Character Animator

Job Offer: Character Animator & Creator

  • Company: MediaCraft.video
  • Location: Remote (HQ in Poland, EU)
  • Job Type: Freelance (Project-Based)

About the Role

MediaCraft.video is seeking an exceptional Character Animator & Creator to bring unique personalities to life through movement and emotion. We’re looking for a visionary artist who can create compelling characters from concept to final animation, combining classical animation principles with cutting-edge digital techniques. This role offers the opportunity to work on diverse projects ranging from animated features, interactive game characters to large scale projection mapping events.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Create expressive, emotionally resonant character animations
  • Develop character concepts and contribute to character design
  • Produce high-quality character rigs with excellent deformation
  • Create and refine facial animation systems
  • Deliver final animations with full lighting and rendering
  • Collaborate with voice actors and mocap artists

Technical Requirements

Essential Skills:

  • Animation Mastery:
    • Expert understanding and application of Disney’s 12 Principles of Animation
    • Advanced knowledge of human and animal anatomy and movement
    • Exceptional acting skills translated through animation
    • Ability to create nuanced facial expressions and lip sync
  • Software Proficiency:
    • Expert in Blender (preferred)
    • Proficient in Maya or Cinema 4D (as alternatives)
    • Experience with real-time animation tools (Unreal Engine)
  • Rigging Expertise:
    • Ability to create custom character rigs
    • Proficiency with auto-rigging tools and plugins:
      • Blender: Rigify, Auto-Rig Pro, Face It
      • Maya: Advanced Skeleton, mGear
      • Universal: Mixamo, DeepMotion
    • Understanding of muscle systems and dynamic rigging

Additional Requirements:

  • Minimum 5 years of professional character animation experience
  • Understanding of cinematography and camera movement
  • Ability to animate in different styles (realistic to stylized)

Bonus Skills:

  • Experience with:
    • Real-time facial capture systems (Apple ARKit, Rokoko Face Capture)
    • Procedural animation techniques
    • Python scripting for animation tools
    • Strong acting skills for reference footage creation
  • Knowledge of:
    • Cloth and hair simulation
    • Muscle systems (Ziva Dynamics, Muscles System)
    • Virtual production workflows

MediaCraft.video provides:

  • Remote render station access
  • Licenses for required plugins and tools
  • Voice actor connections when needed

Current Projects Include:

  • Animated feature film characters
  • Game cinematics for AAA titles
  • Interactive AI-driven characters

Ideal Candidate Profile

  • Deep passion for character animation
  • Strong understanding of acting and emotion
  • Eye for detail in movement and timing
  • Ability to take direction and iterate quickly

Portfolio Requirements

Please provide:

  1. Character animation reel demonstrating:
    • Range of emotions and acting
    • Various character types and styles
    • Both body mechanics and facial animation
  2. Rigging showcase:
    • Examples of custom rigs
    • Demonstration of rig functionality

Why Join MediaCraft.video?

  • Work on diverse, character-driven projects
  • Creative freedom to develop unique characters

Technical Pipeline

Software Ecosystem:

  • Primary: Blender 4.0+
  • Secondary: Maya, Cinema 4D
  • Supporting tools:
    • Character Creator/iClone
    • Marvelous Designer
  • Rendering:
    • Cycles, (Blender)
    • Arnold, Redshift

To Apply

Submit to makaruk@mediacraft.video:

  1. Character and rendered animation reel
  2. Fee expectations

Additional Information

Project Specifications:

  • Average Project Duration: 1-3 months
  • Delivery Formats: Up to 4K 50fps
  • Typical Scope: 2-5 minutes of final animation

Collaboration Tools:

  • SyncSketch, Frame.io, Kitsu for animation review
  • Asana for team communication

Join us in bringing unforgettable characters to life!