About the role
Company Overview
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. SIE is a technology and entertainment leader providing hardware and network services to over 100 million people and developing intellectual properties under the PlayStation brand. Santa Monica Studio is the team responsible for the God of War series.
Role Summary
Santa Monica Studio is seeking an experienced Senior 3D UI Artist for a short-term contract to help bring a current project to completion. This role involves working within an established pipeline to render and capture polished 3D UI art assets, populate in-game content systems, and contribute to late-stage UI tasks such as icon creation and photo mode support. The position requires a self-sufficient, execution-focused artist who can perform in a structured, sprint-driven environment.
Responsibilities
- 3D Rendering & Asset Capture: Render and deliver final 3D UI art assets within the established capture pipeline. Adapt and apply art direction throughout production.
- Detail Authoring in Substance: Use Substance Painter and/or Substance Designer to add surface detail, material refinement, and finishing passes to 3D assets to reach visual targets.
- Codex Image Population: Capture and deliver in-game images for all Codex categories (Gear, Bestiary entries, Category Thumbnails) ensuring consistency in framing, lighting, and presentation.
- Test Bed Image Capture: Operate within an in-engine test bed to capture images for UI integration, maintaining technical quality and visual consistency.
- Icon Production: Create and refine UI icons across game systems while maintaining visual coherence with established style and quality standards.
- Photo Mode UI Support: Contribute UI art assets and support visual polish for the game's photo mode.
Requirements
- 4+ years of professional experience in 3D art for games, focusing on UI, rendering, or real-time asset production on console or PC titles.
- At least one shipped AAA game credit in a 3D art or UI art capacity.
- Strong proficiency in Substance Painter and/or Substance Designer for material authoring and detail addition.
- Demonstrated experience with 3D rendering workflows and in-engine asset capture, including lighting setups, camera framing, and render pass organization.
- Experience working within established pipelines and capture loops with the ability to onboard quickly.
- Solid understanding of UI art standards, icon design principles, image framing, and asset organization.
- Strong ability to work independently, self-prioritize, and deliver high-quality assets in a fast-moving, deadline-driven environment.
- Proficiency in Maya, Adobe Photoshop, and standard DCC tools for post-processing and asset preparation.
Preferred Experience
- Prior experience populating in-game content databases or encyclopedic systems (e.g., bestiary, codex, inventory).
- Familiarity with photo mode UI systems and unique asset considerations for that space.
- Experience with icon design and light visual development within defined art direction.
- Comfort working with Art Directors and Leads in an iterative feedback loop.
- Background working on narrative-driven AAA titles with high visual fidelity standards.
Compensation and Benefits
- Hourly Base Pay Range: $57.98 - $86.92 USD.
- Benefits: Eligible for medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Factors: Pay varies based on job-related factors including knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
Additional Information
- Location: Los Angeles, CA, United States.
- Employment Type: Short-term contract.
- Pre-employment: Candidates are subject to background checks at the offer stage, which may include criminal background checks.
- Equal Opportunity: Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Fair Chance employer; qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.