Blender Character Animator - Experienced

Our short-form department creates strong character animation across TV commercials, short-form content for brands, and continues to adopt new technology platforms such as VR & AR, for Blue Zoo.

Our Blender Character Animators are fantastic storytellers. Their day-to-day focuses on expert comedic timing, charming acting choices, and production deadlines, whilst meeting that all important brief from our Directors and Clients.

Your day-to-day will focus on creating layout and animation for our commercial projects, establishing camera set-ups, discussing ideas with your Creative Lead/Director and contributing creatively while pushing the boundaries of our animation.

We are very happy to discuss flexible, hybrid and remote working options for all our vacancies.

Please note that this vacancy can close early if we receive a high number of applications.

Day to Day:

• Work independently or collaboratively with other animators, maintaining regular communication with your Creative Lead, Director, and the broader Short Form and Commercials team.
• Manage your time effectively to meet short deadlines, proactively flagging any potential delays with your producer as early as possible.
• Ensure your animation clearly conveys the story, ideas, and acting choices—from initial camera blocking through to final polish.
• Take direction constructively and implement feedback from your Creative Lead or Director with a positive, solution-focused mindset.
• Collaborate across departments to address production challenges, clearly communicating with teammates both within and outside of the animation discipline to move projects forward.
• Support the team during periods of high demand or when covering for absent colleagues.
• Mentor and guide less experienced team members, helping to grow overall team capability.
• Strive for the highest quality output within given time frames, while staying flexible and responsive to required fixes.

Must Have:

• A strong understanding and experience of Blender.
• Advanced understanding of body mechanics, posing and getting the best performance out of a character.
• Experience in CG animation production for television, film, games or visual effects.
• Strong understanding of cinematography and how to use a camera to aid storytelling.
• Ability to receive and act on feedback and respond to direction.
• Excellent time management and prioritising skills.
• Ability and drive to share your knowledge and skills with other team members.
• Demonstrable experience of being a team player and a great collaborator.
• Excellent creative problem-solving skills.

Bonus Points:

• Additional knowledge of the CG animation pipeline.
• Previous experience with Shotrid or FTrack.

Blue Zoo is a leading animation studio in the UK, with a world-class reputation as the go-to place for creating bold, fun and characterful animation. Established in London in 2000, the studio has grown to become the largest dedicated CG animation studio in the UK, picking up a shelf full of BAFTAs, an Annie and an Emmy along the way!

We couldn’t be prouder that Blue Zoo is the first major animation studio in the world to receive B Corp certification. We’ve been independently certified by B Lab, a non‑profit organisation who award the B Corp certification. The certification verifies companies who are working to improve the lives of employees as well as industries as a whole. The certification process involves over 170 rigorous metrics to improve the lives of our staff, customers, suppliers, and the local community, ensuring we are not just saying we are ethical with empty gestures, but independently evidencing it.

We are going through an exciting period of growth and are building a studio that is full of amazingly talented, happy artists, making work they are proud of,…