Key Animator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Specialised Part-Time Opportunity For Experienced Character AnimatorsWe are sharing a specialised part-time opportunity for experienced character animators with deep expertise in facial animation, performance capture, and translating subtle human expression into convincing character performance. This role supports advanced AI research focused on performance transfer — preserving an actor's timing, emotion, facial expression, and physical nuance when transferring a performance into new visual outputs. Selected animators will help establish professional evaluation standards, curate challenging benchmark examples, and define how AI-generated character performances should be assessed.

Key ResponsibilitiesCharacter Performance EvaluationEvaluate AI-generated character performances for emotional authenticity and physical fidelityAssess whether timing, expression, gesture, and movement accurately preserve the original performanceIdentify subtle losses in emotional beats, micro-expressions, facial movement, and body languageEvaluate whether performances feel natural, coherent, and believableApply professional animation judgement to distinguish technically correct movement from convincing character performanceFacial Animation & Performance CaptureAssess facial keyframe animation, motion-capture solving, cleanup, and motion editingEvaluate facial expressions, eye movement, lip behaviour, and subtle performance cuesIdentify inconsistencies introduced during performance transferReview facial and performance rigs from the perspective of expressive fidelityApply knowledge of performance capture pipelines to complex evaluation scenariosEvaluation Standards & Rubric DevelopmentDefine clear criteria for high-quality character and facial performanceDevelop evaluation guidelines covering emotional resonance, timing, movement, and physical fidelityIdentify weaknesses or blind spots in existing evaluation methodologiesTranslate expert animation judgement into structured and repeatable assessment criteriaRefine standards for difficult or ambiguous performance casesBenchmark & Sample CurationIdentify representative examples of performances ranging from straightforward to technically challengingCurate benchmark material that tests nuanced character-performance capabilitiesSelect examples involving subtle emotional transitions, complex expressions, or difficult motionGenerate visual samples for targeted testing and comparison where requiredHelp establish meaningful reference points for measuring model improvementsAI Evaluation & Visual AnalysisReview AI-assisted visual outputs using professional animation standardsTranslate subtle performance differences into clear and precise written descriptionsProduce observations suitable for evaluation templates, captions, and structured research dataIdentify recurring model weaknesses across character and facial performanceUse AI tools and workflows to support testing and comparative evaluationCollaboration & CalibrationWork with other animation and visual subject-matter experts to maintain consistent evaluation standardsParticipate in calibration sessions and structured review processesDiscuss complex performance cases and establish shared quality thresholdsHelp define the expertise and evaluation criteria required for larger reviewer teamsCollaborate with research and programme teams on evolving evaluation methodologiesIdeal Profile4+ years of hands-on professional experience as a Character Animator, Facial Animator, Performance Animator, or closely related specialistCharacter or human performance must be a core part of your professional animation workVerifiable credits on at least 2 feature films, animated features, or AAA game cinematics with recognised studiosDirect experience with facial animation and/or performance captureRelevant experience may include facial keyframing, motion-capture solving, cleanup, motion editing, or technical design of facial and performance rigsExceptional eye for micro-expressions, emotional beats, timing, and subtle physical performanceStrong understanding of what makes animated human or character performance feel authenticFamiliarity with AI tools and visual-generation workflowsAbility to generate visual samples for evaluation and comparisonExcellent written English and ability to describe complex visual and performance details preciselyReliable access to a 4K-resolution monitor is advantageousCandidates should have specialised character-performance experience rather than backgrounds focused primarily on cinematography, lighting, colour, compositing, editing, environments, effects, layout, or generalist 3D workMust be based in the United States and able to attend occasional in-person working sessions in Playa Vista, Los Angeles or New York CityEngagement DetailsPart-time engagementHybrid working arrangement with work primarily completed remotelyIn-person working sessions approximately once or twice per monthOnsite sessions will take place in Playa Vista, CA or New York, NYCompensation: $50–$80/hourProjects may be extended, shortened, or concluded based on project needs and performanceWork must be completed without using confidential or proprietary information belonging to any employer, client, studio, institution, or other third partyThis opportunity is available through 24-MAG LLC. We connect experienced professionals with remote consulting opportunities across technical, evaluation, and project-based workstreams.

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