Principal Cinematic Animator

What you'll do: Create high-quality cinematic animation using both motion capture and keyframe animation techniques. Collaborate with the Cinematic Director to define staging, camera work, and shot composition for cinematic sequences. Previsualize cinematic sequences to support motion capture shoots. Clean up and polish motion capture performances to a high level of fidelity. Refine facial animation, including expressions, eyelines, and hand-keyed acting beats. Craft interactive cinematic moments in collaboration with the Design team. Contribute to building and maintaining an animation library for systemic narrative content. Support implementation, maintenance, and debugging of cinematic animation systems, and help improve related pipelines and tools. What you'll bring to the team: 5+ years of professional experience in cinematic animation for games or film. Strong understanding of cinematic principles, including pacing, camera movement, shot selection, and character performance. High-level experience cleaning and polishing performance capture data. Excellent keyframe animation skills. Experience working with tools such as Unreal Engine, Maya, MotionBuilder, or comparable software. Ability to work independently and manage tasks with minimal oversight. Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively across disciplines. Passion for games, storytelling, and cinematic animation. Nice to have: Experience using Unreal Engine Sequencer. Experience authoring cinematics for video games. Familiarity with rigging, skinning, or other technical animation workflows. Experience with 3D cinematography and camera work. Experience working with actors in motion capture or performance capture environments. At Wizards, we believe in the magic of diversity—great ideas come from unique perspectives. We are committed to building an inclusive, welcoming workplace where everyone belongs. Wizards is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Wizards will provide reasonable accommodations with the application process, upon your request, as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please contact your recruiter or coordinator. Employees may be eligible for annual and long-term incentives as part of their overall compensation package, depending on role, location, and eligibility. Benefits and programs may include: Health & Wellness Time Off to Recharge Financial Well-being Life & Family Support Volunteer and Community Initiatives Learning & Development Exclusive Perks Please review our Applicant Privacy Notice to learn how we collect, use, and protect your personal information in connection with the application process.