Senior Environment Modeling Artist

Skydance Media is hiring a Senior Environment Modeling Artist based in Madrid to join its feature film animation production. This role sits within the Art Department, working directly alongside the Production Designer to build the modeled environments that define the visual world of the film. It suits a seasoned 3D artist with a strong eye for detail and enough technical fluency to move between photographic reference, concept art, and independent research without losing momentum.

About the Role

The Senior Environment Modeling Artist works within the VFX pipeline at the intersection of art and production, translating visual development work into production-ready assets. Day to day, this means modeling everything from architectural environments to trees, vegetation, and organic terrain elements, all built to match the established look of the show. You will work closely with Leads and Supervisors while also providing guidance to less experienced artists on the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Build environment models from photography and pre-existing assets, adapting them to meet the visual and technical requirements of the production.
• Model from concept art across a range of artistic styles, maintaining visual consistency with the look established by the Art Department.
• Create trees, foliage, bushes, and other vegetation assets that align with the specific environmental aesthetic of the feature film.
• Research and develop assets independently when concept art is not available, exercising strong artistic judgment to fill gaps in the pipeline.
• Stay current with modeling methodologies, software developments, and tools relevant to animation studio production workflows.
• Mentor junior and mid-level artists, offering practical instruction that supports their growth within the production environment modeling discipline.

What You Bring

• A minimum of 5 years of experience working in VFX or animation industry productions, with at least 3 of those years in an animation studio context.
• Extensive working knowledge of Maya as a primary modeling tool within a feature film production pipeline.
• Hands-on experience with ZBrush and Arnold Render in a production environment.
• Familiarity with SpeedTree, Houdini, or Marvelous Designer is a genuine advantage on this production.
• Working knowledge of skinning, rigging, technical constraints, and geometry optimization as they apply to environment assets.
• Strong English proficiency is preferred; Spanish language skills are a plus for this Madrid-based position.

Why This Role

Skydance Media has built a reputation for feature film production that demands high-level craft across every department, and this role puts you at the center of that visual development process. Working in Madrid offers access to a growing animation production community while being embedded in a project with the resources and ambition of a major studio slate. For a Senior Environment Modeling Artist looking to work at the feature film level with real creative stakes, this is a substantive position.

Apply now for the Senior Environment Modeling Artist role at Skydance Media and bring your environment work to feature film scale.