Absurd Ventures hiring Senior Animator, San Rafael

Absurd Ventures is a media company founded by Dan Houser, dedicated to building new universes and creating narrative-driven content across games, live-action, animation, and more. We are seeking a visionary and technically proficient Senior Animator to join our elite development team in California.

This is a high-impact role designed for an artist who possesses a deep mastery of movement, a passion for storytelling through performance, and the technical acumen to implement those visions within a modern game engine. At Absurd Ventures, we don’t just create content; we build characters that define entire worlds.

Job Overview: Senior Animator

Details

Absurd Ventures

Senior Animator (Character & Creature Specialist)

$120,000 – $150,000 per year (Base Pay)

Full-Time with Comprehensive Benefits

San Rafael, CA or Santa Monica, CA (On-site)

Senior (5+ Years Industry Experience)

Autodesk Maya, Unreal Engine (State Machines/Blueprints)

The Role and Core Responsibilities

The Senior Animator acts as the bridge between raw artistic performance and technical gameplay functionality. You will be responsible for the end-to-end animation pipeline for a variety of game assets, from hero characters to complex monstrous creatures.

High-Fidelity Content Creation

• Keyframe & Mocap Excellence: You will produce industry-leading keyframe animations while also possessing the ability to clean up and enhance motion capture data. Your goal is to ensure that every movement—whether a subtle facial tick or an explosive combat maneuver—feels grounded and purposeful.
• Character & Creature Focus: You will breathe life into a diverse roster of NPCs and enemies, ensuring that their silhouettes and movements are readable, unique, and align with the studio’s established art direction.

Technical Integration & Pipeline Innovation

• System Collaboration: You will work side-by-side with designers and engineers to ensure animations integrate seamlessly into AI systems. This includes the development and refinement of animation state machines , blend trees , and procedural animation solutions .
• Workflow Optimization: As a senior member of the team, you are expected to identify bottlenecks in the animation pipeline. You will collaborate with technical animators to refine workflows, maximizing both efficiency and the final visual quality on screen.

Leadership & Creative Iteration

• Mentorship: You will play a pivotal role in the growth of our junior and mid-level animators. By providing constructive feedback and sharing your deep knowledge of animation principles, you will help elevate the entire department’s output.
• Feedback Loops: You will actively participate in playtests and internal reviews, iterating on your work based on gameplay feel and creative direction.

Required Qualifications

We are looking for a candidate who combines traditional artistic skill with modern technical proficiency.

• Professional Experience: A minimum of 5 years of experience specifically within the video game industry, having contributed to at least one shipped AA or AAA title.
• Software Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Autodesk Maya is mandatory. You should be comfortable navigating complex rigs and managing high-density animation data.
• Engine Knowledge: Direct experience working within modern game engines. While we utilize Unreal Engine , experience with high-end proprietary engines is also valued. You must understand how animation logic (State Machines, Blend Trees) functions in a real-time environment.
• Foundational Art Skills: A profound understanding of the 12 principles of animation, character performance, weight, and motion dynamics.
• Collaboration: Strong communication skills are essential. You must be able to translate abstract creative concepts into technical requirements for engineers and vice-versa.

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The “Plus” Factor (Nice to Haves)

While not mandatory, candidates with the following skills will be given high priority:

• MotionBuilder Proficiency: Experience with MotionBuilder for high-volume motion capture editing and retargeting.
• Technical Scripting: Familiarity with Python , MEL , or Unreal Blueprints to help automate tasks or build custom animation tools.
• Specialized Content: A background in creating high-impact combat animations, complex creature locomotion, or cinematic sequences.
• Procedural Animation: Knowledge of runtime animation techniques (e.g., IK systems, physical animation blending).

Compensation, Benefits & Culture

Absurd Ventures believe that world-class talent deserves world-class support. Our compensation package is designed to provide security and balance for our team members.

• Competitive Salary: A base range of $120,000 – $150,000 , with final numbers determined by your specific experience, skill set, and market location.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance packages. We also provide life and disability insurance for all full-time employees.
• Future Security: 401(k) matching programs to help you plan for the long term.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous vacation time, sick leave, and paid company holidays. We also offer robust parental leave for growing families.
• Incentives: Certain roles may also be eligible for performance-based bonuses and equity options.