Directeur Artistique

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Directeur Artistique based in Canada. As an Art Director, you will shape and elevate the visual identity of a high-profile AAA cinematic project, bringing creative concepts to life while maintaining exceptional artistic quality. You will translate the client's creative vision into compelling visual direction, collaborating closely with creative leadership, VFX supervisors, CG supervisors, and production teams. From developing the artistic bible to guiding character and environment design, you will ensure visual consistency throughout every stage of production. You will combine strong creative leadership with hands-on digital painting, concept development, and paintovers to inspire artists and refine final images. Working in a collaborative, fast-paced animation environment, you will balance artistic ambition with production requirements and deadlines. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced visual storyteller to influence a cinematic project and help deliver distinctive, high-quality imagery.

Define, refine, and develop the project's artistic vision based on creative briefs and direction from the client and Creative Director, translating concepts into a comprehensive artistic bible. Establish and maintain the visual guidelines that shape the project's overall aesthetic, ensuring consistency across characters, environments, props, digital matte paintings (DMP), lighting, and other visual elements. Supervise, guide, and validate concept illustrations for characters and environments, including reference collections, mood boards, and other visual development materials. Assign and coordinate work for set designers, prop designers, character designers, and other artists, providing clear artistic direction and monitoring progress. Collaborate closely with the VFX Supervisor to review key production milestones and ensure that character and environment models, textures, shading, surfacing, lighting, compositing, and 2D visual effects meet the established artistic standards. Conduct paintovers and produce high-quality concepts, visual references, and lighting studies when needed to clarify artistic intent and improve final renders. Work alongside the Creative Director to interpret the client's vision while contributing creative ideas that strengthen the project's visual impact and meet or exceed quality expectations. Partner with the CG Supervisor and production team at key stages to monitor artistic consistency, address challenges, and ensure alignment with production constraints and schedules. Contribute to the initial look development process, then refine and extend the established visual style across the entire project while preserving its creative identity. Guide artists throughout production by providing precise, constructive feedback and practical solutions to enhance the visual quality, composition, lighting, and storytelling of individual shots. Adapt established characters and iconic visual elements to evolving artistic directions without compromising their original identity or recognizability. Maintain a cinematic approach to visual storytelling, ensuring strong composition, readable silhouettes, controlled color palettes, effective lighting, and atmospheric perspective. Identify team members' strengths and areas for improvement, encourage collaboration, and help artists achieve their full creative potential. Balance creative excellence with production requirements, adapting to changing priorities and ensuring deliverables meet deadlines and established quality standards. Requirements: At least 8 years of experience in art direction, production design, concept art, illustration, or a closely related field within the animation industry. Exceptional artistic creativity and a strong visual sensibility, with the ability to establish, communicate, and maintain a cohesive artistic vision across a complex production. Advanced digital painting skills, including excellent command of color theory, tonal values, hand-painted textures, and nuanced character skin tones. Strong proficiency in a painterly visual style, with the ability to create characters and environments featuring hand-painted finishes, simplified forms, expressive brushwork, controlled lighting, and atmospheric perspective. Proven ability to develop, refine, and maintain a distinctive visual style throughout production, ensuring consistency across characters, environments, props, digital matte paintings, lighting, and related elements. Experience adapting existing visual universes, recognizable characters, and established design elements to new artistic directions while preserving their essential identity. Strong understanding of stylized 3D production and the ability to translate 2D painterly concepts into compelling 3D visuals through collaboration with look development, texturing, shading, and lighting teams. A hands-on approach to art direction, with the ability to create high-quality concept art, paintovers, lighting references, and other visual materials that guide artists and improve final results. Excellent cinematic sensibility, including a strong understanding of composition, silhouettes, color, lighting, perspective, and visual readability in service of storytelling. Demonstrated ability to provide clear, concise, and constructive artistic feedback to internal teams and clients, explaining creative decisions and translating visual objectives into actionable guidance. Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with the ability to build productive relationships across creative, technical, and production teams. Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to artistic excellence, with the ability to manage priorities and deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines. Flexibility and adaptability when responding to evolving creative requirements, production challenges, and changing project priorities. Strong leadership skills, including the ability to recognize team members' strengths and weaknesses, support their development, and encourage a collaborative creative environment. Ability to work effectively within an established creative framework, aligning artistic decisions with client expectations, creative leadership, and production constraints. Benefits: Remote work opportunity based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opportunity to contribute to a high-profile AAA cinematic animation project. Creative autonomy to bring innovative ideas and artistic expertise to a visually ambitious production. Collaboration with experienced creative directors, VFX supervisors, CG supervisors, and multidisciplinary animation professionals. Opportunity to influence the project's visual identity from initial concept development through final image delivery. A stimulating, collaborative environment that encourages artistic exploration, creative problem-solving, and high production standards. Opportunities to refine artistic leadership skills while contributing to the development and growth of a talented creative team. Salary, healthcare coverage, paid vacation, retirement benefits, and other employment perks: Specific details were not provided in the original job description and should be confirmed with the hiring team.