Gameplay Animation Director - Jobs in British Columbia

Job Description

Who We Are2K Games is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K #39;s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, and HB Studios. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today #39;s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment.Located in Vancouver, BC, 2K Sports Lab is a small collective being formed within 2K Games that is driving the research and development of future sports interactive entertainment programs. Within this group, speculative work will be done on future sports games with an eye towards taking the magic of 2K #39;s publishing and development expertise and applying them to future opportunities.Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of our growing library of critically-acclaimed franchises such as NBA 2K, 2K PGA, Tiny Tina #39;s Wonderlands, Lego Drive, BioShock, Borderlands, The Quarry, Mafia, Sid Meier #39;s Civilization, Marvel #39;s Midnight Suns, WWE 2K, and XCOM.At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We encourage ALL applicants to explore our global positions, even if they don #39;t meet every requirement for the role. If you #39;re interested in the job and think you have what it takes to work at 2K, we encourage you to apply.What We NeedOur studio is looking for an experienced Animation Director who has a high quality bar, a passion for replicating authentic sports behaviors and is a leader of others with the goal of achieving the highest quality in the visual representation of our sport in our game. In this role, you will be both leading others and also working hands- on. You will work closely with AI, Animation and Systems Engineers, Artists, Designers and Producers to bring characters to life and replicate authentic sports behaviors to build highly polished world- class gameplay for what will be the next massive sports franchise in our industry.What You #39;ll Do

• You will be both an individual contributor, and leader and mentor for members of the Gameplay animation team.
• Be the gatekeeper for Animation quality and authenticity.
• Build a world-class game animation team by choosing a complementary set of talents to round out a complete team of high performing animators.
• Work closely with Producers, Designers, Engineers, and Artists to execute on the game vision.
• Work with animators to provide time estimates for project planning, estimate coverage needs, and quantity of animations required for variety and completeness of our animation data sets.
• Have experience Coordinating and running Motion Capture shoots inclusive of planning shot lists, booking talent, and executing the shoot.
• Encourage and facilitate the development of a significant knowledge base in others to guide their career development and progression.
• Review animation work of more junior animators in your team to ensure quality.
• Champion tools development to optimize processes and workflows.
• Be aware of and evaluate new technologies and techniques in the industry for application in our game.
• Have and share opinions of the broader game experience.
• Manage and contribute to positive morale and a healthy team culture.

What Will Make You A Great Fit

• 10+ years of animation experience with games, mocap, keyframe and high-end realistic animation styles.
• Shipped at least two AAA titles.
• Deep knowledge of sports. Playing experience is a plus.
• Excellent at cultivating positive working relationships with internal partners and development teams.
• Games experience, including gameplay, mocap, cinematics, and sophisticated facial animation pipelines are a big plus.
• Strong familiarity with animation production processes and pipelines.
• Outstanding communication, interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Experience working with Animation SEs and is familiar with animation technology (Blend techniques, Masking, Procedural Animation etc., ML Animation is a plus).

Beneficial Qualifications

• Experience with Unreal Engine.
• Passionate about playing and/or watching sports.
• Passion for video games (not just ours)

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews, and when emailing we, only use 2K.com accounts.