Character Designer

About the position

Skydance Animation is seeking an experienced Character Designer to join our team on an upcoming feature film. In this role, you will play a pivotal part in bringing stories to life by shaping the look, personality, and visual identity of our characters. From early concept exploration to final design execution, you will craft compelling, expressive designs that resonate with both the narrative and audience. Working closely with directors, art leads, and fellow creatives, the Character Designer will contribute to the development of unique character styles, produce high-quality design assets, and help maintain a cohesive visual language throughout the film. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in drawing, a keen sense of storytelling through design, and the versatility to explore a wide range of shapes, styles, and emotional expression. Previous experience on a feature animated film is required. This position is based in Los Angeles, California, and requires the selected candidate to work in an on-site hybrid capacity.

Responsibilities

  • Develop original artwork for project concepts and characters, including exploratory designs, refined assets, and surface details
  • Produce a wide range of visual development work from quick sketches and rough ideation to fully realized, production-ready character designs
  • Create clear and expressive character turnarounds, pose sheets, and supplementary drawings in 2D and/or CG visual development formats
  • Conduct visual and thematic research to inform design choices, ensuring authenticity, originality, and alignment with the story and world
  • Design and assemble compelling presentation materials that effectively communicate creative ideas to internal teams and leadership
  • Collaborate in brainstorming sessions to generate inventive concepts that enhance storytelling, bringing depth, humor, emotion, and personality to each character
  • Apply a strong understanding of human and/or animal anatomy to create believable, dynamic, and appealing character designs
  • Contribute creative problem-solving solutions, respond thoughtfully to feedback, and iterate efficiently on designs throughout the production process
  • Manage time effectively to meet production schedules and deadlines while maintaining a high level of quality
  • Maintain organized, production-ready files in accordance with the show’s naming conventions and versioning systems
  • Communicate proactively with supervisors and production partners regarding progress, questions, and any potential challenges
  • Revise and update designs as needed based on feedback, ensuring all work meets the creative vision before final approval
  • Partner closely with the Production Designer, Art Director, Lead Character Designer, and production staff to provide status updates and address any issues that arise

Requirements

  • 8+ years of character design experience on animated feature films
  • Strong visual storytelling skills, with the ability to design characters that support narrative and performance
  • Advanced proficiency in Adobe Photoshop
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to present work and respond effectively to feedback
  • Solid understanding of human and/or animal anatomy
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as collaboratively within a team
  • Adaptable and responsive to evolving creative direction and production needs
  • Must be, or be willing to become, a member of The Animation Guild Local 839

Nice-to-haves

  • Working knowledge of Autodesk Maya, Blender, or ZBrush is a plus
Back to blog

Common Interview Questions And Answers

1. HOW DO YOU PLAN YOUR DAY?

This is what this question poses: When do you focus and start working seriously? What are the hours you work optimally? Are you a night owl? A morning bird? Remote teams can be made up of people working on different shifts and around the world, so you won't necessarily be stuck in the 9-5 schedule if it's not for you...

2. HOW DO YOU USE THE DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOOLS IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS?

When you're working on a remote team, there's no way to chat in the hallway between meetings or catch up on the latest project during an office carpool. Therefore, virtual communication will be absolutely essential to get your work done...

3. WHAT IS "WORKING REMOTE" REALLY FOR YOU?

Many people want to work remotely because of the flexibility it allows. You can work anywhere and at any time of the day...

4. WHAT DO YOU NEED IN YOUR PHYSICAL WORKSPACE TO SUCCEED IN YOUR WORK?

With this question, companies are looking to see what equipment they may need to provide you with and to verify how aware you are of what remote working could mean for you physically and logistically...

5. HOW DO YOU PROCESS INFORMATION?

Several years ago, I was working in a team to plan a big event. My supervisor made us all work as a team before the big day. One of our activities has been to find out how each of us processes information...

6. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE CALENDAR AND THE PROGRAM? WHICH APPLICATIONS / SYSTEM DO YOU USE?

Or you may receive even more specific questions, such as: What's on your calendar? Do you plan blocks of time to do certain types of work? Do you have an open calendar that everyone can see?...

7. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE FILES, LINKS, AND TABS ON YOUR COMPUTER?

Just like your schedule, how you track files and other information is very important. After all, everything is digital!...

8. HOW TO PRIORITIZE WORK?

The day I watched Marie Forleo's film separating the important from the urgent, my life changed. Not all remote jobs start fast, but most of them are...

9. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MEETING AND PREPARE A MEETING? WHAT DO YOU SEE HAPPENING DURING THE MEETING?

Just as communication is essential when working remotely, so is organization. Because you won't have those opportunities in the elevator or a casual conversation in the lunchroom, you should take advantage of the little time you have in a video or phone conference...

10. HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS, IN YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR PLEASURE?

This is a great question because it shows your comfort level with technology, which is very important for a remote worker because you will be working with technology over time...

Other Jobs To Apply

Remote Chief People Officer for Growth-Stage Tech

VP, Global HR Business Partner – Business AI, Technology & Product - Remote, US

Human Resources Director (Remote)

Senior Manager, Benefits and People Operations (Remote)

Head of People Operations

HR Manager - Remote - Future Thinkers

Assistant Manager – Category Management Amazon & Away From Home (AFH)

Amazon Jobs at Home - Office Associate (Work from Home)

Remote Content Assistant

Remote Executive Assistant

Remote Accounting Assistant

Remote Certified Medical Assistant (Contract / Part Time)

Remote Medical Assistant (Telehealth Services)

Remote Data Entry & Research Assistant (Entry Level)

[Hiring] Part-time Research Assistant @Practice

[Hiring] Correspondence Representative II @Word & Brown Companies

Remote File Clerk

File Clerk (100% Work From Home)

Part-Time Virtual Assistant Job in United States - Sarah Pacheco

Administrative Assistant / Data Entry Clerk (Remote Work From Home)

Phoenix Healthcare Services Data Entry Jobs (Remote)

Virtual Assistant(entry Level) job

Wholesale Sales Representative (w/ a sense of humor) Remote

Head of Marketing Technology (MarTech)

Cyber Security Software Sales Executive – North America

Virtual Cyber Security Sales Engineer

Slate CRM Manager (fully remote)

[Remote] Account Executive, SMB Sales - New Haven, Hartford, CT

Senior Sales Leadership Trainer, US

Senior Director of Sales Enablement - Remote

[Remote] Sales Engineer (Contract / Remote / N America)

Inbound Sales Development Representative - Entry Level

🌍 Remote Account Manager / Sales Executive – Outbound Sales (Training Industry)

Remote AI Software Sales Representative

Vice President, Enterprise Sales

BDR

Account Executive - Midmarket VAST

Hiring a Framer Expert to Build & Customize a Fintech Website | Hourspent

Webflow / Framer Builder

Marketing Professionals: Screen Recording for Salesforce Workflows

Marketing Professionals: Screen Recording for Salesforce Workflows

Interactive Designer with UX/UI Skills

Staff Gameplay Designer - Social (Contract)

Character Designer- Ink

Art Director - Pitch Deck & Presentation Expert

Investor Pitch Deck Designer

Data Visualization Designer - Freelance

Graphic Designer, Data Visualization (Remote, Contract)

Product/UX Designer