SENIOR ARTIST, LAYOUT

NetherRealm Studios, wholly owned by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a leader in the development of interactive entertainment as the creator of the billion dollar Mortal Kombat franchise. Mortal Kombat has spawned two theatrical films, multiple television series, and has sold over 28 million games to date. Located in Chicago, Illinois the award-winning NetherRealm team has been working and creating games together since 1992.

Netherrealm Studios, a division of WB Games Inc., is looking for an exceptionally skilled artist who will be responsible for creating compelling cutscenes and interactive events through the application of traditional filmmaking principals using tools like Unreal and Motion Builder.

* Using industry standard 3D packages, such as Motion Builder, as well as proprietary team tools to create in-game cinematics. * Establish character blocking, camera positioning and animate camera movement. * Provide technical set-up of shots, characters, etc for downstream production departments. * QA work in-engine to ensure content is working effectively. * Participates in department meetings to share personal ideas and collect feedback.

* Bachelor’s Degree in Film, Animation, or Fine Arts recommended, though not required. * Five or more years of art and design experience on previous video game development teams. * Involved in production on at least 2 titles that have been previously released. * Previous experience with a cinematic pipeline. * Full understanding of acting basics including posing and timing. * Excellent cinematic language and story development skills. * Experience with staging action-oriented and dramatic sequences. * Excellent verbal and written communication skills. * Able to work on and solve complex technical issues. * Ability to work well under pressure and deadlines. * Quick to adapt to company proprietary software. * Experience working in and creating content in Motion Builder and Maya. * Previous work in Unreal engine/Matinee. * Demo reel that contains entire sequences where you are responsible for all of the layout work. * Additional art skills are preferred: fine arts skills, including drawing and painting; traditional sculpting; strong figure drawing skills; storyboarding. * Receptive to direction and perform well within a team environment. * Strong interest in computer or video games.