Artist for Character Motion Production Employee Interview | SEGA Careers Site

EMPLOYEE INTERVIEWS

Artist

A Motion Designer bringing characters to life, one movement at a time

Joined in 2022

Artist Y.Z.

＼ Career Path ／

Originally from China, studied Japanese at university before moving to Japan to pursue computer animation.

After joining SEGA, worked on animating characters for mobile games.

Now a motion designer, creating animations, overseeing quality, and exploring ideas for new content.

01STEP 1

02STEP 2

03STEP 3

Q1
What I Studied

I majored in Japanese at a foreign studies university in China. Studying abroad brought me to Japan, where my love of games and anime grew even stronger. That eventually led me to study design at a vocational school here. I tried my hand at everything from illustration to modeling, but 3D animation was what really clicked with me. I loved being able to bring characters to life and show their personalities through movement. That was when I knew I wanted to make animation my career.

Q2
Why I Joined SEGA

I grew up in China playing games like Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA and Sonic, so SEGA had been a familiar name to me since I was a kid. One thing that caught my attention during the hiring process was hearing about a whole tuna being carved up in the company cafeteria. That fun, unique company culture really appealed to me. The interview itself was relaxed and friendly, and I found it easy to be myself. I came away feeling that SEGA was a place where I could enjoy creating things with others.

Q3
My First Assignments at SEGA

I started out creating character animations for a mobile game based on a hugely popular manga series. One of my first challenges was a character who balances on their head and spins upside down. Their unusual design meant the usual techniques didn't work, so I worked with senior team members to figure out their anatomy and how to bring that action to life. After lots of trial and error, I finally got the movement just right. Seeing such a tricky move finally come together and feel true to the character was incredibly satisfying. That was when I really started to see what makes this work so rewarding.

Q4
Biggest Surprise After Joining SEGA

Before joining, I imagined a company with such a long history would be fairly traditional and formal. The reality was completely different. There are plenty of young employees, women, and people from all around the world, and I quickly felt at home. Seeing women thrive in management roles was especially encouraging and made it easier to picture my own future here.

Behind the scenes: Motion production for Sonic Rumble Party

Q5
Current Duties

In addition to working on character animation as a motion designer, I conduct quality checks on animations created by other team members. I also experiment with new ways for characters to move and express themselves as we develop content for future updates. These days, I'm looking beyond my own animations and thinking about the bigger picture—balancing deadlines and costs while helping the team produce its best work.

Q6
Motivation and Successes

One of my most memorable projects was animating a character inspired by an animal. I've always loved animals, so I really enjoyed studying the details—how a dog stretches, gets up, shakes its head, moves its tail, and even how it breathes when tired. After release, players shared clips of the animations on social media and praised how cute they were. Seeing that response and knowing all that attention to detail had paid off was incredibly rewarding.

Q7
Future Goals

When I was new, senior team members took the time to guide me, which helped me settle in and learn with confidence. Now, I want to do the same for the next generation of team members. I'd like to get more involved with training new hires, not just teaching technical skills, but creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions and has the support they need to grow.

Q8
SEGA's Appeal

What I love about SEGA is the upbeat atmosphere and how approachable everyone is, no matter their role. I can talk openly with my manager about creative ideas or technical challenges without worrying about hierarchy. Creators are trusted to share their ideas and make them a reality, which makes the creative process itself really enjoyable. I'm also surrounded by talented people with different areas of expertise, so we're constantly inspiring each other and growing together.

Q9
Message to Applicants

I'd love to work with people who have their own ideas, believe in what they do, and aren't afraid to take that first step. There's rarely just one right answer when it comes to creating something. Listen to the people around you, but don't be afraid to follow your own instincts. It's that willingness to keep trying that leads to fresh ideas and better work.

Q10
A Recent Highlight

I recently saw a newly released animated film on opening day. I was really struck by how the camerawork, character movement, and composition all worked together to bring the characters' emotions to life. What stayed with me most was the care behind every detail. I could really feel how much the creators had put into it.