Description
The Art Group
at USC's Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) seeks a freelance Concept
Artist with a solid background in both interactive media and traditional art. The
ideal candidate has at least 5 years of industry experience with (serious) game
development and a strong visual aesthetic.
The
University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the
heart of downtown LA and is the largest private employed in the City of Los
Angeles. At USC's ICT, high-tech tools and classic storytelling come together
to pioneer new ways to teach and to train. In a highly collaborative and
creative environment, teams of scientists, programmers and artists work
together in areas including virtual humans, learning sciences, storytelling,
games, simulation and graphics. The goal is to create engaging and effective
immersive experiences that shape the future of learning.
JOB DESCRIPTION AND
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The freelance Concept
Artist’s primary responsibility is to visualize the core concept of a project
and to help set a visual direction for development. In particular:
·
Develop
sketches that support the vision of the project, in particular characters and
their environment
·
Develop
visual options for each of the main project elements
·
Help
set a visual style for all elements of the project, including characters,
environments, GUI, branding, etc.
·
Interface
with other developers (programmers, artists, etc.) to gather input and provide
a cohesive overview of the project
·
Work
closely with project members to plan out project specific timelines
·
Work
closely with project members to solve various design, pipeline, and/or implementation
issues
·
Maintain
or exceed a consistent level of productivity
·
Consistently
produce high quality work and meet deadlines
REQUIREMENTS:
·
Bachelor’s
degree in related Arts program or Game Design, or equivalent with a strong
background in traditional art.
·
5+
years’ experience in (serious) game or interactive media development
·
Ability
to interface with a variety of different stakeholders, from clients and project
leaders to programmers and artists
·
Expertise
with real-time rendering solutions like Unity
·
Strong
knowledge of Photoshop, etc.
·
Desire
to collaborate in a research environment
·
Ability
to quickly assimilate new information
·
Attention
to detail and good communication skills
·
Ability
to work with minimum of supervision
ICT is
located in the new creative business campus in Playa Vista. Employees are
encouraged to develop themselves both professionally and personally, through
workshops, invited guest talks, movie nights, social events, various sports
teams, a private gym and a personal trainer. The atmosphere at ICT is relaxed,
informal and flexible, while encouraging initiative, personal responsibility
and a high work ethic.
The University of Southern California values diversity
and is committed to equal opportunity in employment.