At a Glance
- Tasks: Direct actors and performance capture shoots for a major narrative-driven game.
- Company: Join a leading AAA game studio with a focus on storytelling.
- Benefits: Competitive day rate, hybrid work model, and collaboration with top talent.
- Other info: Exciting opportunity to influence character development in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Shape emotional performances that engage players and enhance storytelling.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in directing performances for AAA games and strong collaboration skills.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
Are you an experienced Performance Director with a proven track record of directing actors, performance capture shoots and cinematic storytelling for AAA games? This is an exciting contract opportunity to help shape the emotional heart of a major narrative‑driven game. Working closely with Narrative, Cinematic and Animation teams, you’ll lead the direction of performances across cinematic content, ensuring characters feel authentic, compelling and emotionally resonant throughout the player journey.
About the role
You will be responsible for directing and delivering high‑quality character performances across cinematic sequences, helping bring the story and characters to life through authentic acting and emotionally engaging scenes. Working closely with writers, cinematic designers, animators and actors, you’ll prepare, direct and refine performance capture sessions while ensuring performances align with the narrative vision, game tone and overall player experience. This role is ideal for a creative leader with deep experience in performance direction, actor collaboration and cinematic production within AAA game development.
What you’ll do:
- Direct performance capture shoots, ensuring performances meet narrative and emotional goals
- Work closely with actors to shape believable, nuanced and naturalistic character performances
- Collaborate with Narrative, Cinematic and Animation teams to plan and execute cinematic sequences
- Define scene blocking, staging, prop interaction and character movement within performances
- Prepare and organise performance capture sessions, including actor briefings and shoot planning
- Coordinate with associate directors and production teams to ensure efficient shoot execution
- Review captured footage and provide direction on performance selection and refinement
- Ensure performances transition effectively from cinematic sequences into gameplay experiences
- Help maintain consistency of character performances throughout the project
Experience:
- Proven experience as a Performance Director on published AAA game titles
- Demonstrable experience directing actors on narrative‑driven projects
- Strong portfolio or showreel showcasing directed performances
- Experience working within cinematic production and performance capture environments
- Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary game development teams
Skills:
- Expertise in directing emotionally authentic and believable performances
- Strong understanding of acting methodologies and character development
Nice to have:
- Experience with performance capture (PCAP) workflows
- Understanding of how capture data is processed and implemented in game engines
- Familiarity with animation pipelines and cinematic production workflows
- Experience coordinating performance capture crews, equipment and production logistics
Working style / behaviours:
- Passionate about storytelling and character‑driven experiences
- Collaborative and comfortable working with actors, writers and developers
- Strong creative instincts balanced with production awareness
- Detail‑oriented with a focus on quality and authenticity
- Able to maintain a clear creative vision while adapting to production needs
Why join:
- Help shape the performances at the centre of a major narrative game project
- Work with experienced cinematic, narrative and animation teams
- Directly influence character development and player emotional engagement
- High‑impact contract role on a AAA production
- Opportunity to work across both studio and performance capture environments
Location: Royal Leamington Spa, UK and London, UK
Employment type: Contract
Working pattern: 3 days per week
Work model: Hybrid, including on‑site studio work and performance capture shoot attendance
Day rate: Up to £500 per day
If you're a Performance Director who excels at bringing characters to life through authentic performances and cinematic storytelling, we'd love to hear from you.
Performance Director in Royal Leamington Spa employer: Skillsearch
Skillsearch is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the rapidly evolving AI sector. With hybrid working arrangements, competitive salaries, and performance incentives, employees are empowered to thrive while enjoying substantial career progression opportunities. Joining Skillsearch means being part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to driving meaningful growth across the UK and EMEA markets.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Performance Director in Royal Leamington Spa
✨Get Involved in Open-Source Projects
Diving into open-source projects is a brilliant way to showcase your skills and connect with other developers in the community. Not only will you beef up your GitHub profile but you might also catch the eye of someone at Skillsearch who values hands-on experience over just theory.
✨Attend Local Tech Meetups
Tech meetups are gold mines for networking and discovering job opportunities, especially in the fast-paced world of software engineering. Check out local listings for events in your area and don’t shy away from introducing yourself. This could lead directly to a temporary position at Skillsearch!
✨Showcase Your Work Online
With temporary roles, it’s all about standing out in a short space of time. Create a portfolio website where you highlight your projects and skills. Talk about your code, and provide links to your GitHub repositories. This will not only demonstrate your abilities but will also make it easier for recruiters at Skillsearch to see what you bring to the table.
✨Leverage Temporary Job Boards
Don’t forget to check specialised job boards for temporary software development roles. Websites like We Work Remotely or Remote OK often list short-term gigs that can be a perfect fit. Apply directly through our website as well, making sure your application is sharp—temporary roles can move fast!
We think you need these skills to ace Performance Director in Royal Leamington Spa
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Tech Skills:Make sure your CV highlights your tech stack and any programming languages you’re proficient in. Include specifics about any frameworks or technologies you’ve worked with; they can make you stand out in the sea of applicants. It’s all about showing that you have the chops we need at Skillsearch!
Portfolio 2.0:Since you’re applying for a temporary gig, it’s super important to showcase a portfolio that highlights your best projects. Include links to GitHub or any personal projects that demonstrate what you can do in a real-world environment. This gives us a taste of your style and your problem-solving approach!
Keep It Brief and Relevant:With a temporary position, we want to see your ability to hit the ground running. Be concise in your CV and cover letter; stick to experiences that directly relate to the role. Highlight any previous temporary roles or freelance gigs that show your adaptability and quick learning!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Don’t just send a generic cover letter. Personalise it for Performance Director at Skillsearch! Mention why this temporary role excites you and how you see yourself contributing in the short run. Show us what you've got and why you're the one for this quick turn-around!
How to prepare for a job interview at Skillsearch
✨Nail the Technical Skills
For a software engineering role, you'll likely face technical questions or coding tasks during your interview. Brush up on the relevant programming languages and frameworks that Skillsearch uses, and don’t forget to practice some coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank. Showing your coding prowess can really make you stand out!
✨Prepare for System Design Questions
Even for a temporary role, having a grasp of system design principles can be crucial. Be ready to discuss how you would architect a software solution, including discussing trade-offs, scalability, and performance considerations. Having examples from previous projects can really show off your analytical thinking.
✨Demonstrate Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary role, you'll want to emphasise your ability to hit the ground running. Highlight experiences where you quickly adapted to new technologies or teams. Let’s make it clear to the interviewers at Skillsearch that you can learn on the job and deliver results in a short timeframe!
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
Make sure to have a portfolio or GitHub ready showcasing your projects. Having tangible evidence of what you've done—be it personal projects, contributions to open-source, or previous work—can convey how capable you are. Tailor this for what might interest Skillsearch, so it's relevant and sparks conversation during your interview.
