Contract Technical Cinematic Designer

Team: Design

Location: US

Commitment: Contract

Workplace Type: remote

Accountabilities

• Design, implement, iterate, and polish real-time cinematic sequences using Unreal Engine and Sequencer, including camera composition, transitions, timing, and in-engine presentation.
• Collaborate closely with writers, animators, gameplay and level designers, VFX artists, engineers, and audio teams to integrate cinematic content seamlessly into interactive game environments.
• Build and maintain narrative systems supporting interactive storytelling, including dialogue triggers, branching sequences, character states, and other cinematic logic.
• Develop and maintain cinematic tools, Blueprints, workflows, and pipelines that improve production efficiency and enable the team to create high-quality content at scale.
• Create compelling cinematic experiences that balance visual storytelling, technical requirements, gameplay integration, and player immersion.
• Troubleshoot cinematic issues and optimize sequences for performance, stability, and reliability across target platforms.
• Integrate voice-over, sound effects, music, and other audio elements with cinematic sequences to deliver cohesive and emotionally engaging experiences.
• Partner with multidisciplinary teams to identify technical challenges early and develop practical solutions throughout production.
• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and documentation covering cinematic workflows, tools, and best practices.
• Contribute to continuous improvements in cinematic production processes, pipelines, and development standards.

Requirements

• 3+ years of professional experience in cinematic design, narrative design, or a closely related game development discipline, preferably on AAA or high-quality indie projects.
• Expert-level proficiency with Unreal Engine, particularly Unreal Sequencer and Level Sequences.
• Strong understanding of real-time narrative systems, including scripting, event triggers, branching logic, character states, and state machines.
• Demonstrated ability to create polished, visually compelling cinematic sequences directly within a game engine.
• Strong understanding of cinematic composition, camera direction, pacing, transitions, and storytelling principles.
• Practical experience with Blueprints and/or scripting for cinematic logic, automation, and custom tool development.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across narrative, animation, gameplay, level design, VFX, audio, engineering, and other disciplines.
• Strong troubleshooting and optimization skills, with the ability to identify and resolve technical issues affecting cinematic performance or stability.
• A strong portfolio or demo reel showcasing cinematic work created in Unreal Engine.
• Familiarity with performance capture workflows and facial animation systems is preferred.
• Experience setting up scenes and exporting animations from Maya is a plus.
• Familiarity with version control systems such as Perforce or Git is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts and collaborate effectively with creative and technical teammates.
• A strong passion for interactive storytelling, game narratives, and creating memorable player experiences.

Benefits

• Competitive contract compensation: Hourly rates range from $29–$50 USD, depending on location, experience, qualifications, and other relevant factors.
• Location-based pay: $40–$50/hour in select high-cost metropolitan areas including San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and the DC metropolitan area; $34–$42/hour in markets including Austin, Denver, Nashville, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Miami; and $29–$36/hour in other US locations.
• Fully remote: Work remotely from within the United States.
• Contract flexibility: A contract opportunity offering the chance to contribute specialized cinematic expertise to an ambitious game development environment.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work alongside talented professionals across narrative, animation, gameplay, level design, VFX, audio, and engineering.
• Creative impact: Directly influence the storytelling, immersion, and emotional impact of narrative-driven interactive experiences.
• Technical growth: Develop expertise across Unreal Engine, real-time cinematics, narrative systems, cinematic tooling, and production pipelines.
• Mentorship and knowledge sharing: Opportunity to contribute to technical documentation and support best practices across cinematic development.
• Inclusive workplace: A commitment to equal employment opportunity and a collaborative environment that welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds.