Cinematic Director (Gamedev)

TL;DR

Cinematic Director (Gamedev): Defining and elevating real-time cinematic storytelling across multiple Unreal Engine projects with an accent on shaping cinematic standards, guiding mocap-driven execution, and delivering high-impact narrative sequences. Focus on leveraging emerging AI-assisted production tools to accelerate previs, editorial iteration, and concept validation.

Location: Remote – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming (Los Angeles area preferred for collaboration; travel required for motion capture shoots and key production milestones at external locations)

Salary: $125,000 – $180,000 Annually

Company

Snail Games strives to create the new high bar for gameplay experience in online gaming.

What you will do

• Define and elevate real-time cinematic standards across multiple Unreal Engine projects.
• Lead in-engine cinematic execution using Unreal Sequencer.
• Direct motion capture shoots in collaboration with external mocap studios and internal teams.
• Translate narrative goals into compelling shot composition, pacing, and emotional beats.
• Independently edit and finalize cinematic sequences end-to-end.
• Monitor cross-project cinematic health and proactively identify risks or workflow inefficiencies.

Requirements

• Proven experience directing or leading real-time cinematics within Unreal Engine.
• Strong proficiency with Unreal Engine (UE4 or UE5), including Sequencer.
• Demonstrated ability to edit narrative sequences with strong pacing and emotional clarity.
• Experience working with motion capture performance integration.
• Ability to operate independently and propose actionable solutions to ambiguous problems.
• Comfort providing cross-team feedback and influencing without relying on large reporting structures.

Nice to have

• Experience building cinematic pipelines from early-stage foundations.
• Experience collaborating with distributed or international teams.
• Familiarity with virtual production workflows.
• Background in both game cinematics and interactive narrative experiences.
• Experience integrating cinematics into gameplay systems.
• Experience leveraging AI tools for previs, narrative prototyping, or editorial acceleration.

Culture & Benefits

• True focus on work/life balance.
• Paid company holidays, vacation, and separate sick leave.
• Medical, dental, vision, and Life/LTD.
• 401k with company match.