Unreal Animator / Cinematic Animation Specialist

We are a small independent game team building an unannounced rock-horror story-driven game in Unreal Engine 5.

The project sits at the intersection of games, horror, and rock / metal culture, with creative input from world-class music talent.

The project is currently in prototype / vertical slice stage. This means the work is practical, hands-on, and visible quickly in the build. We are looking for people who like early-stage projects, can work from rough direction, and can help turn a prototype into a stronger pitch demo.

You will work directly with the project leads, with fast feedback and clear short-term goals. The team is small, so good work has real impact.

What are you working on?

• The name of the project(s): Unannounced rock-horror story-driven game
• At what stage of the project(s)? Early prototype. Story and vision are defined, but core art, characters, animation, and UE5 vertical slice are still being built.
• Genres: Action, Adventure
• Platforms: PC, Console

Team size and structure?

Small independent team with project leads, writer/story support, Unreal development support, character art, and external freelancers/studios as needed

For which tasks (responsibilities)?

Target:

Help bring a short Unreal Engine 5 vertical slice to life with cinematic animation, mocap cleanup, retargeting, and early facial / MetaHuman pipeline tests.

• Tasks:
  Set up or clean up body animation for humanoid and creature-style characters.

• Work with Unreal Engine 5 animation tools, Sequencer, retargeting, and animation Blueprints where needed.

• Clean up, edit, and adapt mocap or captured performance data for use in Unreal.

• Help evaluate mocap data quality and identify what needs recapture, hand-key cleanup, or camera/VFX support.

• Help test a MetaHuman-compatible animation pipeline, especially for dialogue and facial performance.

• Support facial animation tests using MetaHuman Animator, Live Link Face, ARKit-style blendshapes, or similar workflows if available.

• Retarget existing animation packs or mocap data to project characters.

• Block short cinematic moments for performance, dialogue, ritual, possession, and horror presentation.

• Review character models / rigs and explain what is needed for animation readiness.

What kind of professional are we looking for?

• Strong animation fundamentals.

• Experience getting animations into Unreal Engine 5.

• Retargeting experience.

• Mocap cleanup / editing experience.

• Sequencer experience.

• Familiarity with MetaHuman animation workflows.

• Facial animation experience for dialogue or cinematic scenes.

• Ability to work with prototype assets, placeholder rigs, and incomplete production data.

Nice to have:

• MetaHuman Animator, Live Link Face, ARKit blendshapes, or similar facial capture / facial rig experience.

• Control Rig experience.

• Experience with optical mocap, inertial mocap, video-based mocap, or performance capture pipelines.

• Creature animation experience.

• Experience adapting custom character art toward a MetaHuman-compatible or Unreal-friendly animation pipeline.

• Blender, Maya, MotionBuilder, Rokoko, Xsens, Move.ai, or similar pipeline experience.

What is important for us in a person?

• Clear about what is possible now and what needs a proper rig later.

• Practical with prototype constraints.

• Good communication with artists, Unreal developers, and production.

• Comfortable giving short technical notes and pipeline recommendations.

• Reliable with delivery and status updates.

Why do we enjoy working here?

• Help define the animation pipeline for an early-stage Unreal project.

• Work on cinematic horror / narrative material, not only generic locomotion.

• Opportunity to shape both body animation and facial animation direction.

• Good portfolio material if the trial goes well.

What are the conditions and bonuses?

• Remote work.

• Freelance / contract setup.

• Short paid trial task first.

• Flexible schedule by agreement.