Character Animation Performance Consultant

Job Title: Character Animation Performance Consultant — AI Characters & Digital Humans (1 Position)About the JobWe are seeking an experienced and performance-focused Character Animation Performance Consultant to help define, evaluate, and refine the acting and performance quality of digital characters, AI characters, virtual humans, and animated avatars. The successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of acting, movement, body language, facial expression, emotional communication, timing, rhythm, and character behavior into the animation and digital character development process.This is a cross-disciplinary role working closely with animators, character artists, performance directors, motion capture specialists, technical artists, AI specialists, writers, and developers. The consultant will help ensure that digital characters do not simply move correctly, but perform convincingly, communicate emotion clearly, maintain character consistency, and create believable interactions with audiences and other characters.ResponsibilitiesEvaluate and advise on the performance quality of animated and digital characters across body movement, facial expression, gesture, posture, gaze, timing, rhythm, and emotional expression.Translate principles of acting, performance, movement, and human behavior into practical guidance for character animation and digital human development.Review character performances and identify areas where movement, expression, timing, or emotional behavior can be improved.Develop performance guidelines for different characters, including personality, physicality, emotional range, movement style, gesture vocabulary, and behavioral patterns.Work with animators and motion capture teams to improve the interpretation and refinement of captured human performances.Advise on body mechanics, gesture, posture, facial acting, eye movement, micro-expressions, and other elements that contribute to believable digital performance.Support the development of character-specific performance references, acting briefs, movement libraries, and performance standards.Analyze whether animation effectively communicates a character's intentions, emotions, relationships, and narrative context.Collaborate with directors, writers, and narrative teams to translate character motivation and story requirements into performative behavior.Provide detailed creative feedback on animation passes, motion capture performances, facial animation, and real-time character performances.Advise on the integration of body, facial, voice, and behavioral performance so that different channels of expression feel coherent and intentional.Support the development of performance approaches for AI-driven and interactive characters whose behavior may change dynamically in response to users or other characters.Evaluate conversational and interactive character performances for naturalness, emotional credibility, responsiveness, and consistency.Help define performance requirements for different emotional states, interaction scenarios, narrative situations, and character relationships.Work with technical artists and developers to identify performance limitations caused by rigs, animation systems, real-time pipelines, or interactive systems and recommend creative solutions.Participate in rehearsals, performance capture sessions, animation reviews, playtests, and character performance evaluations when required.Establish criteria and review frameworks for assessing the quality and believability of digital character performance.Research developments in acting, animation, motion capture, facial performance, behavioral animation, virtual humans, and AI-driven character systems.Contribute to the development of scalable performance methodologies that can be applied across multiple digital characters and interactive experiences.Document performance observations, recommendations, character standards, and best practices for use by creative and technical teams.QualificationsMinimum BA/MA in Animation, Performing Arts, Theatre, Film, Dance, Character Animation, Digital Media, Game Development, or a related field; equivalent professional experience will also be considered.At least 3–5 years of professional experience in character animation, animation direction, acting, performance coaching, motion capture, performance design, or a closely related discipline.Strong understanding of acting principles, character performance, physical storytelling, body language, gesture, facial expression, emotional communication, timing, and rhythm.Demonstrable ability to analyze and communicate why a character performance feels believable, artificial, exaggerated, emotionally unclear, or inconsistent.Experience working with professional animators, motion capture performers, directors, or digital character teams.Familiarity with animation principles including posing, timing, spacing, anticipation, follow-through, weight, balance, exaggeration, and secondary motion.Understanding of human movement and the relationship between physical action, emotional state, intention, and character personality.Experience with motion capture, performance capture, facial capture, or animation cleanup and refinement is highly desirable.Familiarity with animation and digital character tools such as Maya, Blender, MotionBuilder, Unreal Engine, Unity, MetaHuman, or comparable platforms.Experience evaluating facial animation, lip synchronization, eye movement, micro-expressions, and emotional performance is an asset.Understanding of real-time character systems, virtual humans, AI characters, conversational characters, or interactive digital experiences is highly desirable.Ability to collaborate effectively across creative, artistic, and technical disciplines.Strong communication and feedback skills, with the ability to give precise, constructive, and actionable performance direction.Strong observational and analytical skills with a high sensitivity to subtle differences in human behavior and expression.Ability to work with both human performers and digital character systems.Portfolio, showreel, or case studies demonstrating relevant character performance, animation, acting, motion capture, or digital human work.Fluency in English; additional languages are an asset.What We OfferThe opportunity to shape the performance language of next-generation AI characters, digital humans, and virtual performers.A highly interdisciplinary environment connecting acting, animation, motion capture, AI, storytelling, real-time technology, and interactive experiences.The opportunity to establish new approaches to digital character performance and human-inspired animation.Collaboration with animators, performers, directors, AI specialists, technical artists, writers, and developers.Access to advanced character animation, performance capture, real-time, and AI technologies.The opportunity to influence how digital characters communicate emotion, personality, intention, and human behavior.Professional development and opportunities to contribute to innovative international digital character projects.How to ApplyPlease submit the following to farhang@parsikia.ir with subject line “Character Animation Performance Consultant — AI Characters & Digital Humans”:1. CV (max 2 pages)2. Cover letter (1 page) describing relevant experience and your approach to believable character performance.3. Portfolio, showreel, or links to 3 relevant projects demonstrating character animation, performance, acting, motion capture, or digital character work.4. Two references (name, role, contact)Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview and asked to complete a short practical performance analysis exercise. The exercise may involve reviewing a short digital character animation or performance and providing a concise written analysis with recommendations for improving movement, acting, emotional expression, timing, and character believability.We welcome applications from candidates with diverse professional backgrounds, including animators, actors, directors, dancers, performance coaches, motion capture specialists, and other cross-disciplinary practitioners with a strong understanding of character performance.