Animator Gameplay

at  Rockstar Games Canada

Employer: Rockstar Games Toronto ULC
Position: Animator Gameplay
Terms of Employment: Full-time / Permanent
Location: Oakville, Ontario
Employment Address: 400-586 Argus Road, Oakville, Ontario L6J 3J3
Hours of Work: 40 hours/week
Language: English
Benefits: Eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or salary increases in accordance with company policy. Eligible for life insurance, extended medical/dental plan, RSP plan, Stock purchase plan and fitness benefits.
Salary: $75,000 CAD per annum
Contact: Please apply via the following link:
At Rockstar Games, we create world-class entertainment experiences. A career at Rockstar Games is about being part of a team working on some of the most creatively rewarding and ambitious projects to be found in any entertainment medium. You would be welcomed to a dedicated and inclusive environment where you can learn and collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry.

REQUIREMENTS:

• College diploma program in graphic arts is required
• Demo reel demonstrating strong animation principles
• 2+ years of experience animating video games
• Proficient in using a major animation package such as Maya, Blender or 3D Studio Max to create high quality animation content suitable for use in a game engine
• Experience using digital sculpting tool software such as ZBrush
• Skilled in using Substance Painter software
• Experience working in a game development engine (e.g. Unity, Unreal, Other proprietary engine) to implement animations so that they play back as designed via an animation
  Rockstar is committed to creating a work environment that promotes equal opportunity, dignity and respect. In line with this commitment, Rockstar will provide accommodations to job applicants with disabilities (or on the basis of any other protected ground under human rights legislation) during the recruitment process, as well as to any Rockstar employees in order for them to perform the essential functions of their roles. Rockstar will comply with its obligations under the Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and will provide accommodations as long as such accommodations do not pose an undue hardship on Rockstar. If you need more information about Rockstar’s accommodation policies or process, or need to request an accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Department

• Work closely with colleagues under the guidance of a Lead Animator
• Create stunning animations that are both fluid and responsive
• Use initiative to identify when to work independently or with animation and code teams to implement animations into the game
• Work closely with animators and programmers to create, implement, and debug compelling gameplay mechanics
• Learn proprietary technologies to debug visual animation issues and help provide feedback to tech teams for improvements
• Collaborate with other Animation, Code and Design teams, to achieve balance between animation fidelity and gameplay responsiveness
• Actively identify problem areas of the gameplay mechanics and work independently to debug and fix issues
• Collaborate with the Animation, Code and Design Leads/Directors to review animations and mechanics to achieve the perfect balance between animation fidelity and gameplay responsiveness
• Use past experience to predict time estimates for a given block of work to help with scheduling and planning, update Animation Leads on any changes that might affect forecasted completion times to help identify whether alternative plans are required to complete work on time, or whether an adjustment to the production schedule is needed
• Playtest game mechanics within the context of the overall game and collective features to help provide feedback
• Actively participate in group gameplay reviews to verify the quality of animations integrated into the game, checking for regression and working with production to log bugs and create notes, following up later on their assignment and progress
• Contribute to the set-up, maintenance and development of the animation pipeline, being proactive with its improvement through use of internal communication channels and internal development steering groups
• Identify when new animations are required for developing gameplay features in order to support the planning of motion capture shoots and direct actors
• Work with Motion Capture Production and Lead Animators to create shot lists, book talent and direct actors on set or remotely before following up with production to ensure the correct bug pipelines are created for teams to work on
• Coordinate with gameplay production to ensure captured motion capture data has been added to bugs/tasks and assigned
• Optimize animation data and size to satisfy memory budgets and streaming priorities to ensure animation content loads in time without negatively impacting the gameplay experience
• Communicate with other departments (Audio, VFX, Art Props, etc.) to help coordinate work and transpose priorities with the aim to focus on gameplay elements together, establishing shared goals for specific milestonesCreate mock-up videos using animations to demonstrate ideas and gameplay mechanics to other departments and members of the team