lead for designated sequences.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Creative:

• May be involved in helping to design characters on a movie by directly providing inspirational drawings and/or having hands on involvement with the Modeling department to finalize the design.
  
• May be involved with initial 2D or 3D tests to help define the personality of the character involved.
  
• Interact with Director to help define the acting requirements on both a sequence and shot basis.
  
• Animate key shots within the sequence that help to define the acting and are an inspiration for other shots within the sequence.
  
• Work with animators to ensure the creative goals by the Director are met.  Involves hands-on relationship with the artists, viewing sequences before the Director, and collaborating during Director approvals on shots.
  
• Participate in animation reviews and meetings (dailies, walk-throughs, pre-production meetings, blocking meetings, editorial meetings, etc.).
  
• Track story and continuity issues within the sequence.    
  

Technical:

• Assist in the set-up of department structure for the film: hardware, software tools, production process, and training. May also assist in longer term department structure strategies for the studio.
  
• Work closely with the Character TDs, Head of Character Animation , and other Supervising Animators to ensure the performance requirements of the character work with the rig and tools.  Also ensure ongoing communications with the Character TD’s to make sure the process runs smoothly.   
  
• Work with other Supervising Animators to reach consensus on the rig philosophy and to achieve consistency across all characters (e.g. naming conventions).
  

Managerial:

• Interacts with other departments to ensure acting performance of characters is preserved across all sequences.
  
• Appropriately elevate issues and solutions to Production Management effectively.  
  
• Work closely with the Head of Character Animation and Production Supervisor in the management of the department.
  
• Work with the Head of Character Animation and Production Supervisor to hit sequence deadlines and ensure the quotas are met for both shots and sequences.
  
• Work with the Head of Character Animation, Production Supervisor, and Directors on casting shots/assignments to Animators within the sequence.
  
• Responsible for improving the performance of Animators on the team.  Mentor Animators to provide guidance, experience and insight.  Involved in trying to resolve performance related issues.
  
• Responsible with Production Supervisor for maintaining crew morale.  Foster good working atmosphere and ethics.
  
• Deliver reviews with Production Supervisor to crew members; help manage career growth of staff; provide recommendations for promotions.
  
• Work with management in the casting and staffing of talent on the show.
  
• Help with recruiting and perform interviews.  Ensure that animation new hires are provided the necessary training.
  
• Responsible for participation in the unification and initiatives for the studio.
  
• Facilitate meetings with artists to keep the crew informed on show changes and requirements.
  
• Ensure open lines of communication with other departments and department heads.
  
  
  To apply email to careers.ddu@technicolor.com with the name of the opening in the subject.
   
  
  Animator
  
  
  
  While animators may not be able to handle the most difficult of shots, they are relied upon to create high quality animation within their skill range. They are required to work closely with the supervisors.
  
  Essential duties and responsibilities:
  
  
• Responsible for producing high quality animation.
• Animate primary and secondary characters.
• Work closely with lead animators for direction.
• Meet deadlines and quotas.
• Support junior / trainee animators.
• 
      Lead Lighter
  
  
  Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
   
  
  • Design and create lighting and the look of CG objects, scene images, effects and programs for digitally composited sequences to reach the vision of the Director, Production Designer, Art director and VFX Supervisor.
  • Set up, light, rig and establish key shots for a given sequence.
  • Work closely with Directors, Production Designer, Art Directors, Visual FX Supervisor and Cg Supervisor, to set a reference for the sequence. Address all lighting comments, clarifying artistic direction when unclear.
  • Define standards and techniques for lighting a sequence that maximizes efficiency and ensures quality. Optimize setups for rendering.
  • Creative responsibility to keep the continuity of the sequence consistent with the key shot.
  • Provide leadership for production lighting team both creatively and technically. Foster good working atmosphere and ethics. Lead by example and promote good morale.
  • Ensure that lighting setups are clean, well documented, modular and easily applicable to other shots.
  • Troubleshoot creative and technical issues as they arise.
  • Initiate, set up, organize and document any lighting - tools, adbs, scripts or processes on a global or sequence level.
  • Lead meetings to hand off the sequence to production lighters before they start. Using the key shots, clearly explain and give direction as to the technical and aesthetic challenges of the sequence. Similarly, hands-off the set ups to other teams that need to deal with common elements, such as environments or FX.
  • Create and maintain sequence feedback devices such as mov lists and contact sheets.
  • Mentor production lighters and ensure that they technically and aesthetically achieve look of the sequence.
  • Collaborate with Cg Supervisor and Head of FX timely FX integration for a sequence.
  • Collaborate with CG Supervisor timely matte painting integration for a sequence.
  • Manage personal shot load, meeting all deadlines of milestones to final film delivery, based on the schedule for a given sequence.
  • Help facilitate CG character visual development. This can include working with surfacing, setting materials or shader parameters.
  • Attend creative reviews such as Dailies or Art Director rounds.
  • Assist Cg Supervisor when needed. This can include helping with shot assignments, prioritizing renders, reviewing surfacing.
  • Work closely with Art Directors for direction and clarity on props/sets and lighting withing sequence.
  • Responsible for informing Production Supervisor and CG Sup of any scheduling and quota issues.
  • Help bid sequences.
  • Assist with interviews and recruiting.
  • Attend sequence breakdowns and kick off meetings.
  • Be able to run DDR and playback devices in CG Supervisor’s absence.
     Lighter
    
    
    Essential duties and responsibilities:
    

    • Establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot. Ensure that assigned shots fit in the continuity of a sequence and fulfill the vision of the Directors, Production Designer, Art Director and VFX Supervisor, while meeting the production schedule.
    • Create and fine tune the direct lighting, reflections, and shadows for each assigned shot, working with the resources and support provided. Ensure quality of final frames and cleanliness of setups.
    • Perform lighting development setup as required.Perform lighting development setup as required.
    • Submit work for review to CG Supervisor, Art Directors, Production Designers and/or VFX Supervisor. Address comments that come up during reviews. Clarify feedback when unclear.
    • Ensure continuity problems in shots within the sequence are addressed.
    • Optimize shots for rendering. Manage image files and associated disk space in an economical manner.
    • Maintain current versions of movie files. Deliver material to Editorial.
    • Update CG Supervisor and Production Supervisor on the progress of his/her shot.
    • Show previous version of the work and clearly represent what the set of comments were, when necessary.
    • Communicate creative, technical and/or interdepartmental issues appropriately.
    • Work with Production Supervisor and CG Supervisor to meet sequence schedule milestones.
    • Stay up to date on new tools and techniques.
    • Attend necessary departmental and sequence meetings.
    • Collaborate with other departments such as Layout, Modeling, Surfacing, Matte Painting, and Effects.
    • Ensure that lighting setups are clean, documented and easy to understand. Pass off a shot to another lighter when necessary.
    • May be asked to help train new staff.
    • Timely consistent availability for CG rounds, AD rounds and dailies.
    • Use downtime for departmental improvements such as documentation, updating classes and curriculum, and taking classes.
     To apply email to careers.ddu@technicolor.com with the name of the opening in the subject.
    
    

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