Character Technical Art Intern

Crystal Dynamics invites dedicated individuals to apply for our 12-week, on-site internship program at our Bellevue, WA studio. This internship isn't just a learning opportunity; it's a hands-on development experience on AAA games.   

What You'll Experience:  

• Practical Project Involvement: Engage directly in our current projects, using advanced tools and technology essential in today's gaming industry.  
• Professional Mentorship: Receive guidance from experienced professionals with deep industry knowledge.  
• Skill Development: Expand your skill set in a variety of areas, establishing a solid foundation for your professional journey.  
• Team Collaboration: Work alongside our dedicated team and fellow interns, building valuable professional relationships within the gaming industry.  

 Your Role as a Crystal Dynamics Character Technical Art Intern:  

• Acclimate to our studio environment, understanding team dynamics, and mastering administrative and technical systems critical for your role.  
• Gain an understanding of the project's scope and pipelines.
• Use profiling tools such as PIX and Unreal Insights to diagnose GPU, CPU, and memory performance issues and recommend potential optimizations to the team.
• Work closely with artists to identify content debt and fix validation errors. 
• Develop an understanding of the character pipeline, including rigging, skinning, and integration into the production workflow.
• Collaborate with operations teams and experienced developers both onsite and remotely. 
• Enhance your understanding of advanced game development technology, focusing on Unreal Engine.  
• Engage in regular communication and mentorship with your supervisor and team members.  
• Experience our studio culture by joining fellow interns at studio events and social gatherings. 

 Ideal Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:  

• Portfolio demonstrating basic Character Technical Art skills, including one or more of the following: Python tools creation, shader/material authoring, procedural content generation, or graphics programming.  
• Exposure to industry-standard software, tools, and scripting languages such as: PIX for Windows, Substance Painter/Designer, Autodesk Maya, SideFX Houdini, Python and game engines like Unreal Engine, particularly regarding art content creation best practices and optimization.  
• Willingness to tackle challenges, learn from feedback, and adapt to new tools or workflows.   
• Ability to communicate your ideas and accept constructive feedback.   
• Industry involvement beyond classroom curriculum, such as: game jams, animation specific social clubs, online animation challenges, and/or other activities that showcase your enthusiasm for animation and game development. Even small personal projects or contributions to group projects can be significant!  
• Experience with character a plus but not required. 

Eligibility Criteria:  

• Open to college seniors graduating in Fall 2024 or Spring 2025, who have completed a degree in Art, Game Art, Technical Art, Game Programming, Engineering, or similar field.  
• Availability to work full time (40 hours) a week onsite at our Bellevue, WA office from May 27th to August 15th, 2025.  
• Legal eligibility to work in the United States.  
• Completion of full application, including: submission of your resume, cover letter, and link to your portfolio or GitHub.  

Compensation: $25/hour  
The pay for this internship role includes the base hourly rate, and does not include the medical, dental and vision benefits package that interns will also be eligible for. Your recruiter will be able to share more information about total compensation. 

How to Apply:  

To start your journey, apply through our website. The application includes filling out a form, submitting your resume, work samples, and a cover letter. At Crystal Dynamics, we value inclusivity and diversity. We encourage you to apply even if you feel you don't meet every single requirement. We're looking at your skills, experience, and potential. If you make our shortlist, we'll be in touch for further assessments and interviews. 

Internship FAQ 

Thank you for your interest in an internship at Crystal Dynamics. We can't wait to see what you bring to our world of game development!