Role: Creative Lead / Episode Director
Project: 25 minute animated episode (hybrid GenAI + traditional pipeline)
Contract: Fixed term, approx. mid January to end of May 2026
Location: Remote hybrid with collaboration across LA and London
Salary: Competitive, based on experience (fixed project fee)
About the Role
Wonder Studios is seeking a Creative Lead to guide the artistic vision and execution of a 25 minute episode produced through a hybrid Generative AI and traditional animation pipeline. This role requires a strong eye for performance, character integrity, and visual storytelling, alongside the ability to work pragmatically within a fast-moving, tech-assisted workflow. You will be responsible for upholding the stylistic continuity of the episode, translating a locked animatic into polished, broadcast-ready animation. This is a continuation of an existing IP so style, tone and visual identity has been set and will need to be kept consistent.
Key Responsibilities Creative Direction & Vision
- Own the creative interpretation of the animatic and ensure every shot aligns with the established tone, style, and character fidelity
- Provide daily direction and feedback to Segment Leads, GenAI artists, and traditional 2D animators
- Maintain visual continuity across segment pods, ensuring consistency of line, colour, performance, staging, and comedic timing
- Identify opportunities where AI-generated outputs need refinement, correction, or replacement with traditional techniques
Workflow & Collaboration
- Collaborate closely with the Production Lead and Technical Lead as one of the three core pillars shaping workflow, team structure, and production methodology
- Help define creative standards, reference packs, and quality benchmarks for the entire team
- Work with the Technical Lead to guide model training, prompt libraries, and style alignment informed by Season 1 and reference materials
- Participate in early R&D and look dev phases to validate the visual approach before full scale production
Review & Quality Control
- Lead internal creative reviews and evaluate all shots before they move into editorial
- Provide clear, actionable feedback and help artists problem solve AI driven inconsistencies
- Oversee revisions and ensure final picture reflects the intended creative vision
- Review assembled edits with the Editor to maintain narrative flow and performance continuity
Stakeholder Communication
- Represent the creative vision in production check ins and review sessions
- Communicate clearly with Production regarding priorities, risks, and resource needs
- Support documentation efforts around creative decisions, shot methodologies, and visual standards
Required Experience
- 5+ years in animation direction, art direction, supervising animation, or equivalent creative leadership roles
- Deep understanding of 2D animation principles, character performance, staging, and visual continuity
- Strong ability to direct artists, deliver precise feedback, and maintain a cohesive visual approach across large volumes of shots
- Experience working in fast paced episodic production environments
- Comfort collaborating with technical teams; curiosity about emerging AI assisted workflows
Nice to Have
- Experience with AI assisted tools, pipelines, or generative visual workflows
- Familiarity with Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, Photoshop, or compositing tools
- Experience overseeing multi pod or distributed teams
Ideal Candidate
You combine strong artistic taste with hands on production pragmatism. You're comfortable directing both human artists and AI generated outputs, and you can quickly assess whether a shot needs creative adjustment, technical support, or manual polish. You thrive in collaborative environments and bring confidence, decisiveness, and clarity to the team.