Why Naughty Dog?
For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. We’ve been busy at the Kennel, most recently releasing The Last of Us Part I, a complete and faithful remake of the original game, rebuilt from the ground up and fully optimized for the PlayStation 5 and currently in development for PC. As a part of the Naughty Dog legacy, you’ll be continuing the development of extraordinary and enduring experiences for a broad, global range of audiences.
Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome a diverse group of candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.
Naughty Dog is looking for an expert Character Concept Artist to join our team in creating the next generation of award-winning story telling! You’ll be creating compelling characters who fit seamlessly within the narrative-driven worlds we build. By working alongside other departments and disciplines to inform, inspire, collaborate and develop artistic solutions to technical obstacles, you’ll help ensure our character pipeline is at the forefront of AAA development.
Who we’re looking for:
Work with leads, Art Director and Game Director to create creatures, characters, props, production callouts, high vision concept art and other visual guides and tasks as needed
Create mood boards and quick iterative sketches to inspire exciting theme directions for the Game Directors
Work with Animation and Rigging departments to discuss production needs, technical logistics and build artistic solutions
Collaborate with 3D Artists by providing extensive paint-overs and call-out sheets
Work with outsourcing to provide feedback on the concepts and 3D models
Manage Miro board and network folder to keep tabs on the latest concepts and help streamline the production
Strengthen intra and inter-team communication to ensure the highest fidelity results
Extensive knowledge of the latest game development tools, techniques, and workflows and ability to share this with the team
What skills you will use:
Strong design skills with the ability to render realistic believable creatures, characters and prop concepts using modern industry standard tools and techniques
Actively improve your skills and maintain an awareness of industry techniques, tools, evaluate competitive products, learning new software packages and traditional art methods
At least 5 years of experience as a concept artist, working on at least one AAA title
Great capacity to receive art direction and perform well within a team setting – collaboration is a fundamental building block of our team
Very strong portfolio showing high quality concepts that demonstrate compelling design, composition and storytelling
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Strong organizational and project management skills
Keen eye and strong foundational art skills to include form, lighting, colors, and composition.
Knowledge of working with various 3D packages, used in concept work and in collaboration with other departments
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and gender reassignment), race (including color, nationality, ethnic, national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.
We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.
At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role may be eligible for bonus and SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. Please note depending on employment type these benefits may vary.
The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.
$116,200—$174,400 USD
