Creative Lead / Episode Director

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.