Visual Development Artist – Feature

Sony Pictures Animation is hiring a Visual Development Artist for a feature film production based in Los Angeles, California. This role sits at the heart of the art department, generating original artwork across sets, locations, characters, props, color schemes, and visual effects to shape the entire look of the film. It is best suited to an artist with a strong visual design foundation who thrives in the concept and pre-production phase of animation.

About the Role

The Visual Development Artist works directly under the Production Designer and Art Director, contributing to the visual language of the film from the earliest story development stages through to final production-ready designs. Day to day, this means moving between rough explorations, refined character and environment designs, and finished color paintings, all within an animation studio pipeline built around feature film storytelling. The work spans the full arc of pre-production, where design decisions made at this stage directly shape what ends up on screen.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate artwork across all stages of the feature film development pipeline, including loose sketches, design explorations, refined illustrations, and final color paintings.
• Design sets, locations, and props that establish the physical world of the film, working within the visual framework set by the Production Designer.
• Develop character and costume designs or special effects design concepts depending on your area of expertise within the art department.
• Translate the creative vision of the film from early concept into production-ready visual language through close collaboration with creative leadership.
• Respond to notes and iterate on designs across multiple rounds of feedback, maintaining quality and consistency against production deadlines.
• Maintain accurate organization and backup of all artwork in accordance with the studio’s asset management standards.

What You Bring

• Demonstrated proficiency in drawing, human and animal anatomy, perspective, composition, painting, lighting, and color theory, shown through a portfolio of relevant work.
• Fluency working across visual styles, from broad cartoony design to grounded, realistic rendering.
• Expertise in at least one of the following: set and location design, character and costume design, special effects design, or color styling.
• Working knowledge of Photoshop and Cintiq as primary production tools.
• Familiarity with 2D to 3D translation and experience using 2D or 3D tools within a design process is a plus.
• This is a union-covered position governed by a collective bargaining agreement.

Why This Role

Sony Pictures Animation has built a reputation for backing distinctive visual approaches in feature animation, from the layered graphic style of the Spider-Verse films to other projects that push what animation can look like. This position offers direct access to that creative process at the feature film level, working alongside production designers and directors who are actively shaping what the studio makes next. The anticipated base salary for this position is $53.37/hour to $83.75/hour, with benefits pursuant to the collective bargaining agreement.

Submit your application for the Visual Development Artist role at Sony Pictures Animation with a current resume and a link to your portfolio, including any passwords needed to access your work.