Technical animator

4A Games is a multicultural, multinational video game development studio based in Malta, known for its atmospheric first person shooters Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light. We work hard and play hard together. We are a close family – we play what we make every day, we collaborate, we give feedback, we help each other find solutions, and we work to complete milestones as a team. We believe good working relationships encourage higher quality team productivity.
We're growing, and we want YOU to come join us!

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work directly with animators, designers, modelers, and programmers to deliver excellent character movements, facial animations, mechanics and cutscenes.
• Work with programmers to improve toolkit, systems, establish rigging standards.
• Create rigs and skinning for animated organic and mechanical objects.
• Proactively come up with ideas on how to improve animation pipeline.
• Troubleshoot complex problems as they arise and construct solutions to unforeseen design problems in a timely manner.
• Instructing colleagues and documenting necessary information.

REQUIREMENTS

• Understanding of realtime skinning, IK, physics limitations and possibilities.
• Understanding of real-world kinematics and ability to replicate physical movement using a mix of simulation tools and baked skeletal animations.
• Ability to come up and utilize skinning tricks (folded shoulders, 2-bone ropes).
• Familiarity with mocap and hand created animations.
• Experience with human, exotic, and mechanical characters/objects.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in rigging, animation, skinning, weighting and physics.
• At least one shipped title on consoles.
• Proven experience in applying modern interactive character animation techniques such as blend-trees, HFSMs, IK, and partial-body animation.
• Excellent communicator with strong verbal and written English skills (Russian/Ukrainian is a plus).
• Excellent problem solving and time management skills.
• Self-direction and motivation.
• Desire to help drive the improvement of the game engine year-over-year.

PREFERENCES

*Experience working with procedural/physically-altered animation techniques.
*Experience with cinematics and facial animation

We will offer relocation assistance and other fringe benefits as agreed upon at time of hiring.

Find out more about our company at our website.
And more about awesome islands of Malta here.