Sr Facial Animator

Industrial Light and Magic is hiring a Sr Facial Animator at their Mumbai studio, the youngest of ILM’s six global facilities. This role sits within the animation department and focuses specifically on facial performance, driving the expressiveness and emotional believability of CG characters across feature film and high-end VFX production. It is a strong fit for a mid-to-senior level animator who has built a track record in character animation and wants to work at the intersection of performance and technical craft.

About the Role

The ILM Mumbai studio operates as a fully integrated part of the global ILM network, sharing tools, workflow, and production resources with sister studios across the VFX pipeline. A Sr Facial Animator here works on shared projects alongside teams in other ILM facilities, meaning your shots will sit alongside work produced in San Francisco, London, and Vancouver. Day to day, the work involves animating facial performances in Maya, attending dailies, giving and receiving feedback, and mentoring junior and mid-level animators on the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of a series of facial animation shots across a specific project, delivering work that meets both technical and creative standards within production deadlines.
• Attend dailies on a regular basis and contribute constructive feedback that helps shape the overall performance quality of the sequence.
• Apply expert knowledge of traditional animation principles, including weight, timing, and acting, to CG character facial performance within the VFX pipeline.
• Work within proprietary ILM software systems alongside Maya, applying Unix and shell scripting knowledge where the pipeline requires it.
• Mentor entry-level animators by reviewing their shots and helping them develop their craft within the production schedule.
• Contribute to aesthetic problem-solving discussions with animation supervisors, helping determine the best performance approach for each shot.

What You Bring

• A minimum of five years working in computer animation, stop-motion, or cell animation, or a bachelor’s degree in traditional animation with at least three years of production experience.
• Expert working knowledge of Maya and comfort operating within a Unix environment, including basic shell scripting.
• Credits on feature film production, episodic television, or high-volume VFX projects where facial and character animation were central to the work.
• Demonstrated ability to manage delegated shots independently, with minimal supervisory oversight once briefs are established.
• Experience mentoring or guiding junior animators within a studio environment.

Why This Role

ILM has been the benchmark for visual effects production for over four decades, and the Mumbai studio is a fully resourced part of that operation, not a satellite office doing peripheral work. For a Sr Facial Animator who wants genuine career development, the access to ILM’s production slate, internal mentorship culture, and cross-studio collaboration makes this a substantial step in a character animation career.

Apply now for the Sr Facial Animator role at Industrial Light and Magic in Mumbai and bring your character animation experience to one of the most established VFX studios in the world.