Previs Artist – Feature

Sony Pictures Animation is hiring a Previs Artist for a feature animation project based in Los Angeles, California. This role sits within the pre-production department, where the work centers on building and maintaining the previs pipeline across both Maya and Unreal Engine 5, turning early creative intent into workable, screenable sequences. It’s a good fit for a technically grounded CG artist who moves comfortably between rigging, shading, and real-time workflows without needing to pick a lane.

About the Role

The Previs Artist works inside Sony Pictures Animation’s pre-production team, supporting production designers, art directors, and previs artists from the earliest stages of feature film production through to deliverable previs sequences. Day-to-day work involves prepping assets, building shader and material graphs, assembling shots in Unreal Sequencer, and keeping asset compatibility clean across multiple DCCs. This is a pipeline-facing role as much as it is an artistic one, and the person in it needs to be comfortable working between the software development team and the creative floor.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop rigged characters and build export tools to support handoffs to outside vendors within the feature animation pipeline.
• Build and maintain libraries of assets, materials, FX, and motion files for use by the previs team across both Maya and Unreal Engine 5.
• Build, debug, and iterate on shader and material graphs throughout the pre-production workflow in both DCCs.
• Work with Unreal Sequencer to assemble previs shots, including cameras, animation, and vendor-supplied assets.
• Support the software development team in establishing a new previs pipeline, and help artists and supervisors adopt its tools in production.
• Manage lighting and shading levels in Unreal Engine to keep previs sequences readable and useful to filmmakers.

What You Bring

• Hands-on experience with Autodesk Maya and Unreal Engine 5, including character rigging and retargeting across both platforms.
• Solid understanding of the Unreal Engine asset and animation pipeline within a real-time or previs production context.
• Familiarity with Autodesk MotionBuilder, Perforce, and ShotGrid as part of a studio VFX pipeline.
• A working knowledge of film language, camera, and CG shot production and the iteration process that goes with previs work.
• This role qualifies for benefits pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement.

Why This Role

Sony Pictures Animation has built a reputation for giving filmmakers real creative ownership, and that philosophy extends into how pre-production teams are structured and resourced. The anticipated base salary for this position is $45/hour to $75/hour, with the actual offer depending on experience and qualifications. For a Previs Artist looking to work at the intersection of real-time technology and feature animation production, this is a substantive role on a project with real creative ambition.

Apply now for the Previs Artist position at Sony Pictures Animation and include your resume and a portfolio link with any relevant passwords noted in your materials.