Freelance 3D Character Animator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Join the Movement for Health Empowerment at WISEcode
WISEcode is on a mission to transform how people understand, choose, and enjoy the foods they eat. We are not building another static health app. We are pioneering an intelligent, interactive experience that empowers families with clarity, confidence, and curiosity around everyday decisions.
WISEcode is looking for an experienced 3D character artist, technical rigger, and animator to transform our existing branded owl into a fully controllable, reusable 3D character system.
Project Overview: WISEcode Modular Owl Character System
Project Overview
This is not a request for a static model or a single finished animation. We need a master owl asset that can be recolored, posed, animated, exported, and placed into any digital environment without rebuilding the character.
The owl will be used across:

• WISEcode products and applications
• Websites and interactive experiences
• Product onboarding and education
• Marketing and social media
• Video and motion graphics
• Future conversational and AI experiences

The character must preserve the design, proportions, personality, and visual identity of the existing WISEcode owl.
Core Project Goal
Create one production-ready master owl that can:

• Change between approved color variations
• Be posed and animated through a professional control rig
• Support expressive facial and full-body animation
• Be rendered against transparent or custom backgrounds
• Be exported as an optimized GLB for web and application use
• Support future accessories, animations, and character variations
• Be maintained by another qualified artist or developer after handoff

The master system should initially support our blue, green, and red owl characters without requiring separate models or rigs.
Must Have Project Requirements
WISEcode - 3D Character Artist / Rigger / Animator (Owl Mascot)
WISEcode is seeking an experienced 3D character artist, rigger, and animator to convert its branded owl mascot into a fully modular, production-ready 3D character system for use across apps, web, marketing, and future AI/conversational experiences.
Core Deliverable: One master owl model (not a single static asset) that can be recolored, posed, animated, and exported without rebuilding - supporting blue, green, and red variants from day one.
Key Requirements:

• Model: Fully modeled, animation-ready topology (wings, body, head, tail, feet, talons, eyes, beak) with clean UVs/silhouette, matching the existing owl's design exactly.
• Rig: Professional animator-friendly controls for face/eyes, body, wings/feathers, legs/feet, and tail - all clearly named and organized.
• Materials: Modular, region-based color system enabling brand variants without new textures or rigs.
• Expressions & Speech: ~15 core emotional expressions, viseme/lip-sync support, and stylized (non-human) speech animation.
• Animation Library: Idle, communication, product-reaction (e.g., scanning, scoring), emotional, and basic movement/flight animations with smooth transitions and layering.
• Real-Time/GLB Output: Fully tested, optimized GLB compatible with Three.js/React Three Fiber - correct scale, materials, transparency, and named animation triggers.

Deliverables: Master Blender file, optimized real-time model, color presets, full animation library with manifest, GLB/FBX exports, turntable/demo renders, and complete documentation (rigging, materials, animation creation, GLB export).
Process: Candidates propose technical approach, software, milestones, and cost by phase across four suggested phases - modeling, rigging, core animation, and optimization/handoff. Strong candidates may propose added value like procedural eye-tracking, a control API, or a mobile-optimized version.
Submission: Portfolio (modeling, rigging, facial rigs, creature/bird work, real-time/GLB examples), animation reel, proposed technical approach, milestones, and pricing by phase.
Why Join WISEcode?
If you are looking to be part of something that drives real change, WISEcode might be the place for you. We are a team genuinely committed to improving people's health and well-being. We value transparency, creativity, collaboration, and empowering each team member to contribute their unique strengths.
This is an opportunity to define how families interact with intelligence, how curiosity turns into learning, and how thoughtful design can shape healthier habits at scale. Come help us build something that matters.
"You can find the detailed project requirements and scope here".
Required Deliverables
The final production handoff must include:
Master Assets

• Rigged master Blender file
• High-quality master model
• Optimized real-time model
• Approved lower-detail version if required
• Blue, green, and red material presets
• Complete UVs and texture-source files
• Shape keys or blend shapes
• Facial-expression controls
• Speech or viseme controls
• Feather and secondary-motion controls

Animation Assets

• Approved core animation library
• Separate, clearly named animation clips
• Facial-expression presets
• Pose library
• Transition animations
• Real-time optimized animation data
• Animation manifest listing each clip and its intended use

Export Assets

• GLB/glTF
• FBX
• Source texture files
• Transparent-background animation previews
• Still turntable renders
• Rig demonstration video
• Color-preset demonstration
• Test files showing animations running in the target environment

