Animator

Lensa is a career site that helps job seekers find great jobs in the US. We are not a staffing firm or agency. Lensa does not hire directly for these jobs, but promotes jobs on LinkedIn on behalf of its direct clients, recruitment ad agencies, and marketing partners. Lensa partners with DirectEmployers to promote this job for The Walt Disney Company. Clicking "Apply Now" or "Read more" on Lensa redirects you to the job board/employer site. Any information collected there is subject to their terms and privacy notice.

About The Role & Team

Animators, grab your reels and prepare to do the best work of your life and join us in making timeless, inspiring films!

Be part of the longest running animation team in history. Work alongside legends. Use your animation powers for good and touch the hearts and inspire generations of audiences around the globe.

We want versatile CG Character Animators who show outstanding understanding of acting, appeal, entertainment, weight, locomotion, anatomy, and dialogue. If you're funny too, that's a plus. We want artists who will bring a distinctive point of view to every shot and bring characters to life with timing, truth, and a touch of surprise. Learn more about our filmmaking process here (https://www.disneyanimation.com/process/) .

All positions are based in our Burbank, California studios starting in April 2026.

What You Will Do

• Effectively tell the story in a meaningful way through vibrant and compelling character acting and movement, reinforcing and pushing on the established style of the film
• Develop a solid understanding of vital digital tools (such as Presto) to create quality animation for feature films and other related projects
• Receive assigned shots in sequence review with the Directors providing general guidance
• Plan shots with an understanding of story/character context
• Block animation using audio dialog track
• Clearly show performance ideas and shot blocking in Director review (animation dailies)
• Closely collaborate with and take direction from Directors and Animation Supervisors, regularly communicating progress, issues, and solutions with leadership and collaborators
• Implement changes and completely finish shots in accordance with production schedule
• Adapt to different stages within a production (development, production, etc)
• Maintain an open and professional demeanor regarding direction, changes, and shifting requirements, supportively and thoughtfully collaborating with others
  
  

What We're Looking For

• The ability to instill appeal into character mechanics, posing, and motion appropriate to the character and style of film
• The ability to design contrast, texture, and rhythm into your timing and spacing
• The ability to uniquely art direct and exaggerate shapes, poses, emotions, and ideas that best suit the character, scene, and overall film
• The ability to instill inventive choices into your performances that feel sincere and believable; choices that always feel specific and true to what a character is feeling and makes them feel like they're living and thinking. Your acting should engage and surprise the audience and elevate the entertainment value of the scene and film
• The ability to adapt and contribute new approaches, thoughtful solutions, and risk failure responsibly
  
  

Requirements

• A reel that is no longer than 2 minutes in length of character animation that illustrates visual storytelling, believable expressions, emotional states, personality, appeal, entertainment, clear timing, weight, physics, balance, and staging
• Proficiency in Presto, Maya or equivalent software required
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in traditional hand-drawn, computer, or stop-motion animation a plus
  
  

Education

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
  
  

The pay rate for this role in Burbank, California is $60.69 to $71.68 per hour, which follows the pay scale agreed upon in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The base pay actually offered may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, among other factors. Select benefits may be provided as part of the compensation package, such as medical, financial, and/or other benefits. To learn more about our benefits visit: https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits

Job ID: 10139030

Location: Burbank,California

Job Posting Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios

The Walt Disney Company and its Affiliated Companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, email Candidate.Accommodations@Disney.com with your request. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or correspondence. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.

If you have questions about this posting, please contact support@lensa.com