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People Can Fly

Art Director

Chicago , United States
full-time

AI overview

Lead a multidisciplinary team to create compelling character designs and maintain artistic vision for unannounced AAA games while ensuring high visual quality and effective collaboration.

Main goal of the role

Align a multidisciplinary team of artists and developers to craft and maintain a compelling art style that synergizes with the intended creative direction of the game and delights players

Collaboration within the studio

Art, Design, Engineering, Production, HR, Recruitment

Responsibilities

  • Work directly with our publishing partner’s Art Directors, Game Director & PCF’s Creative Director to build and maintain strong relationships and ensure the team executes on the vision set by the publisher.
  • Primary Focus (~70 % of responsibilities): Deliver and support the creative vision for character design, ensuring each asset aligns with and enhances the game’s overall aesthetic.
  • Secondary Focus (~ 30 % of responsibilities): Collaborate closely with VFX, lighting, and UI teams to integrate characters seamlessly across all visual layers and maintain consistency throughout the world.
  • Ensure art production partners have timely and clear feedback to deliver against the project's target schedule and quality.
  • Set art briefs provide information to vendors and PCF team to meet quality thresholds and recommend rework to meet delivery standards and project schedules.
  • Build, evolve and maintain pipelines in partnership with the Technical Art director to meet visual goals and performance targets.
  • Provide art direction feedback to internal and external artists, and proactively ensure art style guides and vendor guides are updated to avoid future downstream issues.
  • Act as the gatekeeper for visual quality, conducting daily reviews and feedback sessions with the ExDev team to evaluate deliverables for visual fidelity, integration readiness, and adherence to standards.
  • Coordinate with production and art leads to ensure external vendors meet quality targets and milestone deadlines.
  • Filter and consolidate feedback before presenting work to our publishing partner for Reviews.
  • Mentor and grow the capabilities of both internal and external art teams, reinforcing externally-defined quality expectations.
  • Translate creative feedback into clear, actionable tasks.
  • Provides constructive feedback and clear communications to enhance behavior and performance, ensuring a continuous improvement approach. Takes responsibility for evaluating their direct reports during periodic performance reviews, providing valuable insights and assessments toward their career development.
  • Fosters an engaging atmosphere within their team, as well as ensuring a healthy work-life balance by setting clear expectations and scope of work, empowering individuals to propose solutions, and express their opinions and make informed decisions. Utilizes data such as pulse checks and satisfaction scores to guide decision-making.
  • Develops and champions the vision and strategy for the department's and projects' development, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
  • Effectively communicates with the Development Director, Creative Director, project Directors and stakeholders, Co-Head of Studios and HRBP to present the vision and strategy for the department and project. Offers well-thought-out solutions and recommendations.
  • Champions and exemplifies PCF’s system of values, proficiently assessing individuals' behaviors in alignment with these values and effectively communicating and promoting adherence to them.
  • Fosters effective collaboration with other departments to achieve a cohesive effort and enhance overall effectiveness and outcomes.
  • Oversee all game art content, ensuring that visual elements are of the highest possible quality.
  • Driving the project’s artistic vision in line with the overall creative direction for the game
  • Collaborating with Technical Artists and Leads to develop efficient art pipelines and establish metrics that ensure artistic goals are met within technical performance targets.
  • Keeping informed about the latest advances in game art techniques and technology.
  • Provide consistent, articulate feedback to the Art team that promotes alignment to the artistic vision
  • Collaborate with Leads to challenge and grow the proficiency of each artist on the team.
  • Be actively involved with and guiding recruitment efforts for the Art Department, vetting candidates, performing interviews / recommending hires.

