Associate 2D Animator

As an Associate 2D Animator, you'll be a vital part of our creative team, reporting directly to the Lead 2D Animator. You'll contribute to bringing our games to life by creating engaging and high-quality 2D animations that enhance player experience and support our artistic vision. This role is crucial in delivering the visual appeal and dynamic storytelling that our players expect from our titles. You'll primarily work within the Animation Department, collaborating closely with various teams to ensure seamless integration of animation into our projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Create high-quality 2D character and effects animations for our mobile games, ensuring they align with the project's artistic vision.
• Work closely with the art and animation leadership to understand and contribute to defining animation direction, methods, and approaches for creative solutions.
• Assist in planning animation sequences by contributing to or creating basic storyboards.
• Collaborate with artists, game designers, and engineers to support and improve our animation pipelines and workflows.
• Work with production and project managers to accurately estimate the level of effort required for assigned animation tasks and deliverables.
• Participate in animation reviews, actively receiving and incorporating feedback to refine and enhance animation quality.
• Maintain organized animation files and adhere to established asset management procedures.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Strong understanding of the 12 Principles of Animation, including timing, momentum, effects, weight, and anticipation, showcased through a compelling portfolio/demo-reel.
• Proven ability to create compelling and beautiful animations despite artistic, technical, or gameplay challenges and limitations.
• Clear understanding of animation game beats and timing specific to interactive experiences.
• Broad animation skills with the versatility to execute various performance styles.
• Highly proficient with 2D animation tools such as Illustrator, Flash (or Adobe Animate), Photoshop, and Unity.
• Experience animating in Unity using keyframes and the graph editor for polish passes.
• Experience with Unity’s particle system and knowledge of particle animation optimization.
• Solid understanding of drawing and visual design principles, including 2D, 3D, layout, color theory, and lighting.
• Experience with storyboarding.
• Strong English written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present feedback and ideas clearly and professionally.
• Ability to take direction and iterate on animations/VFX as needed.
• Self-starter, reliable, and passionate about their work, with an eye for detail and an understanding of the bigger picture.
• Able to multitask effectively.
• Sense of humor and a positive, enthusiastic attitude.
• Passion for video games is a must!
• Strong communication skills to effectively collaborate within the animation pipeline and with cross-functional teams.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Animation, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 1-2 years of professional experience in 2D animation, preferably within the gaming industry.
• A strong portfolio/demo reel showcasing advanced 2D animation skills and a deep understanding of game animation principles.