Animation Art Director-contract Position

Job Description:

Overview
This role requires strong creative leadership skills and a background in achieving results. A candidate must have a children's animation product background as well as the requisite technical expertise. The position includes visual direction of internal animation leads and external animation resources.

Duties & Responsibilities

Works with Director, Marketing and Executive and Senior Producers to develop the animation vision and creative standards for animation product.

Recommends and negotiates animation design, content, and presentation with producer and team.

Directs the work of internal and external animation staff and teams.

Supervises the visual construction of products that match conceptual direction including characters, storyboards, layouts, timing, color, and animation.

Works with Executive Producer, Animation Producer and Director to develop resource allocations, budgets and schedules.

Works with producers, audio and programming from conceptual design through final animation and programming.

Participates in market research and competitive analysis.

Researches appropriate style for grade level and vision of product.

Establishes a work environment conducive to creative excellence.

Supports a collaborative attitude with regard to design and animation teamwork.

Creates and/or directs the creation of conceptual drawings, style frames, and storyboards for screen based platforms and individual titles.

Mentors the animators with regard to concept and story, with special attention to pacing and age appropriate content.

Manages Animation Producer, Technical Director, and Animators.
(The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed in this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, and additional responsibilities may be assigned.)


Knowledge & Skills

Outstanding creative, leadership, technical and staff management skills.

Strong communication and client skills (including interaction with teams and other departments).

Experience managing internal and external animation teams

Technical skills with focus on Flash, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator; complete knowledge of Flash and its use to create animation with unique functional specifications.

Able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with high output.

A strong understanding of cinematics and visual storytelling

Comfort with sketching characters, storyboarding concepts, and expressing original creative ideas verbally in meetings with Concept Designers and Producers

Ability to work well as part of a team, taking direction from educational experts, technical advisors, writers, and executives

Demonstrated ability to work within stringent technical design constraints.

Experience with user interface design, and game design

Technical expertise in 2D-Animation, Macromedia Flash, television production

Highly organized and hard-working

Able to travel on occasion.


Education & Training

BFA in Visual Arts, Film, or Communications

Management and technical background

Traditional 2D-Animation background

Working knowledge of Flash Animator and sprite based game animation

7 to 10 years experience in animation industry including children's products.