Cinematics Director (London)

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next… From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Your New Role…

• We are looking for an exceptionally talented Cinematic Director who is ready to build, shape, and spearhead a team to Cinematic excellence!
• Guide and inspire the team in creating high-end cinematics.
• Demonstrate key vision holder etiquette and passion in all matters related to Cinematics.
• Be the spokesperson for cinematics team both internally and externally, including press and external partners.
• Conduct regular personal and work reviews, manage workloads, and ensure high morale within the team.
• Effectively handle cinematic animation backlogs, bugs, and risks to ensure smooth departmental operations.
• Develop the team with a fresh and solid creative vision for future projects.
• Meet development goals and create clear strategies for times of change.
• Direct actors and scenes in full performance captures.
• Serve as a role model for not only Cinematics, but the studio, emphasising project and company goals.
• Mentor the team, to support an inclusive, high-performance culture.
• Build and maintain excellent working relations with the Art and Animation Directors.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders, to identify workflow issues and potential requirements.
• Create, oversee, and maintain updated documentation on all relevant matters to aid effective collaboration and communication.

Your Role Accountabilities…

• Keep up-to-date on the overall project(s) developments in order to keep cinematic scenes relevant and seamless with the bigger picture.
• Liaise closely with the Script, Animation, Audio, Character, VFX, and Design teams to ensure cohesive shared goals and dependency awareness.
• Breakdown scripts into storyboard/animatics for clarity and direction for the team (if and when required).
• Work alongside Production to create, manage and own the Cinematic backlogs.
• Work closely with the Animation, Mocap, Character and TA Leads to ensure we are excelling in Facial Capture systems and workflows.
• Work closely with the Mocap Lead to ensure we are excelling in motion capture technologies and general workflows.
• Organise and regularly hold Cinematic team members 121's.
• Be an integral part of the actor hiring process when it comes to external body/face/voice actor searches.
• Scope, manage and oversee the Outsource plans for Cinematics when required.

Qualifications & Experience…

• An exceptional understanding and demonstrative skills of storytelling and cinematography.
• Proficient in Actor Direction, and AAA cinematic pipelines.
• Expert knowledge of games and up to date with all cutting edge story telling methods in gaming.
• A strong portfolio showcasing previous work in cinematic direction, including examples of animation, storyboarding, and final cinematic sequences.
• Experience directing motion capture sessions and guiding actors and animators in performance-driven scenes.
• Thorough working methods and well organised.
• Exceptional ability to lead.
• Keen eye for detail.
• Exceptional communication skills, including morale, influence and motivation skills.
• Able to work autonomously to develop ideas, vision and direction for the team, as well as a part of the larger team.
• UE5 experience is highly beneficial.
• Self-motivated to learn new techniques and methods.
• Capable of writing detailed documentation.

Hybrid Working - This role is advertised as a Hybrid work model, that combines remote and in-office work, following our current company policy and to be agreed with your Line Manager. Subject to any applicable laws, WBD / your Line Manager reserves the right to change this working agreement where this is essential to business needs and upon reasonable notice to you.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.