Senior Animator, Cinematics

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

The creative team that brought Mortal Kombat and Injustice to life is now NetherRealm Studios, part of the Warner Bros. Games family. With over 20 years of creation under our belts, NetherRealm’s mission remains the same: to create cutting edge entertainment and deliver industry leading tech, game art and overall gaming experiences. NetherRealm Studios is a collaborative and creative environment, constantly striving to up the ante on what is possible in interactive entertainment. Our team is comprised of dedicated professionals with years of experience who are at the forefront of the gaming industry. The passion and energy that made Mortal Kombat a reality is still on display every day in our offices, our hallways and most definitely the studio’s arcade room.

The Job
NetherRealm Studios, a division of Warner Brothers Discover, seeks a Senior Animator to be responsible for creating consistent, high-quality cinematic animation for our story mode campaign.

We’re seeking someone with a strong knowledge of the principles of character motion and the 3D animation pipeline that can work with external partners to produce a high quality and engaging experience for our players. Experience directing MoCap shoots is required.

This is an onsite role based at the NetherRealm Studio in Chicago, IL.

Your Role Accountabilities...

• Kickoff, Review and deliver feedback on outsourced character animation work

• Help to coordinate, plan, and assist with Cinematic motion capture shoots

• Produce high-quality realistic character animation content using hand-key techniques and adjusting motion capture data

• Use proprietary tools to implement animation into game engine

• File management – organize work/files efficiently

Qualifications & Essentials...

• Strong Motion Builder or Maya user

• Ability to give clear animation direction (written and verbal)

• Strong grasp of traditional animation principles

• Highly organized.  Ability to manage multiple tasks at once

• Experience working with remote\external partners

The Nice to Haves...

• Experience working with talent during motion capture shoots

• Teaching Experience

• Experienced at developing content for Game Engines

• Experience with Martial Arts/Fighting Games

• Familiar with Unreal Engine 4/5

• Familiar with Perforce Source Control Software

• Familiar with Autodesk Flow Production Tracking (formerly Shotgrid/Shotgun)

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/  along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.