Lead Motion Editor – ILM London

Disney is hiring a Lead Motion Editor at ILM London, based out of their Lacon House studio in London, UK. This role sits within the motion capture department and is responsible for retargeting, refining, and blending mocap data to deliver performance-ready animation that meets ILM’s production standards. It suits an experienced motion editor who has cut their teeth on high-end VFX pipeline work and knows how to carry a department technically while keeping performance fidelity intact.

About the Role

The Lead Motion Editor works directly alongside the Motion Edit Supervisor, keeping the mocap department running across feature film VFX projects that define what the discipline looks like at the top level. Day to day, this means processing and refining motion capture data for human, biped, and prop rigs, with quadruped work coming in as needed. When the supervisor is away, this person runs dailies and holds the technical standard for the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute non-destructive retargeting of mocap data between skeletal hierarchies, preserving actor performance while correcting for rig differences.
• Refine captured performances by adding finger, toe, and tail animation, and adjusting posture, gesture, and weight to meet animation quality benchmarks.
• Blend motion clips with a solid understanding of transition workflows to produce fluid, believable results within the VFX pipeline.
• Lead the team on active projects, handling technical requests and stepping in to run dailies when the supervisor is unavailable.
• Mentor junior motion editors through hands-on troubleshooting, skill development, and clear technical direction.
• Develop and refactor workflows, identify pipeline issues, and build new methodologies that improve department efficiency.

What You Bring

• Proven credits on high-end feature film or television VFX productions, with a current showreel that demonstrates mocap animation work.
• Proficiency in Maya and MotionBuilder, with working knowledge of Blender and Nuance as applied to motion capture performance work.
• Strong command of retargeting and motion blending techniques within a production animation studio context.
• A solid grasp of animation principles, with sharp eyes for timing, posture, and the physical logic of movement.
• Experience with Linux environments and Vicon Shogun Post is a plus.

Why This Role

ILM London is one of the few studios where the motion capture discipline directly shapes performances seen in major theatrical releases, and the Lead Motion Editor here carries real influence over how that work is done. The role offers genuine technical leadership, not just oversight, within a post-production workflow that sets the bar for the broader industry. This is a full-time, hybrid position requiring a minimum of two days on-site per week at Lacon House.

Apply now for the Lead Motion Editor role at ILM London and bring your mocap expertise to one of the most respected names in visual effects.