Location: Germantown, MD

Job Brief:

Earth Networks is looking for senior 3D animators to join our Animation Department. Working in small teams alongside designers and other 3D artists, senior 3D animators are responsible for bringing Earth Networks creative ideas to life. Candidates should have several years of professional experience as an animator and be comfortable animating characters and objects in a variety of styles. Also important is the ability to compose shots and animate cameras in support of the story.

Senior 3D Animators generally tackle the most challenging (and best!) shots and may be called upon to help define the tone and style of the animation on a given project. Candidates should be able to work well independently with minimal support and alongside teammates, occasionally offering support to junior staff and a basic understanding of modeling, texturing and simple lighting in Maya, and knowledge of Adobe Premiere or After Effects is not essential, but would be a plus.

Responsibilities:

• Create compelling character performances that are well acted and mechanically sound

• Animate objects in believable and appealing ways

• Work in a variety of animation styles (cartoony, realistic, etc.)

• Compose and pre-visualize shots to effectively tell a story

• Tackle the most demanding shots on a project

• Provide feedback on character rigs to the Rigging Department

• Hand off shots to the lighting team per department guidelines

• Troubleshoot animation scene files

• Explore visual solutions to solve challenging client briefs

• Manage your workload to consistently meet deadlines

• Work in an organized manner respecting established workflows to allow for inter-department collaboration

Skills Required:

• 4+ years professional experience working as an animator in commercials and/or feature films

• Complete understanding of the principles of animation and the mechanics of movement

• In-depth knowledge of Autodesk Maya’s animation toolset and workflow

• Ability and willingness to learn new techniques and plugins

• Strong organizational and communication skills

• Patient and focused temperament under pressure

• Receptive to feedback and direction

• Ability to work independently with minimal support

• Capable of mentoring junior staff