Character Designer – Feature

Sony Pictures Animation is hiring a Character Designer for a feature film production based in Los Angeles, California. This role sits within the art department and is responsible for developing the full visual identity of characters, from early exploratory sketches through approved final designs delivered to modeling and texturing. It is a strong fit for an artist with serious draftsmanship chops and a portfolio that shows range across different visual styles.

About the Role
The Character Designer works closely with the Production Designer and Art Director throughout pitch, design, and production phases on an animated feature. Day to day, that means generating multiple character iterations, including poses, facial expressions, and turnarounds, at both rough and final stages. The work feeds directly into the 3D pipeline, so design decisions need to account for how characters will translate into modeling and texturing downstream.

Key Responsibilities

Develop multiple design iterations for each character across rough pass and final approved stages, including full turnarounds, expression sheets, and costume details.
Work alongside the Production Designer and Art Director to establish and maintain a consistent visual language for characters throughout the feature film production.
Propose character design approaches that are informed by the needs of modeling and texturing departments to support a smooth handoff through the animation studio pipeline.
Respond to creative notes and iterate on designs across production, maintaining artistic quality and visual consistency as the project evolves.
Maintain organized and properly backed up artwork files in accordance with production standards and deadlines.
Flag questions or production concerns to supervisors and production staff before they become scheduling problems.

What You Bring

Prior credits on an animated feature film, television series, or game production are preferred.
Proficiency in Photoshop is required for this role.
Strong foundational skills in anatomy, volumetric drawing, and costume design research.
Demonstrated ability to work across multiple visual styles, given that each Sony Pictures Animation project carries a distinct aesthetic.
This is a union covered position with compensation ranging from $53.37 per hour to $90.00 per hour depending on experience and other factors.

Why This Role
Sony Pictures Animation has built a reputation for giving artists genuine creative ownership, which shows in the visual distinctiveness of their feature film slate. The studio actively supports stylistic experimentation rather than defaulting to a house look, which gives Character Designers real room to shape a project from the ground up. Compensation for this position ranges from $53.37/hr to $90.00/hr, with benefits covered under the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

If your portfolio reflects the range and craft this work demands, apply now for the Character Designer role at Sony Pictures Animation.