Character Designer

Job Responsibilities

The role of a Character Designer is to visualize and develop the look of animated characters for film, television, and video games. They work from the script or storyline to turn descriptions into images, to give form to personality and characteristics.

Breathing life into abstract ideas is the primary focus of a Character Designer. They excel at creating fun and iconic characters that will animate well and will resonate with players and audiences. Drawing ability is key, and personal style will factor heavily in the execution of concept art.

Role & responsibilities of a character designer in film and video games:

• Liaising with scriptwriters, designers, and developers on the look of the character/s and what style they are to be drawn in (such as anime, comic book art style, or realism, etc.)
• Researching the look, style, and genre of the film or game
• Developing various versions of the character looks and other design ideas
• Infusing characters with personality using visual cues, unique expressions, and distinctive body language
• Create characters that are relatable and possess human traits that will engage an audience
• Understand the character’s role in the script and draw it accordingly
• Collaborate with directors and other concept artists to create a visual consistency with other characters, and overall look of the animation or game
• Revise artwork according to feedback and teamwork
• Create model sheets showing characters drawn from different angles and showing different expressions
• Can tackle a creative challenge head-on, and enjoys problem-solving with the team regarding design issues
• Working with Storyboard Artists on how to incorporate the concept art into scenes and sequences
• Adhering to production schedules

Job Requirements

Character designers must excel in taking direction, visualizing from abstract concepts, and communicating their ideas. They produce the initial designs and set the tone for key imagery within a film or video game.

Employers may look for the following skills in character designers:

• Strong drawing skills, with a specialization in character design
• Ability to draw in a variety of styles
• Knowledge of anatomy and zoology, costuming, physical settings, and history-related references associated with a character
• Solid awareness of facial expression, pose, posture, gesture, and movement
• Visual storytelling skills
• Solid understanding of visual language - texture, color, dimension, scale, perspective, shade, composition, depth of field, proportion, spatial awareness, etc
• Good communication skills, ability to explain concepts and support artistic choices
• Technical drawing skills
• Excellent time management skills, ability to consistently meet deadlines
• Team player, skilled at working independently
• Knowledge of the animation and/or game development process

If you meet the requirements stated above and believe that you can deliver on these responsibilities as our character designer, then please go ahead and click 'Apply Now'. You can send us your CV or resume and we will get back to you.