Senior Character Animator at Sphere Entertainment

Job Overview

• Company: Sphere Entertainment Co. (MSG)
• Position Title: Senior Character Animator
• Department: Exo Sphere Mograph Production
• Industry: Immersive Media / VFX / Technology
• Location: Burbank, California (On-site)
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Compensation:
• Salary Range: $96,000 — $160,000 USD per year

Sphere Entertainment Co. is redefining the boundaries of media, technology, and live entertainment. We are the architects behind Sphere, the world’s most advanced experiential medium. With our first venue successfully launched in Las Vegas and a second planned for Abu Dhabi, we are scaling our production capabilities to populate the “Exo Sphere”—the largest LED screen on Earth—with world-class, immersive content.

We are seeking a Senior Character Animator to join the Exo Sphere Mograph Production team. This is a high-impact role requiring a blend of technical rigging mastery, cinematic storytelling, and leadership. You will be responsible for bringing digital life to a canvas of unprecedented scale, ensuring that every movement is as believable as it is breathtaking.

Role Mission and Impact

The Senior Character Animator at Sphere is not a traditional production role. You are a pioneer in a “first-of-its-kind” environment. Your primary mission is to help guide the development of a bespoke character animation pipeline specifically designed for the unique spherical geometry and massive resolution of the Exo Sphere.

As a senior member of the Production and Creative team, you will collaborate directly with Creative Directors and VFX Supervisors. You are the bridge between a static concept and a living, breathing performance. Your work will not only serve artistic narratives but will also power high-profile global advertisements and immersive experiences that define the visual landscape of the cities we inhabit.

Detailed Responsibilities

1. Animation & Rigging Mastery

• Complex Asset Development: Develop high-quality, high-fidelity animations including character performances, cinematic sequences, and complex motion design.

• Technical Rigging: You are responsible for the “bones” of the project. This includes creating skeletal structures, skinning, and building intuitive control rigs that allow for expressive movement within the specific style of the content.

• Motion Sources: Expertly utilize both traditional keyframe animation and motion capture (MOCAP) data, refining the latter to meet the stylized or hyper-realistic needs of the project.

Creative Interpretation & Storytelling

• Storyboard Translation: Interpret complex scripts and storyboards, ensuring that timing, weight, and emotional expression align with the overarching creative vision.

• Visual Innovation: Act as a forward-thinking artist who “visualizes the unseen,” pushing the creative boundaries of what character animation can achieve on a non-traditional, curved LED surface.

Leadership & Pipeline Strategy

• Project Management: Lead specific projects by managing shot assignments, maintaining strict production deadlines, and overseeing quality control for your team’s output.

• Mentorship: Act as a technical and artistic resource for junior animators, providing constructive feedback and fostering a culture of continuous growth.

• Documentation: Create and maintain documentation regarding tools, techniques, and best practices to ensure the animation pipeline remains efficient, scalable, and reproducible.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Holistic Integration: Work seamlessly with the Modeling, Texturing, Lighting, and VFX departments. You must ensure that character rigs and animations are optimized for the rest of the CG pipeline.

• Stakeholder Communication: Interface with Executive teams and high-level clients to present progress and explain technical constraints or creative solutions.

Requirements for Success

Technical Proficiencies

• Software Expertise: Complete mastery of Autodesk Maya and Cinema 4D (C4D). You should be comfortable pivoting between these tools based on project requirements.

• Pipeline Knowledge: A deep understanding of full CG animation pipelines, from initial concept through to final render and compositing.

• Problem Solving: The ability to identify and resolve technical rigging or animation glitches through software adjustments or innovative “workarounds.”

Artistic & Professional Skills

• Storytelling: An exceptional talent for visual storytelling, with an intuitive grasp of the “12 Principles of Animation” (weight, anticipation, squash/stretch, etc.).

• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead a diverse team of artists and communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

• Innovation: A proactive interest in the latest trends in VFX and animation technology, always seeking to implement the “next big thing” in our workflow.

Compensation and Career Growth

At Sphere Entertainment, we recognize that our people are our greatest technology.

• Salary: The expected range for this role in Burbank is $96,000—$160,000 USD. Final offers are determined by experience, technical skill level, and specialized expertise.

• Upskilling: We provide a robust suite of tools and resources for career longevity. We prioritize internal growth, ensuring that our artists have the skills to move into Art Direction or Technical Director roles.

• Environment: Work in the heart of the Burbank media cluster in a collaborative, high-energy studio environment.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) & Group Statistics

Sphere Entertainment Co. (MSG) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that creating “the unseen” requires a team with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. We strictly adhere to non-discrimination policies across race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and disability status.

Industry Context: Diversity in Animation and VFX

In our commitment to transparency and progress, we acknowledge the current landscape of the animation industry. While the industry is evolving, we actively work to outperform standard representation metrics:

• Gender: Historically, the animation industry has seen a gap in senior leadership. According to industry studies (such as those by Women in Animation), while women make up roughly 60% of animation students, they occupy only about 25-30% of senior creative roles. Sphere is committed to closing this gap through active mentorship.

• Ethnicity: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and industry surveys (e.g., Animation Guild data), the racial makeup of the “Special Effects Artists and Animators” sector is approximately:

  • White: 65-70%

  • Asian: 15-18%

  • Hispanic/Latino: 8-12%

  • Black/African American: 3-5%

• Our Goal: Sphere Entertainment aims to foster an environment where these numbers shift toward a more equitable distribution, ensuring our content resonates with a global audience.

Important Details & Application

• Location Requirement: This is an on-site position based in Burbank, CA. Candidates must be willing to work within the studio environment to facilitate real-time collaboration on the Exo Sphere’s unique hardware.

• Reasonable Accommodations: Sphere Entertainment provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require assistance during the application process, please contact our HR department.