Melee / Gameplay Animator

Demo reel submissions for this position MUST INCLUDE GAME FOOTAGE

Summary:

Naughty Dog has spent the last decade+ carefully curating some of the top gameplay animators and technical minds in the world. This group of individuals is what allows us to create characters with the fidelity and believability that we put into games like The Last of Us and Uncharted series. We are looking for talented gameplay animators to help us create compelling systems for our future project(s). Work may include helping shape the hand-to-hand combat system and/or bringing the various enemy archetypes and supporting cast to life.

Responsibilities:

  • Create character motions through a blend of key-frame animation and motion capture with our proprietary animation tools
  • Work with designers and programmers to implement and iterate on these motions to create compelling, entertaining, and visually appealing gameplay and/or cinematic events
  • Learn and utilize custom tools and basic scripting
  • Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

Requirements & Skills:

  • Have experience animating with motion capture
  • Have experience working on gameplay and/or interactive animation
  • Have extensive experience animating realistic humans
  • Have a good sense of weight and timing in your animation performances
  • Have a good understanding of acting principles and basic camera staging.
  • Be comfortable working with minimal direction
  • Be a creative, innovative problem solver
  • Be organized, productive, and a good communicator
  • Be flexible with making edits and revisions based on gameplay requirements
  • Have the ability to grasp new technology quickly and get the most out of it
  • Must be able to provide a demo reel or examples of professional work (online preferred), a breakdown of your contributions to the shot, and an accompanying resume

As a part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an animation test.

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Current Openings

Job Opportunities

If you think you have what it takes to join our talented Kennel, please review our current openings.

If you don’t see your desired position listed—don’t fret! Just apply under the General Application tab and send us your resume, along with a link to your portfolio or demo reel (if applicable). Please do not send us any unsolicited game ideas, scripts, treatments, code, or other creative works. Sorry, Naughty Dog does not offer any internships or student work-study opportunities at this time.

Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies: We do not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website or to any of our employees. We will not pay fees to any third party agency, outside recruiter or firm without a mutually agreed-upon contract and will not be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. Unsolicited resumes received will be considered our property and will be processed accordingly.

It is the policy of Sony Interactive Entertainment, LLC. (SIE) to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. SIE does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. SIE also makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled employees.

The Recruiting Process

We feel it is important to let you know how the recruiting process works here at Naughty Dog. Here is what you can expect from us:

  1. Upon submission, you will receive an automated message stating your resume has been received and will be reviewed thoroughly by our recruiting team.
  2. Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond directly to each candidate.
  3. If you are selected, you will be contacted for an initial phone screen or test.
  4. The next step is a second phone or Skype interview, or an invite to come out and meet us at the studio.
  5. In the event that we choose not to move forward at any point in the recruiting process, we will let you know.
  6. If your qualifications do not match the criteria of a current position, your resume will be kept on file for future consideration.

Thank you for your interest in Naughty Dog.