Art Director (CG)

About the Studio - Squint/Opera: 

Squint/Opera is a leading creative studio that bridges the worlds of architecture, design, media, and technology to create compelling, narrative-driven experiences. As experts in blending digital media with physical reality, we help our clients craft digital content to immerse their audiences and communicate big ideas.

Squint was founded in London in 2001 by four young friends who wanted to help visionary thinkers and institutions make the radical a reality. For more than 20 years, we have delivered projects in every corner of the globe and for a wide range of clients across architecture, government, real estate, museums, and attractions.

Squint/Opera is part of a larger team at Journey, which was formed to help companies envision the next chapter of their customer’s journey and craft a compelling experience across all touchpoints, both reimagined and newly created.

Squint/Opera is now part of Journey, a leading innovation and design agency that specializes in crafting compelling experiences across the physical and digital realms. Together, Squint/Opera and Journey create the first agency with proven expertise in blending the physical and virtual worlds at a global scale.

 

About the Role

As Art Director for CG, you are experienced in your craft with great imagination and deep understanding of the built environment. You are able to develop beautiful and unique visual approaches for CG projects that complement and translate the narrative and key messages of a project, whilst enhancing the qualities of the design itself.

Working alongside the Creative Director, interfacing with clients and production teams means building on narratives, underpinning them with a cohesive style suitable for the nuances of the project, whilst also resolving any gaps in design information. 

Main Responsibilities

• Responsible for art directing CG films and stills, including and live-action shoots where necessary or collaborating with a Shoot Art Director
• Collaborating with the Creative Director to develop projects through pre-production, especially defining the overall visual approach through moodboards, style frames and pre-visualisation
• Translating CD briefs into specific and practical art direction, before communicating to the production team to ensure efficiency of production resource
• Complete understanding of the project from the design aspect as well as creative vision
• Assessing models and information provided by the client, with ability to resolve gaps and translate architectural design details from references
• Ensuring that the art direction is in line with the client’s objectives, brand and/or style
• Attending client meetings and involved in client correspondence during production
• Ability to understand the impact of design changes on visual outcomes and CG production and ability to provide effective solutions. 
• Attending all project reviews, briefing project teams clearly and reviewing progress, ensuring art direction ambitions are being followed

Outcomes

• Visual overview of all assigned projects ensuring quality standards are being set and obtained and that the S/O creativity is at the heart of every project
• Communicating the developing visual approach to the client and managing and interpreting feedback effectively
• Contributing to regular creative team meetings 
• Communicating the Art Direction clearly to the production team 
• Accurate estimation of time required for elements within projects

 

About You:

Qualification/ Experience

• Demonstrable experience with a creative agency or production environment on CG and animation projects
• Previous experience of working as an Art Director with CG production teams
• Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative suite
• Adaptable to different creative approaches and styles
• Experience with film and photography shoots
• Working knowledge of standard softwares and workflows to achieve creative goals and express vision to the production team

Character Traits

• Demonstrates intellectual and creative rigour, with a passion to develop in the role
• Ability to communicate ideas clearly to clients
• Flexible can-do attitude. Adapts well to changing priorities 
• Ability to have a positive impact on others and communicate openly and directly to individuals or groups at all levels
• Sets standards of behaviour and acts as a leader and role model 
• Takes decisions which have a substantial impact on the achievement of production and quality objectives 
• In-depth knowledge of technical and creative aspects of the work and ability to reconcile these
• Ability to understand conflicting viewpoints and resolve issues
• Ability to manage time effectively
• Confident and decisive, a problem-solver
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively 
• Strong attention to detail, high-quality standards
• Enthusiastic about learning and sharing with team-mates 
• Help to foster an atmosphere in which creative innovation can take place