WDI is the master planning, creative development, design, engineering, production, project management, and research and development arm of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products business segment. Representing more than 150 disciplines, its talented corps of Imagineers are responsible for the creation of Disney resorts, theme parks and attractions, hotels, water parks, real estate developments, regional entertainment venues, cruise ships and new media technology projects worldwide which includes other Disney Intellectual Property such as Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm.

Innovation is at the center of everything we do at WDI, and nothing reflects that more than our work environment. We celebrate collaborative thinking and promote cross-disciplinary partnerships to foster a culture of diversity and creativity.

Job Summary

Figure Show Programmers facilitate development of animation for Audio-Animatronics figures and animated props. They support the development of Audio-Animatronics figures through the  building of animation rigs, as well as configure Audio-Animatronics figures and Show Action Equipment for safe operation. They work and collaborate closely with the Creative, Engineering, Ride, Manufacturing, Media Production, and Theme Park Maintenance teams.

You Will:

• Support a Figure Show Programming team through all phases of Engineering, Design, Production, Installation, Testing, and Documentation while partnering with the Animators and Creative Team to ensure the optimal creative performance and safety requirements of the Audio-Animatronics figures.

• Involved in the rigging of characters for Audio-Animatronics figures, starting with concept development rigs all the way through the delivering of a final rig to animation, debugging broken or poorly functioning assets with minimal supervision.

• Work closely with the Creative Teams (comprised of Animators, Visual Development, Modeling, Simulation, and look and scope development), iterating quickly and addressing notes accurately.

• Partner with Engineering and Creative Teams to configure and program Audio-Animatronics figures and Show Action Equipment to conform to safety requirements and to meet creative intent.

• Assist in creating, debugging, and organizing Audio-Animatronics digital assets (character sheets, animation data, rigs, ride paths, shots, and/or models).

• Integrating Show Control systems with rides, Audio-Animatronics figures, and other show elements such as special effects, audio/video, projection, show lighting, etc.

• Pipeline and Animation process support and asset integration.

• Figure Programming process development support and ideation. 

• Document and archive all attraction show data created by the Show Programming department.

• Tool development and maintenance.

You Will Have:

• Familiar with maintaining and creating rigs for CG character animation.

• 3+ years experience in Feature Film, VFX, Television, Video Game, or Theme Park production.

• Able to provide technical support for computer graphic animation applications.

• Desired software knowledge/familiarity among: Maya and/or Motion Builder, Adobe Creative Suite, and Shotgun

• Desired scripting knowledge with languages such as: Python and Mel

• Able to communicate (verbally and in writing) clearly and concisely, regularly keeping stakeholders informed of status, risks, and issues.

• Able to function in a dynamic work environment, managing multiple project activities.

• Able to work with limited supervision and to integrate inputs from team members.

• Have a high tolerance for change and changing requirements.

• Be a creative problem solver and demonstrate comfort with inventive solutions.

• Have a valid passport and willing to travel domestically or internationally.

Preferred Qualifications

• Have basic knowledge of mechanical systems, control systems, and/or robotics.

• Experience with Kuka robotics

• Experience with motion-capture tools and processes

• Familiarity with Unreal Engine and/or Unity, Z-Brush and Solidworks

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Art, Illustration, Computer Graphics, Engineering, Game Development related field or equivalent experience working multiple years of on-the-job experience and training in real-world industrial automation, or animation roles.

This position is located in Lake Buena Vista, FL.

Benefits and Perks: 

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits. 

#DPEPFLA

#LI-AG3