Documentation

• Rig-control guide
• Material and color-editing guide
• Animation naming guide
• GLB export instructions
• Instructions for creating new animations
• Instructions for adding accessories
• Instructions for adding new color variations
• List of dependencies and known limitations

All project source files and custom scripts created specifically for the project must be included in the handoff.
Technical Quality Standards
The completed asset must demonstrate:

• Clean topology
• Reliable deformation
• No broken or disconnected geometry
• No visible wing or feather clipping during approved animations
• No foot sliding during grounded movement
• Clean eye and eyelid movement
• Correct wing folding
• Stable feather behavior
• Consistent animation naming
• Clean animation curves
• Predictable animation transitions
• Organized files and collections
• No unexplained dependencies
• Successful GLB playback in the actual target environment

The rig should be intuitive enough that a qualified animator can use it without reverse-engineering the setup.
Items to Discuss With the Selected Candidate
The following should be finalized collaboratively based on the candidate's technical approach and our implementation needs:

• Final polygon budgets
• Number and complexity of model LODs
• Bone count and real-time performance limits
• Bone-based versus geometry-based feather system
• Shape keys versus joint-based facial animation
• Exact viseme set and lip-sync workflow
• Level of individual feather control
• Physics-driven versus baked secondary motion
• Exact launch animation list
• Animation clip count by project phase
• Animation frame rate
• Root motion versus in-place movement
• Runtime material-switching method
• Accessory attachment system
• Three.js and React Three Fiber integration approach
• Mobile performance targets
• File-size targets
• Review schedule and animation approval batches

The candidate should explain the tradeoffs behind their recommended approach rather than simply selecting the most complex solution.
Candidate Value-Add Opportunities
A strong candidate may improve the project by proposing:

• A simplified animator-facing control panel
• A developer-facing control API
• Procedural eye tracking
• Procedural blinking
• Runtime gaze targeting
• Emotion-intensity controls
• Animation state-machine recommendations
• A reusable accessory socket system
• A lightweight mobile model
• Automated color-variant generation
• Automated GLB export tools
• Animation compression recommendations
• A browser-based character test environment
• Reusable animation layers
• Better methods for managing feather performance
• A scalable system for future owl personalities
• Integration documentation for developers
• A practical roadmap for expanding the animation library

These are not substitutes for the required deliverables. They are opportunities for the candidate to demonstrate technical leadership and improve long-term scalability.
Candidate Submission Requirements
Applicants should provide:

• Character-modeling portfolio
• Rigging reel
• Facial-rig examples
• Creature, bird, or winged-character examples
• Real-time character examples
• GLB/glTF export examples
• Animation reel
• Rig-control demonstration
• Proposed production software
• Recommended technical approach
• Proposed milestones
• Cost by project phase
• Revision policy
• Testing and quality-assurance process
• Any risks or recommended changes to this scope

Applicants must identify which portions of the work they will complete personally and whether any parts will be subcontracted.
Suggested Project Phases
Phase 1: Model and Technical Direction

• Character translation
• Turnaround approval
• Production model
• Topology and UVs
• Initial materials
• Technical pipeline confirmation

Phase 2: Rig and Character Controls

• Complete body rig
• Face and eye rig
• Wing and feather controls
• Expression system
• Color preset system
• Initial GLB export test

Phase 3: Core Animation Library

• Idle states
• Communication gestures
• Product-analysis states
• Score reactions
• Essential emotional reactions
• Basic movement and flight
• Transitions

Phase 4: Optimization and Handoff

• Real-time optimization
• Final GLB testing
• Animation naming and cleanup
• Documentation
• Source files
• Developer handoff
• Final quality assurance

Definition of Done
The project is complete when WISEcode receives one fully editable master owl system that:

• Faithfully matches the supplied owl design
• Supports the blue, green, and red character variations
• Provides complete control over the face, eyes, eyelids, beak, head, body, wings, major feathers, tail, legs, feet, and ear tufts
• Supports expressive facial and body animation
• Includes the approved core animation library
• Transitions cleanly between product states
• Exports to a functional, optimized GLB
• Can be placed into any transparent or custom environment
• Can be controlled by developers inside an interactive experience
• Can be expanded without rebuilding the model or rig
• Includes complete source files and usable documentation
• Has been tested in the actual target environment

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.