DRAMA STUDIOS is hiring 3D Animator, France 2026

Job Overview

• Company: DRAMA Studios
• Role Title: 3D Animator – NPC Motion / Performance
• Project: Unrecord (Tactical FPS / Open-World)
• Location: Rennes, France
• Job Type: Permanent, Full-Time
• Working Model: Hybrid (Regular on-site presence required + partial remote)
• Application Date: Posted 21/01/2026
• Tech Stack: Unreal Engine 5 / Maya / Blender / Cascadeur

DRAMA STUDIOS, an innovative and independent game development powerhouse based in the creative hub of Rennes, France, is currently seeking a visionary 3D Animator – NPC Motion / Performance.

This is a career-defining opportunity to join the core team behind UNRECORD, the narrative open-world tactical FPS that has captivated the global gaming community with its unprecedented level of realism and immersive “body-cam” aesthetic.

At DRAMA STUDIOS, we prioritize the harmony between design, art, and technology. We are looking for an animator who doesn’t just move characters but breathes life into them through grounded, believable, and systemic motion.

If you are passionate about pushing the boundaries of what is possible in Unreal Engine 5 and want to leave a permanent mark on a project with high AA ambition, your journey starts here.

Compensation & Financial Details

DRAMA STUDIOS offers a competitive salary package aligned with the French video game industry standards (SNJV benchmarks) and the specific cost of living in the Brittany region.

The Role: Architect of Realism

This position is not a standard “keyframe-only” role. You will be a vital part of a hybrid animation pipeline designed specifically for the realism-driven world of UNRECORD. Your focus will be the NPC (Non-Player Character) Motion and Performance, ensuring that every enemy, ally, or civilian in our open world behaves with the weight and nuance of a living being.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Reference-Driven Creation: You will record and analyze high-quality video references for NPC behaviors. This involves understanding tactical movement, human fatigue, and reactive idle states.

2. Technical Reconstruction: Translate video reference into high-fidelity in-game animation. You will bridge the gap between “real life” and “real-time” performance.

3. Refinement & Cleanup: Clean up motion data and hand-keyed animations, focusing intensely on timing, poses, and seamless transitions to avoid “floaty” or “robotic” artifacts.

4. Engine Integration: Work directly within Unreal Engine 5 to integrate animations, ensuring they interact correctly with systemic gameplay and environmental physics.

5. Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Partner with the Technical Animation and Design teams to ensure animations are not only beautiful but also readable and responsive for tactical gameplay.

6. Documentation: Maintain clear animation standards to ensure consistency across the entire NPC library as the studio scales.

Requirements: The DNA of a DRAMA Artist

Drama Studios are looking for an animator who values “groundedness” over “exaggeration.” Your portfolio should demonstrate an obsession with body mechanics and the subtle details that make a character feel heavy and present in their environment.

• Core Skills: Strong foundations in character animation, weight distribution, and realistic body mechanics.

• Toolbox Mastery: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Maya or Blender. Specific experience with Cascadeur (for physics-based animation) is highly valued.

• The “Realism” Eye: An innate ability to work from video reference and translate it into a digital skeleton without losing the “human” element.

• Workflow Knowledge: A deep understanding of animation cleanup, retargeting, and integration workflows within a modern game engine (UE5 preferred).

• Language: Professional proficiency in English is required (written and spoken) to facilitate collaboration within our multicultural studio environment.

Why Rennes? The Studio Environment

Rennes is frequently voted one of the best cities to live in France, offering a perfect balance of historic charm, a vibrant tech scene, and a high quality of life. Our studio culture is built on:

• Creative Autonomy: We are an independent studio. Every team member has a direct impact on the final product.

• Technical Rigor: We don’t cut corners. We use Unreal Engine 5’s latest features to ensure UNRECORD is a visual and technical benchmark.

• Hybrid Flexibility: While we value the creative energy of in-person collaboration, we offer partial remote work to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Application Instructions

To apply for the 3D Animator role, please prepare the following materials. Note that creative roles at DRAMA STUDIOS require a strong portfolio/reel for consideration.

1. Portfolio / Demo Reel: (Strongly Recommended) Hosted on a publicly accessible platform (Vimeo, SyncSketch, personal site). We are specifically looking for realism-based work.

2. CV / Resume: Highlighting your experience with AAA or AA production pipelines.

3. Motivation Statement: A concise (5–10 lines) explanation of why you want to work on UNRECORD. What specifically excites you about our realism-driven animation pipeline?

4. Additional Material: If you have gameplay demos, playable builds, or breakdown videos of your technical process, please include them.

Industry Comparison: Animation Roles in 2026

The animation landscape is shifting toward physics-informed and motion-matching technologies. DRAMA STUDIOS is at the forefront of this evolution.

Summary Checklist for Applicants

Final Thoughts

Working on UNRECORD is a rare opportunity to contribute to a project that is redefining the visual language of the First-Person Shooter. At DRAMA STUDIOS, we don’t just want to make a game; we want to create a grounded, intense, and coherent experience that players will remember for years. If you have the technical rigor and the artistic soul to bring our NPCs to life, we invite you to apply now.