Character Artist (6 month contract)

In May 2021, we embarked on a journey to start Haven Studios with a small team and big ambitions. Our goal was to build a studio where we could make the kind of games we’ve always wanted to create – and games we’ve longed to play.

We’ve made amazing progress in a short time thanks to our talented, passionate team and their exceptional contributions. We established a culture at Haven grounded in kindness, adaptability and courage that unlocks creativity. Our first new IP for PlayStation is on track to deliver a AAA multiplayer experience with a vision to build a systemic and evolving world focused on freedom, thrill, and playfulness that will keep players entertained and engaged for years.

Haven joined the PlayStation Studios family in 2022, and we are on track to build an exclusive new IP for Playstation and grow the first Sony game development team in Canada. 

Position - Character Artist - 6 Month Contract

We are looking for a passionate Character Artist to join the Haven Studios project team. The character modeler will be responsible for everything character related during the development of the game. The candidate will work in collaboration with many teams, such as Concept art, Animation, Rigging, Game Design, Outsourcers, etc. to ensure high quality and consolidate the visual direction with the design intentions.

Reporting

The Character Artist will report to the Producer (Characters).
 

 Responsibilities and Duties

• Work in collaboration with the Artistic Director & the Concept Artists to know the artistic intentions and the deadlines to respect with the producer.

• Realize industry-leading characters in their entirety (clothes, faces, hairstyles)

• Create Props and hard-surface elements in relation to the characters

• Validate Outsourced models based on workflow requirements in Blender/Z-Brush and Integrate them into Unreal

• Think creatively, and search for relevant references from various sources, to solve daily artistic challenges;

• Develop material instances and textures while ensuring strict adherence to established visual language and art direction.

• Demonstrate the professional judgment to balance concept fidelity with the need for aesthetic refinements and technical optimizations.

Experience and skills required

• A good sense of anatomy, and proportions;

• Understanding of form, shape language and color;

• Understanding of the technical constraints in game development and ability to apply them when creating characters;

• Strong work ethic & self-direction 

• Solid knowledge of digital sculpting - in ZBrush or equivalent software;

• Knowledge of graphic design tools (such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Blender, Marvelous Designer and After Effects) 

• Strong communication and collaboration skills with team members across multiple disciplines

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Unreal Engine 5

• Interest in a GAAS project which will require adaptability to customization and production of character assets in an online gaming environment

• Experience with industry-standard asset management and version control (such as Perforce/P4V, Git LFS).

• Familiarity with Agile development workflows and task-tracking software (such as Jira, Hansoft, or Trello)

• A highly creative and innovative spirit

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

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