Cinematic Animator

Job Expired

General Information

Locations: Orlando, Florida, United States of America

Role ID

213627

Worker Type

Regular Employee

Studio/Department

EA Studios - SPORTS

Work Model

Hybrid

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs, and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sport through industry-leading sports video games, including Madden NFL football, EA Sports FC soccer, NHL® hockey, and EA SPORTS UFC.

Please note this is not a remote position - applicants must be available to work hybrid 3x per week from either our Orlando, FL or Vancouver, B.C studio.

Job Description:

As a Cinematic Animator II, you will craft high-quality character performances for story-driven and presentation moments. You will own animation work from pre-vis through final implementation, blending keyframe animation and motion capture to deliver emotionally engaging and visually polished sequences.

You will collaborate closely with the Cinematics Director, as well as designers, engineers, and technical artists, to ensure seamless integration between gameplay and cinematic experiences.

Your Responsibilities:

Own cinematic animation features from mocap planning through final in-engine implementation
Create high-quality keyframed character performances, including interaction with props and environments
Work with motion capture data, including planning, directing sessions, and refining performances
Ensure seamless transitions between gameplay and cinematic moments
Animate and stage cameras to support cinematic storytelling, composition, and emotional tone
Collaborate cross-functionally with design, engineering, and technical art to deliver features end-to-end
Partner with the Cinematics Director to align animations with narrative vision and tone
Identify and resolve animation bugs and technical issues
Provide timely updates on progress, risks, and dependencies to production and stakeholders
Provide feedback and guidance to junior animators
Collaborate with technical artists to improve rigs, tools, and workflows

Your Qualifications:

3+ years of experience in game animation or related field
Strong portfolio/reel demonstrating cinematic performance and storytelling
Proficiency in Maya and/or MotionBuilder
Experience with keyframe animation and motion capture workflows
Understanding of cinematography, camera animation, and visual storytelling principles
Experience taking work from pre-vis/blocking through final polish
Strong problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills
Experience working within game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine), including cinematic implementation (e.g., Sequencer)

Beneficial Qualifications

Experience with facial animation and advanced facial rigs
Experience planning or directing motion capture shoots
Familiarity with production tools (Shotgrid, Jira, Slack, etc.)
Experience contributing to a shipped game title
Experience or familiarity with AI-assisted animation tools or workflows
Passion for sports and sports storytelling

Pay Transparency - North America

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

* British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$91,100 - $126,900 CAD

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.

For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

About Electronic Arts

We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.

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