PlayStation Global - Sr Destruction and Simulation Animator, Breakables (Contract)

3D Animator is needed in Los Angeles, United States.

Client: PlayStation Global

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Contract: Contract

Job Description

Join the award-winning team that created God of War! Santa Monica Studio is seeking an experienced breakables animator for the development of a new unannounced title. This is an opportunity to contribute to the artistic vision and development of our products, focusing on high-quality destruction simulations and breakable assets for cinematics and gameplay.

As a Senior Destruction and Simulation Animator, you will collaborate with a diverse development team, including the Art Director, VFX Supervisors, Technical Artists, Animators, Programmers, and Producers, to achieve both artistic goals and technical implementation.

Responsibilities

• Create sophisticated destruction simulations and breakable assets for in-game use, maintaining artistic direction and vision throughout development.
• Develop and execute procedural destruction workflows using Houdini, creating reusable HDAs (Houdini Digital Assets) for integration into the game engine.
• Model, texture, and animate destruction elements using Maya and Houdini, ensuring consistency with visual style and quality standards.
• Support asset integration, optimization, LODs, and collision for level design.
• Collaborate with the Tech Art team to optimize destruction simulations for real-time performance.
• Partner with Design and Narrative teams to ensure destruction elements serve narrative and gameplay objectives.
• Contribute to the development of artistic techniques and processes for destruction and simulation assets.
• Manage and prioritize tasks in collaboration with the Production group to align with project goals.
• Communicate updates and escalate concerns appropriately while maintaining professionalism.
• Take ownership of specific destruction categories or simulation types.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional experience in destruction simulation, VFX, or technical animation.
• Expert proficiency in Houdini for simulation work, including creating rigid body dynamics and particles.
• Proficient in Maya for modeling, animation, and asset pipeline integration.
• Strong understanding of game engine integration and real-time performance optimization constraints.
• Excellent aesthetic sense for creating impactful destruction sequences.
• Strong communication and organizational skills, able to work independently.
• Self-motivated and adaptable to various destruction types with collaborative skills across departments.

Preferred Experience

• Shipped AAA game(s) with high-quality destruction and VFX standards.
• Experience with additional simulation software like Blender and Pull Down It (PDI).
• Knowledge of scripting languages (Python, MEL, VEX) for automation and tool creation.
• Understanding of material systems and shader creation for destruction elements.
• Experience with motion capture cleanup and keyframe animation.
• Background in traditional VFX or film industry skills applicable to large-scale destruction simulation.
• Understanding of physics principles to improve simulation authenticity.

Location and Job ID

Location: United States, Los Angeles, CA

Job ID: R-122527

Compensation

The estimated base pay range for this role is $57.98 – $86.92 USD per hour. This role is eligible for benefit offerings including medical, dental, and vision.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer and ensures all individuals are considered for employment without discrimination. We encourage diversity and invite everyone to apply.