Director / Head of Game Capture

Mocean

$145K — $185K *
Media
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 6+ years of experience in capturing in-engine footage for game trailers and marketing campaigns.
  • Strong understanding of cinematography principles for 3D environments.
  • Proficient in Unreal Engine, Unity, console SDKs, and custom developer tools.
  • Ability to direct multi-player capture sessions under tight deadlines.
  • Passionate about gaming with skill across various genres.

Responsibilities

  • Direct virtual cinematography by translating briefs into cinematic sequences.
  • Lead and mentor a team of capture artists and techs, establishing creative standards.
  • Architect streamlined workflows for build ingestion and asset management.
  • Dive into early-stage gaming builds to optimize capture processes.
  • Collaborate with creative and production teams to align capture with campaign goals.
  • Serve as the authoritative voice on game capture in client-facing roles.

Benefits

  • Generous paid time off including ten holidays and sick days.
  • Subsidized health insurance (medical, dental, vision).
  • Short and long-term disability coverage.
  • Fertility and family planning benefits.
  • 401(k) plan with company match.
Full Job Description
Job Type

Full-time

Description

We are expanding MOCEAN Gaming and looking for a visionary Director / Head of Game Capture to build, lead, and elevate our virtual cinematography department. This is an influential leadership position that will help set vision for how we position the games we work on, and that will work collaboratively across all departments of campaign making.

As our lead capture authority, you are equal parts filmmaker, gamer, technical director, and department architect. You understand that capturing gameplay isn't just recording a screen. It's virtual cinematography that captures the soul and tactile feel of a game. You will direct live capture sessions, wrangle pre-release builds, pioneer camera tooling, and lead a team of capture artists to deliver world-class trailer footage for titles ranging from AAA to indie.

What You'll Do
  • Direct Virtual Cinematography: Turn creative briefs, scripts, and storyboards into compelling shot lists and cinematic sequences. Capture high-octane gameplay, dynamic "freecam" cinematics, environmental coverage, and key art stills using debug tools, UE5, Unity, and custom developer tools.
  • Lead & Scale the Capture Team: Oversee, mentor, and grow our team of in-house and freelance Capture Artists and Techs. Establish creative standards and performance benchmarks for all captured media.
  • Architect the Pipeline: Partner with our post-production, editorial, and finishing teams to streamline build ingestion, asset tagging, shot logging, and editorial handoffs.
  • Master the Build: Dive deep into early-stage dev builds, alpha/beta builds, and console dev kits. Identify debug capabilities, write "What It Feels Like to Play" guides, and problem-solve build limitations alongside developer technical teams.
  • Collaborate Across Departments: Work seamlessly with Creative Directors, Editors, Writers, and Account Leads to ensure capture aligns with trailer narrative beats and campaign goals.
  • Client-Facing Leadership: Serve as MOCEAN's authoritative voice on game capture during capabilities meetings, client kick-offs, script reviews, and technical syncs with publisher marketing and dev teams.


Requirements

Who You Are
  • A Veteran Virtual Director: 6+ years of experience capturing in-engine footage for game trailers, gameplay reveal trailers, and marketing campaigns at a major creative agency, trailer house, or game publisher.
  • Deep Cinematic & Technical Intuition: Strong grasp of real-world cinematography principles (lens selection, depth of field, key framing, lighting, motion pacing) adapted for 3D digital environments.
  • Engine & Tool Master: Deeply comfortable navigating Unreal Engine (Sequencer//Debug Cam), Unity, console SDKs/dev kits (PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch), PC debug menus, and custom developer tools.
  • Natural Leader & Communicator: Able to direct multi-player capture sessions like a live-action director on set, keep cool under tight trailer delivery timelines, and inspire a creative team. You've served as a mentor and know how to help others grow their game capture careers.
  • Gamer at Heart: Possess high-level mechanical skill across multiple game genres (FPS, Action/RPG, Fighting, Sports, Strategy) to pull off precise, repeatable gameplay maneuvers for the camera.

Compensation / Benefits
  • Annual Salary: $145,000 to $185,000 - The final salary offered will be dependent on factors such as experience, location, and budget.
  • Benefits include generous paid time off, including ten (10) holidays, sick days annually, subsidized health insurance (medical, dental, vision), short/long term disability, fertility/family planning benefits, 401(k) with company match and more.

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