Cinematic Supervisor (Game Development)

TL;DR

Cinematic Supervisor (Game Development): Owning and optimizing the end-to-end narrative cinematic pipeline from story breakdown to final in-engine delivery with an accent on translating creative intent into capture and post methodology, maintaining continuity and quality. Focus on leading on-set readiness for performance capture, overseeing post-capture throughput, and establishing efficient workflows to deliver AAA quality story moments.

Location: Ability to work hybrid from our Santa Monica, CA studio is required.

Salary: $173,000–$207,000 USD

Company

Naughty Dog (a hirify.global studio) crafts best-selling, critically acclaimed games like The Last of Us and Uncharted, and is developing a new sci-fi universe called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

What you will do

• Own the cinematic pipeline and schedule from script to final delivery, ensuring accountability for outcomes.
• Translate story intent into actionable plans for performance capture, including shot lists and rehearsal plans.
• Lead on-set readiness for performance capture, managing logistics like stage bookings and actor needs.
• Oversee post-capture throughput, including ingest, editorial assemblies, animation, lighting, and engine integration, upholding continuity and quality.
• Ensure cross-department readiness and de-risk dependencies across characters, VFX, and audio.
• Establish efficient workflows and cadences, championing continuous improvement.

Requirements

• 8–15+ years leading narrative/virtual production or game cinematics in AAA games, animation, VFX, or film/TV, with at least one shipped AAA title.
• Strong narrative sense to achieve narrative goals through cinematic solutions.
• Proven on-set or stage leadership for performance capture or virtual production.
• Strong creative eye for blocking, composition, pacing, and editorial rhythm.
• Deep understanding of mocap/facial pipelines and downstream needs of animation, lighting, and VFX.
• Proficiency in production fundamentals like building schedules and managing scope.

Nice to have

• Experience building cinematics in a game engine and camera/layout tools.
• Familiarity with facial capture systems/pipelines.
• Background in previs/techvis, cinematography, or editorial.
• Experience with ShotGrid/Jira or similar production tracking.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a calm, solution-oriented culture under time pressure.
• Model excellent communication and cross-discipline collaboration.
• Opportunity to work on an ambitious new sci-fi universe.
• Estimated USA base pay range with eligibility for additional compensation packages including annual bonus and other incentive plans.