Animator (AAA Games)

Location: Carlsbad, California, United States; onsite work four days per week at the Carlsbad office. The temporary role is estimated to last approximately 12 months, and work arrangements may change at the company's discretion.

Base pay: $30.47–$56.35 hourly in the United States; incentive compensation may be available but is not guaranteed.

Company

High Moon Studios, wholly owned by Activision, develops AAA games including titles in the Call of Duty franchise.

What you will do

• Create cinematics and scripted in-game animations with the Narrative team.
• Produce polished action, cinematic, dialogue, and supporting animations using motion capture and hand-key authoring.
• Create previsualizations and present animation concepts to the Narrative team.
• Implement and maintain animations in the game engine using proprietary tools.
• Collaborate across the studio to deliver high-quality work and provide direction on scene vision.
• Troubleshoot animation and technical issues and partner with Technical Animation to improve tools and pipelines.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional animation experience, including work on AAA console titles.
• Strong first-person and cinematic animation skills, with excellent awareness of timing, weight, and composition.
• Demonstrated skill in 3D animation principles and techniques.
• Solid understanding of cinematography language and storytelling techniques.
• Ability to quickly learn and master new tools, processes, and pipelines.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills, including providing direction to other disciplines and departments.
• Ability to contribute to a highly creative team and give and receive feedback.
• Positive attitude and pride in the quality of delivered work.
• A portfolio submission with a shot breakdown of direct personal contributions is required.

Nice to have

• Experience with first-person shooter games and extensive knowledge of the Call of Duty games.
• Experience using generative AI tools for creative exploration.

Culture & Benefits

• Work with a creative team developing AAA gaming experiences.
• Eligible employees may receive medical, dental, vision, insurance, and health spending benefits.
• Benefits may include 401(k) with company match, tuition reimbursement, paid holidays, vacation, sick time, parental leave, and wellbeing programs.
• Temporary full-time employee benefit eligibility may vary.
• Relocation assistance may be available if the company requires a geographic move for the role.

Hiring process

• Submit a portfolio focused on personal contributions and include a shot breakdown specifying what was directly created.