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Remote Art and Animation Jobs.
Company & Team
AW is a small, remote-work indie game studio founded by June Gayler, a white, queer, trans writer and game designer. Studio management consists of our Creative Co-directors June Gayler and Jessica Bean. Other team members currently include our lead producer, a programmer, a UI/UX specialist, an art director, a 3D artist, and a composer, with additional team members to be added as the project progresses. The studio uses AGILE project management structure with a 2-week sprint cycle and iterative milestones.
Our company structure is notably different from many major AAA and indie development studios, focusing on a flexible work schedule and work-life balance for all team members, including those with families. To add additional flexibility and better accommodate our staff, our company is also remotely-based and work-from-home.
Project
This a game about defining humanity's future on a new world after forced exodus from Earth. This comes in the wake of man-made environmental cataclysm, born from humanity's failure to create a sustainable and just society on our home world.
The project is a turn-based, 4X strategy game with twists on the traditional 4X formula, including incorporation of city-building gameplay. The game narrative and mechanics are the foundation for highly progressive themes, such as social and economic justice (particularly with regard to race, class, gender, and political agency), environmentalism, and challenging the colonization narrative common in the genre. We're looking to tread bold new territory while offering a compelling, story-rich experience aimed at the PC/Steam ecosystem.
Position
The studio seeks an individual with game studio experience in technical art to interface between our engineering and art teams. More crucially, we seek an individual with experience in procedural terrain generation and deformation.
In this project it is critical to have knowledge about the (many) ways axes of oppression function systemically. Candidates should be able to demonstrate and forward our value of treating people from diverse backgrounds with awareness and respect. This is important both in interacting with the team and in interfacing with the game's content and structure.
This is a 3/4 time (average of 30-35 hours per week), remote-work contract position (potential for additional hours as the project progresses). Most hours are flexible, but availability in US Pacific time (PST) is a must for synchronous meetings. Pay range is $35-$50/hour; hourly rate will be commensurate with experience.
Responsibilities:
- Guide planning and implementation of procedural 3D terrain for generating a game "world."
- Assess appropriate tools and technologies for the project.
- Research and prototype different implementations of assets as it pertains to the world map.
- Assist in identifying and implementing performance optimizations.
- Coordinate efforts between programming and art teams in a remote setting, through text and voice/video chat.
- Promote and ensure effective communication and cooperation between team members, taking into account the power dynamics that can exist between individuals of different identities.
Required Skills & Experience:
- A deep understanding of the technical needs and limitations of Unreal Engine 4.
- Experience with visual scripting (Unreal Blueprinting preferred.)
- Comfortable with one or more variants of version control (including SVN, Git, Perforce, Mercurial, etc.)
- At least 1 year of work experience in a technical artist role on a game development team, or a minimum of 1 shipped title.
- Ability to consistently and regularly make progress on tasks without supervision.
- Well-developed knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion; ability to work equitably with those of different backgrounds, contexts, beliefs, and identities.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Emotional intelligence, diligence, and attention to detail.
- Proficiency in providing proactive, constructive feedback in order to support team development and keep the development of the game world on track.
Helpful Skills & Experience:
- Knowledge of art-related performance optimization in Unreal Engine 4.
- Interest in VFX (shaders and particle systems).
- Experience with Substance Designer, Maya.
- Interested in video game animation and rigging.
- Python, Mel Script, or C++ experience.
- Familiarity with PC 4X Gaming Titles (such as Civilization, Age of Wonders, Stellaris, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, etc.) and/or with PC City Building titles (such as SimCity, Anno 1800, Cities: Skylines.)
- An understanding of the game development process, from planning to post-release, with familiarity with the Agile development methodology and related software.
- A passion for telling real, diverse human stories through the lens of science-fiction.
- Excited by alternate universes such as steampunk, cyberpunk, and solarpunk.
- Experience with Slack, Google Drive, Clubhouse, Notion, and/or Perforce.
- A readiness to experiment in their field.
Interested candidates should email a cover letter, a portfolio/demo reel, and either a current resume or a link to their LinkedIn profile to arrogantwizardpnw@gmail.com.
