Kickstart Entertainment is hiring a Director - Expression of Interest

Expression of Interest – Future Opportunities Kickstart Entertainment is building a network of talented professionals for potential upcoming productions. While this position is not currently open and no project or start date has been confirmed, we'd love to hear from individuals interested in being considered for future opportunities. Applications will be kept on file, and shortlisted candidates may be contacted if and when a suitable opportunity becomes available. Please Note: This posting is an expression of interest only and does not represent an offer of employment or a guarantee that this position will be filled. Any future hiring is subject to project approval, business requirements, updated role requirements, and Kickstart's staffing needs. Role Synopsis: The Director is responsible for leading the creative vision and execution of an animated production from script development through final animatic delivery and into animation production. Working closely with the Line Producer, Production team, Creative Leadership, clients, and partner studios, the Director ensures the project achieves its creative objectives while remaining aligned with production schedules, scope, and technical requirements. This role provides creative leadership across story, performance, staging, pacing, and visual storytelling, while fostering strong collaboration between internal teams and external production partners. The Director identifies creative opportunities, provides timely feedback and solutions, and helps balance artistic ambition with production realities to successfully deliver high-quality content. Project Responsibilities - Work with LP and Production to ensure on-time completion from approved scripts through shipment of final Animatics to our animation partner studio. - Collaborate with LP and Production Team to ensure scope, schedule and assumptions are on track, flagging any concerns as soon as they arise and coming up with solutions/compromises to effectively manage the given scope, assumptions and production limitations. - Collaborate with internal designers to ensure it aligns with scope and flagging any concerns for asset creation with our animation partners. - Lead creative kickoffs and Collaborate with internal storyboard team to ensure storytelling pieces are communicated clearly and offer creative solutions for productivity issues. You will also be responsible for providing revisions, when required based on client feedback up until the animatic is locked. - Identify ways to add fresh, creative ideas that compliment the overall creative vision - Strong collaboration with LP and Production to ensure aligned messaging to internal editing team and animation partners. - Lead creative kickoffs and collaborate with the client to ensure storytelling pieces are communicated clearly and offering creative solutions to producibility issues as well as compliment the overall creative vision. - Provide director notes for lead sheets for the purposes of layout and shot production kickoffs with partnering studios to ensure storyboards have been properly executed before transitioning into animation shot production. - Make best efforts to be available for and participate in all meetings including (but not limited to): dailies, production meetings, creative meetings, review sessions and weekly touch points with Management and or department heads, etc. - Availability to work in-studio on a consistent weekly basis, alongside work-from-home days.Working in-studio on a consistent and regular basis to promote a culture of collaboration - Cultivate strong communication and care with both the internal team and partners aligned with Kickstart’s core values - This list of Services is not exhaustive and will include any other responsibilities that are deemed standard to the industry for this project and those associated with the Company. - And such other duties as Kickstart may assign from time to time Studio Responsibilities: - Interact respectfully and professionally with colleagues, other staff members, partners, and clients. - Work collaboratively across multiple productions and departments as required. - Foster and mentor the development of up and coming Lead and Supervisor roles from time to time - Act as a Studio representative by aiding Talent Management to attract and network with new artists. - Contribute to a positive team environment aligned with Kickstart’s Core Values.