Animator; VFX

Position: Animator (VFX)

Description

Position at DNEG

About the Role

As a Animator at DNEG, you will create believable, emotionally engaging, and physically accurate animation for high-end VFX feature films. Working closely with the Head of Animation, Animation Supervisors, and fellow Animators, you’ll bring creatures, digi-doubles, and characters to life with stunning realism and artistry.

You will play a key role in delivering high-quality performances while also supporting Leads and Supervisors, mentoring less experienced artists, and helping maintain the creative and technical standards that define DNEG’s world-class animation work.

This position requires both creative excellence and a technical understanding of the production pipeline, with the ability to adapt, collaborate, and find solutions under tight deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

Produce exceptional, high-end VFX animation, including hero creatures, digi-doubles, and complex performance work.

Work closely with Supervisors and Leads to maintain consistency of performance, style, and motion across sequences.

Provide constructive feedback and mentorship to junior and mid-level animators.

Identify and troubleshoot technical or creative issues within assigned shots.

Collaborate with the rigging, layout, and creature departments to optimize workflow and improve animation quality.

Contribute to the refinement of tools, processes, and methodologies within the animation pipeline.

Work efficiently to meet production deadlines, maintaining high-quality output under schedule constraints.

Must Have

5+ years of professional CG animation experience in high-end live action VFX feature films.

Proven ability to animate realistic and physically grounded performances for creatures, digi-doubles, and characters.

Thorough knowledge of Autodesk Maya.

Strong understanding of 3D form, weight, anatomy, timing, and performance.

Ability to solve visual and analytical problems in 3D space and interpret complex layouts.

Experience mentoring or supporting junior artists.

Demonstrated ability to anticipate and resolve potential technical or creative issues.

Showreel showcasing a variety of hero-level, detailed animation work across multiple shot types (e.g., flying, bipedal, creature, vehicle, and motion capture-based performances).

Nice to Have

Experience contributing to pipeline improvements or developing animation tools using Python or MEL.

Previous experience in a lead or key sequence role.

About You

Deep understanding of the principles of animation.

Excellent teamwork and communication skills.

Collaborative and adaptable with a proactive, problem-solving mindset.

Strong attention to detail and a passion for creating lifelike performances.

Open, approachable, and committed to supporting a positive team culture.

About Us

DNEG is a multi-award-winning, world-leading visual effects studio, producing cutting-edge VFX for feature films and episodic content. With facilities in London, Mumbai, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Montréal, and beyond, DNEG is recognized for its innovation, artistry, and global talent.

Please note that this is a unionized position and will be covered by a collective agreement between DNEG and IATSE, in the coming months. As a unionized employee, you will be required to join the union and will benefit from the conditions set out in the collective agreement. Union dues will be required once the collective agreement is in place.

Only candidates selected for the next steps in the hiring process will be contacted. However, all other applicants will be added to our talent pool and may be considered for future opportunities

The base salary range for this full-time position is $85,000 to $100,000. DNEG salary ranges are determined by function, department, level and location. An individual's pay within a given range is determined by their transferrable or job-related skills and work experience. Salary ranges are modified from time to time based on external market data collected through our third-party surveys.

About Us
We are DNEG, one of the world’s leading visual effects and animation companies for the creation of award-winning feature film, television, and multiplatform content. We employ more than 9,000 people with worldwide offices and studios across North America (Los Angeles, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver), Europe (London), Asia (Bangalore, Mohali, Chennai, Mumbai) and Australia (Sydney).

At DNEG, we fundamentally believe that embracing our differences is a vital component of our collective success. We are committed to creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment for our global teams, where everyone feels they matter and belong. We welcome and encourage applications from all, regardless of background, experience or disability. Please let us know if you need any adjustments or support during the application process, we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

We look forward to meeting you!