Character Animator for AI Model Evaluation

Bring deep character animation expertise to shape how a performance transfer model is evaluated, ensuring actor timing, emotional intent, and subtle physical choices are preserved. You will set quality standards, curate benchmark examples, and help build the reviewer pool that scores model outputs for a leading generative AI research effort.

• Define evaluation standards that specify when a transferred performance preserves emotional resonance and physical fidelity, and identify gaps in current evaluation methods.
• Curate benchmark examples, selecting performances that are straightforward to capture and those that present meaningful challenges for the model.
• Design the reviewer profile, expertise mix, and scoring rubric for human evaluators who will assess outputs at scale.
• Work with other subject matter experts to keep evaluation criteria consistent and accurate across reviewers and rounds of testing.

• Minimum 4+ years of hands-on experience as a character animator, with a primary focus on human or character performance.
• Verifiable credits on 2 or more feature films, animated features, or AAA game cinematics at recognized studios.
• Direct experience in facial animation and or performance capture, such as facial keyframe animation, motion capture solving, cleanup or motion editing, or technical design of facial and performance rigs.
• A meticulous eye for micro-expressions, emotional beats, and the subtleties that make a human performance feel authentic.
• Familiarity with AI tools and workflows, including the ability to generate visual samples for testing and comparison.
• Strong ability to translate complex visual details into precise, caption-style language and evaluation templates.
• Able to attend in-person working sessions once or twice a month in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, CA or in New York, NY.
• Optional but preferred, reliable access to a 4K-resolution monitor for pixel-level review.
• Not a fit: roles focused primarily on cinematography, lighting, camera operation, color grading, compositing, editing, layout, previs, environment, or effects, or generalist 3D work without a primary emphasis on character performance.

This is a part-time W-2 employment position with Cincinnatus LLC, with placement at a leading AI research team as part of their extended workforce. Positions are role-based and integrated into the client team, involving regular collaboration within enterprise workflows rather than project-based freelance gigs. Expect periodic in-person sessions in Playa Vista, CA or New York, NY, typically once or twice per month.

Hourly pay, in the range of 60 to 90 hourly.

• Must be able to work on a W-2 employment basis and attend occasional on-site sessions in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, CA or New York, NY.
• Candidacy requires the professional credits and experience listed above; roles are intended for practitioners whose primary craft is character performance animation.

If selected for the role, employment, onboarding, payroll administration, and benefits will be managed by Cincinnatus LLC, the employer of record for this engagement. Candidates will be evaluated for fit with the client team and integrated into the client''s evaluation workflows once hired by Cincinnatus.