Art Director

Art Director - CG SeriesThe Art Director (AD) is a key creative leader who collaborates with producers, the production designer, and the visual development team. You will visually explore, create, and design all aspects of a new CG series, including sets, locations, props, characters, visual effects, color, and the overall style.

Sony Pictures Animation is a pre-production animation studio based in Los Angeles, California, creating both feature animation and animated series with artists from around the world. We empower filmmakers to lead the creative process, allowing the hand of the artist to be truly felt. Our goal is to produce bold and innovative visual storytelling.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with the production designer and producers to realize their ideas, translating concepts into finished presentations through drawings, sketches, renderings, paintings, and digital imagery.
• Supervise the design team, which includes participating in interviews, making hiring recommendations, and providing guidance and mentorship throughout production.
• Collaborate with the production designer to develop and communicate a clear design vision (including Characters, Locations, Props, Backgrounds, FX, Lighting, and Color) that supports the project's story and style.
• Oversee the creation of model packs and style guides for our partner studios, including expressions, character construction, mouth charts, and character turnarounds.
• Prepare for and lead design handouts by communicating the overall direction, design requirements, and expected level of polish to the design team.
• Mentor and support the design team to cultivate a positive and collaborative environment.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of art direction experience in CG television animation.
• Deep understanding of the CG animation pipeline.
• Proficiency in drawing, design, and digital media as they apply to CG design.
• Ability to work in a variety of styles, from stylized to realistic.
• Strong knowledge of color theory, lighting, staging, and perspective.
• Resourceful and adaptable problem-solving skills.
• Ability to create concepts and turnarounds for characters, props, and sets and oversee their translation into 3D.
• Experience planning, scheduling, and monitoring team progress.
• Experience presenting art and materials to executives and producers for approval.
• Demonstrated success in supervising a design team, including delegating, giving feedback, and providing constructive critique.
• Strong organization and time management skills.
• A proven ability to meet deadlines and keep a team on schedule.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• A collaborative spirit and a genuine enjoyment of working with others.