This is an exciting contract opportunity to help shape the emotional heart of a major narrative‑driven game. Working closely with Narrative, Cinematic and Animation teams, you’ll lead the direction of performances across cinematic content, ensuring characters feel authentic, compelling and emotionally resonant throughout the player journey.
About the role
You will be responsible for directing and delivering high‑quality character performances across cinematic sequences, helping bring the story and characters to life through authentic acting and emotionally engaging scenes.
Working closely with writers, cinematic designers, animators and actors, you’ll prepare, direct and refine performance capture sessions while ensuring performances align with the narrative vision, game tone and overall player experience.
This role is ideal for a creative leader with deep experience in performance direction, actor collaboration and cinematic production within AAA game development.
What you'll do
- Direct performance capture shoots, ensuring performances meet narrative and emotional goals
- Work closely with actors to shape believable, nuanced and naturalistic character performances
- Collaborate with Narrative, Cinematic and Animation teams to plan and execute cinematic sequences
- Define scene blocking, staging, prop interaction and character movement within performances
- Prepare and organise performance capture sessions, including actor briefings and shoot planning
- Coordinate with associate directors and production teams to ensure efficient shoot execution
- Review captured footage and provide direction on performance selection and refinement
- Ensure performances transition effectively from cinematic sequences into gameplay experiences
- Help maintain consistency of character performances throughout the project
Experience
- Proven experience as a Performance Director on published AAA game titles
- Demonstrable experience directing actors on narrative‑driven projects
- Strong portfolio or showreel showcasing directed performances
- Experience working within cinematic production and performance capture environments
- Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary game development teams
Skills
- Expertise in directing emotionally authentic and believable performances
- Strong understanding of acting methodologies and character development
- Ability to communicate creative direction clearly to actors and development teams
- Excellent understanding of cinematic storytelling and narrative pacing
- Strong planning and organisational skills for complex shoot schedules
- Ability to evaluate performances and provide constructive feedback for improvement
Nice to have
- Experience with performance capture (PCAP) workflows
- Understanding of how capture data is processed and implemented in game engines
- Familiarity with animation pipelines and cinematic production workflows
- Experience coordinating performance capture crews, equipment and production logistics
Working style / behaviours
- Passionate about storytelling and character‑driven experiences
- Collaborative and comfortable working with actors, writers and developers
- Strong creative instincts balanced with production awareness
- Detail‑oriented with a focus on quality and authenticity
- Able to maintain a clear creative vision while adapting to production needs
Why join
- Help shape the performances at the centre of a major narrative game project
- Work with experienced cinematic, narrative and animation teams
- Directly influence character development and player emotional engagement
- High‑impact contract role on a AAA production
- Opportunity to work across both studio and performance capture environments
Location: Royal Leamington Spa, UK and London, UK
Employment type: Contract
Working pattern: 3 days per week
Work model: Hybrid, including on‑site studio work and performance capture shoot attendance
Day rate: Up to £500 per day
If you're a Performance Director who excels at bringing characters to life through authentic performances and cinematic storytelling, we'd love to hear from you. Apply now or email Joe McKernan - jm@skillsearch.com