Lead Gameplay Animator - Animation - Studio

Firesprite is a visionary game development studio based in the heart of Liverpool.

Proud to be an integral part of the PlayStation Studios family, we create showcase games that take players on thrilling journeys, with memorable characters, captivating narratives, and shared moments of excitement. Our commitment to the core values of Inclusivity, Bravery, Responsiveness, Entrepreneurial and Professionalism is a key driving force behind our work culture.

Role Description:

We're looking for a Lead Gameplay Animator to bring the world of a dark, story-driven next generation ‘Narrative Adventure’ to life. Working closely with other teams, you’ll develop and deliver playable animations to the highest quality possible.

We’re striving for a specificity of character and emotion that delivers distinct performance, heightens player immersion, and sets a new bar for gameplay character animation. As a part of the animation team, you will be instrumental in bringing that ambition to life.

With the use of our OptiTrack-Unreal Live Link, on-site Motion Capture facility, you and your team will be empowered to create next level high quality animations for the game.

With genre-defining goals, this title has AAA ambitions and a strong focus on character. We are taking atmosphere, storytelling, player-agency and narrative into ground-breaking territory, on next-gen technology.

Ideally, we would love individuals to be based in the studio for 1-3 days per week, but we may consider those who have a preference for remote working in the UK.

What you'll be doing:

As the lead of a collaborative team, you will guide the creation of high-quality gameplay animation assets and systems. You’ll find creative solutions, artistic, technical or both, to deliver that specificity on a range of characters and other animated elements.

• Be the voice for the Gameplay Animation team.
• Work with the Art Directors and Art Leads to shape and uphold the project direction/vision.
• Deliver that vision for features and animation systems and empower feature owners and members of the animation team to do so.
• Work with related teams on block-out to final animations & systems, that work seamlessly with non-gameplay animation where required.
• Establish clear and consistent schedules in conjunction with production and identify potential problems in the pipeline and work with other product owners to mitigate them.
• Mentor, motivate, collaborate with and guide animators; Amplify their strengths, review their work on technical and aesthetic bases, and stay aware of their workloads.
• Create a welcoming and respectful atmosphere for collaboration, communication and creativity.
• Interview, hire, and train new team members in collaboration with the Recruitment team.

What we're looking for:

• Experience as a Lead Animator on at least one PC or console title.
• Solid knowledge of animation principles and an eye for dynamic poses, strong in keyframe animation and motion capture methods.
• A deep understanding of human behaviour, strong sense of expressing character through movement.
• Experienced in developing animation for game engines and movement systems; Working with motion capture data and relevant pipelines; working with Unreal Engine or similar.
• Experience with Motion Matching and State Machines development.
• Experience shooting and directing motion capture for gameplay animation.
• Excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience in MotionBuilder.
• Knowledge UE4 or similar engines.
• A passion for video games and an understanding of current trends in relation to animation.
• Experience mentoring and growing an animation department.
• Understanding of facial animation.

Firesprite is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, with a commitment to a culture of inclusion and mutual respect for all employees from every walk of life, reflecting the community we make games for. We welcome and encourage applications from all suitable applicants regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.