Principal Cinematic Animator

Overview

At Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, we value creativity and collaboration, seeking imaginative individuals eager to innovate and craft pioneering gaming experiences. Join us in reshaping iconic brands and creating joyful, community-building narratives through play. Our studios produce engaging entertainment like Magic: The Gathering® and Dungeons & Dragons®, blending strategic depth and compelling storytelling.

Skeleton Key's headquarters are in Austin, Texas, with a growing studio in Montréal, Québec. We are seeking a dedicated Principal Cinematic Animator to join the Montréal team, contributing to our first AAA game. Reporting to the Animation Director, you will be instrumental during preproduction, crafting polished cinematic animations integrated seamlessly with gameplay.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality cinematic animations using motion capture and keyframe techniques.
• Collaborate with the Cinematic Director on staging, camera work, and shot composition.
• Produce cinematic sequence previews to support motion capture sessions.
• Refine and polish motion capture performances to achieve top-notch quality.
• Enhance facial animations including expressions, eye movements, and hand-animated performances.
• Design interactive cinematic moments in partnership with the Design team.
• Develop and maintain an animation library for narrative systemic content.
• Engage in integration, maintenance, debugging of cinematic animation systems, and improve production tools and pipelines.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years professional experience in cinematic animation for video games or film.
• Strong grasp of cinematographic principles such as pacing, camera movements, shot selection, and character performance.
• Extensive experience cleaning and enhancing motion capture performance data.
• Excellent skills in keyframe animation.
• Proficiency with tools like Unreal Engine, Maya, MotionBuilder, or equivalent software.
• Capability to work independently and manage responsibilities with minimal supervision.
• Strong collaboration skills for effective teamwork across disciplines.
• Passion for video games, storytelling, and cinematic animation.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Unreal Engine Sequencer.
• Cinematic creation for video games.
• Knowledge of rigging, skinning, or other technical animation processes.
• Expertise in 3D cinematography and camera work.
• Experience collaborating with actors during motion or performance capture sessions.

Diversity and Inclusion

Wizards champions diversity as a source of innovation and fosters an inclusive workplace where everyone is valued. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to non-discrimination based on protected statuses. Reasonable accommodations are provided during recruitment upon request in compliance with applicable laws.

Benefits

• Health and wellness programs
• Time off to recharge
• Financial wellness support
• Personal and family assistance
• Volunteer and community engagement initiatives
• Learning and professional growth opportunities
• Exclusive perks tailored to role and location