Must have qualifications

  • Experience building and delivering at least one AAA game from start to finish.
  • Excellent communication skills (spoken and written).
  • Strong portfolio demonstrating a high level of artistic creativity in one or more game art disciplines across a range of styles.
  • Broad understanding of the entire asset creation process, speaking fluently within each art discipline in order to provide effective feedback.
  • Strong 2D and concept art skills.
  • Expert knowledge of Photoshop.
  • Strong understanding of the latest techniques in 3D modeling.
  • Excellent knowledge of industry-standard software packages for modeling, high-poly sculpting (Maya, Max, ZBrush, Photoshop, or their equivalents).
  • Technical mindset with experience in implementing assets in game engines.
  • Understanding of fundamental art theory including principles of composition, elements of design and anatomy.
  • Proven ability to balance aesthetics with performance and usability.
  • Experience with managing a team of developers across multiple disciplines.
  • Good verbal and written communication skills in English.

Software

Photoshop, industry-standard software packages for 3D modeling (Maya, 3Dmax, blender), Zbrush, Illustrator, presentation software

 

 

People Can Fly

People Can Fly, un des principaux studios indépendants de développement de jeux AAA, est composé d’une équipe internationale de centaines de personnes talentueuses travaillant depuis des bureaux situés en Pologne, au Royaume-Uni, aux États-Unis et au Canada, mais aussi de partout dans le monde grâce à nos programmes de télétravail.Fondée en 2002, PCF a marqué le genre des jeux de tir avec des titres comme Painkiller, Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment et Outriders. Nous sommes l’un des studios Unreal Engine les plus expérimentés de l’industrie et nous renforçons nos capacités au moyen de solutions internes, à savoir l’infrastructure PCF Framework.Nos équipes de création travaillent actuellement sur plusieurs titres passionnants : Gemini est notre nouveau projet mené en collaboration avec Square Enix; Maverick est un jeu AAA développé en collaboration avec Microsoft; Bifrost, Victoria et Dagger sont des projets que nous réalisons selon un modèle d’auto-édition. Nous avons également un projet en phase de conception : Red; ainsi que deux projets en technologie de réalité virtuelle : Green Hell VR et Bulletstorm VR, qui est une captivante version en RV de notre jeu de tir culte.Forte de plus de 20 ans d’expérience, PCF se lance à la découverte de nouveaux horizons. Nous avons pour but de combiner notre expertise avec la créativité des meilleurs visionnaires de l’industrie afin de travailler collectivement à la nouvelle génération de jeux d’action destinés à la communauté mondiale de joueurs.Si vous choisissez d’entreprendre cette aventure avec nous, vous aurez l’occasion de perfectionner votre art et d’approfondir vos connaissances, en travaillant aux côtés de chefs de file de l’industrie pour offrir une expérience unique et toute nouvelle aux joueurs du monde entier.Le Projet Maverick est un jeu AAA non annoncé développé avec Microsoft. Le développement du jeu est effectué par nos équipes européennes et nord-américaines.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------People Can Fly is one of the leading independent AAA games development studios with an international team of hundreds of talented individuals working from offices located in Poland, UK, Ireland, US, and Canada and from all over the world thanks to our remote work programs.Founded in 2002, we made our mark on the shooter genre with titles such as Painkiller, Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, and Outriders. We are one of the most experienced Unreal Engine studios in the industry and we are expanding it with in-house solutions called PCF Framework.Our creative teams are currently working on several exciting titles: Gemini is our new project being developed with Square Enix; Maverick is a Triple-A game developed in collaboration with Microsoft Corporation; Bifrost, Victoria and Dagger are projects we're growing in the self-publishing model. We also have one project in the concept phase – Red; as well as two projects in VR technology – Green Hell VR and Bulletstorm VR - an exciting VR version of our cult-classic shooter.With over 20 years of experience, PCF sets out to explore new horizons. We aim to combine our expertise with the creativity of the best and most forward-thinking talents in the industry to work together on the new generation of action games for the global gaming community.If you decide to accompany us on this journey, you’ll have a chance to perfect your craft and expand your knowledge, working alongside leaders in the industry to bring a brand-new unique experience to the players worldwide.Project Maverick is an unannounced AAA game developed with Microsoft. Game development is done by our European and North American teams.

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