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Commission Animation Character Design Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Epic Games

Technical Designer in Animation

Cary, NC · On-site

As a TDiA, you will use your animation sense and technical understanding of character animation to design and create gameplay animation systems that facilitate entertaining, high-quality characters.

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Commission Animation Character Design information

What is the difference between Commission Animation Character Design vs Commission Game Character Design?

AspectCommission Animation Character DesignCommission Game Character Design
Required SkillsDrawing, character development, animation basicsDrawing, 3D modeling, rigging
Work EnvironmentFreelance, animation studios, online platformsGame studios, freelance, online marketplaces
Industry UsageAnimation projects, commercials, short filmsVideo games, interactive media
Common Search IntentCreating animated characters for mediaDesigning characters for games

Commission Animation Character Design focuses on creating characters for animation projects, emphasizing drawing and animation skills. In contrast, Commission Game Character Design involves designing characters specifically for video games, often requiring 3D modeling and rigging expertise. Both roles share foundational art skills but differ in technical requirements and industry applications.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Commission Animation Character Designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Commission Animation Character Designer, you need strong drawing abilities, a solid understanding of character anatomy, color theory, and a portfolio showcasing diverse styles. Proficiency with digital illustration tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and animation software like Toon Boom or Clip Studio Paint is typically required. Creativity, effective communication, and the ability to interpret client feedback are essential soft skills for success in commissioned work. These skills ensure the delivery of visually appealing, client-tailored character designs that meet project specifications and deadlines.

What are some common challenges faced by commission animation character designers when working with clients?

Commission animation character designers often encounter challenges such as interpreting and adapting to a client's vision, balancing creative input with client feedback, and managing revisions within agreed timelines. Clear communication is crucial to ensure the final design aligns with client expectations while maintaining artistic integrity. Additionally, designers must stay organized to handle multiple commissions simultaneously and remain adaptable to various animation styles or brand guidelines.

What is commission animation character design?

Commission animation character design is the process of hiring an artist or designer to create original character designs specifically for use in animations. Clients typically provide details about the desired style, personality, and purpose of the character, and the designer brings those ideas to life with visual concepts tailored for animation. This service is often used by animation studios, game developers, or individuals seeking unique characters for their projects. The final deliverables may include concept sketches, turnaround sheets, and colored illustrations suitable for animators.
What cities are hiring for Commission Animation Character Design jobs? Cities with the most Commission Animation Character Design job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Animation Character Design jobs? The most popular types of Animation Character Design jobs are:
What states have the most Commission Animation Character Design jobs? States with the most job openings for Commission Animation Character Design jobs include:
Commission Animation Character Design jobs near you
Senior Technical Artist, Animation - Unpublished R&D Product

Senior Technical Artist, Animation - Unpublished R&D Product

Riot Games

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$136K - $163K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 28 days ago

Job description

As a Senior Technical Artist (Technical Animation), you'll define and maintain the systems that bring our characters and creatures to life including complex animation state machines, layered interactions, and IK-driven behaviors in our upcoming MMO. Working at the intersection of animation, design, and engineering, you'll build scalable animation graphs, ensure believable motion, and optimize performance across a vast, dynamic world.
You'll collaborate with animators, designers, and engineers to develop robust Unreal Engine animation systems that balance scalability, fidelity, and efficiency. As a key bridge between creative intent and technical execution, you'll drive the evolution of our animation framework and ensure seamless, high-quality integration across the game.
Responsibilities:
  • Build and maintain complex animation state machines, layered animation systems, and override logic supporting split-body for player characters, NPCs, creatures, and props.
  • Collaborate with animators, character tech artists, and designers to develop efficient, believable, and tech-friendly animation flows.
  • Define best practices for animation setup while owning the debuggability, documentation, maintainability, and long-term health of animation blueprints and graphs within Unreal Engine.
  • Partner with engineers to build and evolve animation runtime systems and debugging workflows.
  • Drive optimization efforts across animation assets and graphs to meet performance and memory targets.
  • Collaborate with cross-discipline partners to ensure character systems scale effectively across massive multiplayer environments.
  • Develop scalable animation retargeting strategies to support characters and creatures of varying proportions while minimizing animation counts.
Required Qualifications:
  • 8+ years of professional experience as a technical animator or technical artist in games or related industries.
  • Deep expertise with Unreal Engine animation workflows, including complex Animation Blueprints, state machines, blend spaces, and layered animation systems.
  • Proven experience designing scalable, reusable animation systems for large-scope character setups, including players, NPCs, and creatures.
  • Strong art foundation with a deep understanding of animation principles, anatomy, and motion.
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across art, design, and engineering disciplines
Desired Qualifications:
  • Experience with Unreal Control Rig and Sequencer
  • Familiarity with C++ and/or Python within Unreal Engine.
  • Expertise in Autodesk Maya for rigging and animation support.
  • Experience working with software likeKawaii, Chaos, Havok.
  • Prior experience supporting MMO or large-scale games with complex character ecosystems.
  • Experience with runtime IK, or motion warping

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!
Our Perks:
Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.
At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you're working directly on a new player-facing experience or you're supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we're better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we're looking forward to your application.
It's our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.
Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:
  • Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
  • Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
  • Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
  • Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.
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About Riot Games

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Riot Games was founded in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill with the intent to change the way video games are made and supported for players. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to worldwide acclaim. The game has since gone on to become the most played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports. Players are the foundation of our community and it's for them we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Los Angeles, CA, US

Year founded

2006

Social media

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