Level Artist (Intermediate - Senior)

Requisition Number: 152168

Position Title: Senior Environment Artist

External Description:

The Team:

Artworks Vancouver is a highly engaged content creation team within EA Studios.  We are creatively driven and focused on high end visual production across multiple genres and art styles.  Our art studios are in Vancouver, Orlando, Guildford, Gothenburg, and Shanghai. Collaborating directly with our game team partners we share a unified passion for creating amazing experiences, and industry leading visuals. We are adventurous and creative.  We are courageous and we take chances.  We seek pioneers who cut new paths and conquer challenges with fierce determination

 

What the World Builder Does at EA

The Senior World Builder will work with both internal and external teams of the Worlds/Environments domain, to deliver diverse and engaging open worlds and gameplay levels for our players. They will collaborate closely with Art Direction and Level Design Leads, to help develop both the visual and gameplay experiences – according to the goals of each.

 

Responsibilities:

• Build visually engaging levels, from start to finish, with superior attention to composition and visual flow
• Create levels that not only look great, but enhance the gameplay
• Set dress locations, both organic and manmade, conveying depth and storytelling in the way assets are composed – going beyond the immediate needs of game design
• Deconstruct concept art, reference imagery, and style guides into efficient asset lists, taking into opportunities for reuse, and modular construction
• Work with Game and Level Designers to provide art support in the form of modular asset kits that conform to gameplay metrics
• Own the entire level building process, from initial grey-block rapid layout, through to final assets
• Create proxy (placeholder) assets and write asset briefs
• Breakdown tasks and oversee the work of internal and external artists
• Explore new techniques, tools, and workflows, that improves quality and efficiency
• Maintain team standards and best practices
• Mentor junior/intermediate artists

What the World Builder needs to have:

• Proven production experience with hard surface modeling and owning entire levels
• Expert knowledge of Maya, Max, or similar 3D modeling software
• Ability to break down complex scenes into efficient asset kits and components
• Ability to iterate with low-fidelity content, to prove out asset variety and quantity, before final asset creation
• Strong sense of proportion, scene composition, and lighting
• Superior eye detail and appreciation of storytelling through visual content
• Ability to manage and direct a small subset of artists in delivering a section of level/world to final quality
• Ability to assess quality, and identify and articulate any necessary material and geometry improvements
• Ability to assess scope, make recommendations, provide solid estimates, and deliver on time and to quality
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively as well as raise risks and concerns in a timely manner that can be acted upon
• Ability to collaborate with Art Directors and to receive and react to feedback in a positive manner.
• Ability to interpret game design and level design and provide suitable art content that fits the requirements, without breaking mission or level flow/metrics
• Experience working with content driven game engines (e.g. Unreal, Frostbite, Unity)
• Ability to convey a sense of ‘story’ through scene composition and set dressing – either to support, or enhance to the game design
• Ability to ramp quickly with proprietary tools
• Ability to work directly with designers, engineers, and tech artists to achieve the best results for their assigned area.
• Experience delivering assets to time and technical budget constraints
• Knowledge of high fidelity modeling techniques, along with ability to paint photorealistic surfaces using industry standard physically-based 3D paint software (ideally Substance Painter) – a plus
• Experience with photogrammetry, PBR, ZBrush and Substance is a plus.

 

Portfolio Requirements:

• Examples of entire levels that were created/owned from start to finish
• Sets and environments that demonstrate understanding of composition, visual storytelling, and organic flow
• Examples to demonstrate set dressing skills, including natural sets – e.g. vegetation and foliage distribution
• Examples of both manmade and organic sets
• Work examples that demonstrate effective world building processes, including modular construction
• Examples of high fidelity modelled assets, surfaced using 3D paint software, e.g. Substance Painter – a bonus

City:

State:

Community / Marketing Title: Level Artist (Intermediate - Senior)

Company Profile:

We are a global team of creators, storytellers, technologists, experience originators, innovators and so much more. We believe amazing games and experiences start with teams as diverse as the players and communities we serve. At Electronic Arts, the only limit is your imagination.

EEOText:

About Electronic Arts

Everything we do is designed to inspire the world to play. Through our cutting-edge games, innovative services, and powerful technologies, we bring worlds with infinite possibilities to millions of players and fans around the globe.

We’re looking for collaborative and inclusive people with diverse perspectives who will enrich our culture and challenge us. We take a holistic approach with our benefits program, focusing on physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support our people through every chapter of life. We provide comprehensive benefit packages and support for a balanced life with paid time off and new parent leave, plus free games and so much more. Our goal is to provide a safe and respectful workplace that empowers you to thrive in both work and life.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.

Days Open: 80

Can this position be remote?:

EEO Employer Verbiage:

About Electronic Arts

Everything we do is designed to inspire the world to play. Through our cutting-edge games, innovative services, and powerful technologies, we bring worlds with infinite possibilities to millions of players and fans around the globe.

We’re looking for collaborative and inclusive people with diverse perspectives who will enrich our culture and challenge us. We take a holistic approach with our benefits program, focusing on physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support our people through every chapter of life. We provide comprehensive benefit packages and support for a balanced life with paid time off and new parent leave, plus free games and so much more. Our goal is to provide a safe and respectful workplace that empowers you to thrive in both work and life.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.