What's coming. Who's hiring. How to position.
The work is coming back. Not everywhere, but if you're paying attention and positioning right, 2026 could be a very good year.
I'm seeing VFX-heavy tentpoles stacking up. Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday hits post-production in 2026. Fallout Season 3 is greenlit. House of the Dragon Season 3 continues feeding the episodic pipeline. Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV+ are all pushing original content with substantial post-production needs.
California's expanded tax credit program now offers $750 million annually over five years. Early results: 17 TV productions projecting $1.2 billion in economic impact.
I've been tracking openings across the major studios. Here's what I'm seeing:
Senior Motion Designer on the Emerging Creative team. Closes January 15, 2026. After Effects and Cinema 4D required. Creative Studio also needs Motion Designer for trailers and promo.
Apply at NetflixBuilding their freelance Motion Graphics and Design roster for US offices. After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator required. Cinema 4D, Houdini, or Maya a bonus. Strong 2D/3D animation skills essential.
Apply at FramestoreCharacter Designer, CG Supervisor, Episodic Director, Visual Development Artist, and Production Designer roles. Union-covered positions. LA-based, remote hybrid.
Apply at SonyMid to Senior Animator. 5+ years feature/episodic experience required. Maya proficiency, motion capture and keyframe animation. Los Angeles, Melbourne, or Vancouver.
Apply at LumaThe hierarchy has shifted. Unreal Engine proficiency is now essential for anyone touching virtual production work. It moved from experimental to mainstream for tentpole projects and streaming episodics alike.
Virtual production is the growth story here. LED volume stages across LA are actively seeking artists who understand in-camera VFX workflows. Disney launched an LA virtual production hub. Universal has their VP Stage. L.A. Castle Studios and Visual Creatures Viz Lab are both expanding.
Tentpole work, creative direction, and supervisory roles remain anchored in LA. The city's advantage isn't cost. It's proximity to decision-makers, institutional knowledge, and the density of senior talent. If you're in LA and you're good, you're in the right place.
2026 can be a good year for skills transitioning. The designers who add Unreal Engine and build virtual production experience can find more opportunities going forward.
I'm opening up Smiths & Tailors to producers in February. That means they need to see your best work front and center.
Founder 20 ends in 2 weeks on January 14, 2026. If you want the perks, please take a few minutes and complete your profile page. This is important.
I've received great feedback from all of you regarding S&T's web app functionality. Here's what I'm upgrading over the next few weeks:
The projects hitting post in 2026 need compositors, motion designers, and 3D artists who can deliver on impossible timelines. The streaming platforms need the same, usually faster and cheaper. Your leverage comes from being the person who can execute when deadlines compress and revisions multiply.
If you're mid-career and wondering what's next, going deeper on a specialty can open doors. Houdini FX and Unreal virtual production are where I'm seeing the most demand. The generalist path still works, but the designers staying busiest right now tend to have something specific they're known for.
Smiths & Tailors is a community for LA-based motion artists in film, TV, streaming, commercial, and beyond. It exists for us to communicate, collaborate, find work, showcase our work, earn, and grow.
The work is coming back. Make sure you're ready for it.