Animator - Lead

Position: Animator - Lead

Hiring Range: $136,500 to $140,400/year for a 40 hour work week

Term Contract:  TBC

Company Benefits: Extended healthcare from day 1, premiums 100% covered by Image Engine, up to 8 paid Health and Wellness days per year.

Candidates are required to be based in British Columbia

ABOUT IMAGE ENGINE

Image Engine is a world-class VFX studio based in Vancouver, BC, that has built a reputation for 

excellence in the visual effects industry since 1995. We specialize in crafting stunning visual effects for feature films and television with an award-winning portfolio that includes The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, Game Of Thrones, Lost in Space, Jurassic World, and District 9.

We offer a full range of visual effects services, from concept designs and pre-visualization to CG animation, compositing, and explosive volumetric digital effects. Our crew is passionate about storytelling and pushing the artistic and technical boundaries to deliver the highest quality work on every project. R&D is central to our philosophy of driving creativity through innovation and we're committed to continually evolving our robust production pipelines.

At Image Engine, we value diversity and teamwork, and we're proud to foster a workplace culture that is supportive, respectful, and empowering. We believe that our success is a reflection of our exceptionally talented team, and we're always looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join us on our mission to create unforgettable visual experiences. Join our team and be part of something extraordinary.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Lead Animator plays a very important role in the quality control and supervision of Animation artists. As a Lead, they will build a good rapport with all artists to foster communication and increase inter-department creativity. They will provide support, guidance and feedback to the team with regards to understanding notes, handling client feedback, and any technical problems or concerns. They should have a good understanding of the status of each task and flag any possible concerns/solutions with the coordination team and Animation Supervisor.

The Lead will also be proactive in identifying issues, while developing and implementing creative and technical solutions - including reviewing rigs and workflow setups unique to the show.

The Lead supports the Animation Supervisor to communicate creative and technical notes to artists while maintaining the continuity/integrity of the brief and ensuring quality and standards are achieved. They are also able and willing to help address issues across the show when the Animation Supervisor is not available. They will use their leadership to maintain a positive attitude in times of high stress and create a work environment of motivated artists. 

The Lead will also contribute to the overall operation and improvement of the Animation team by setting and maintaining department standards. This will include, but will not be limited to, engaging in cross-department communication, documentation, and participating in the buddy system for new employees. In addition, the Lead will develop new processes and stay up to date on innovative technologies to keep the Animation team on the cutting edge and to execute shots of high levels of difficulty. 

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with the Supervisor to develop the style of creatures/characters, which may include creating poses/cycles and test work
• Animate dynamic, believable and appealing characters/non-character assets
• Apply client notes to all shots with minimal guidance
• Communicate successes and challenges faced by the team to the Animation Supervisor
• Manage time and resources to meet weekly targets
• Complete all quality control for animation they have submitted for review for artistic problems (e.g. bad poses, character being off model, crashing, etc.) prior to Animation Supervisor’s review
• Be proficient in the pipeline, and be able to troubleshoot issues and assist animators
• Assist animators in interpreting the Client/Animation Supervisor's notes as needed
• Ensure the team has the tools and information they need to carry out their tasks
• Assist the Animation team in solving technical problems
• Assist Animators who are having trouble working with the animation rig as needed
• Work with the rigging department to solve problems with rigs (including requesting new animation tools or revising an existing animation rig)
• In the absence of an assigned Animation Supervisor, act as a creative Lead working closely with Supervisors and Clients to execute the story and binding physics involved
• Attend dailies, reviews, and team meetings as required

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years’ of experience animating character and non-character assets for VFX/feature films
• Experience leading teams (6+ people) on large projects of 300 + shots
• Demonstrated expert knowledge of traditional animation principles, acting, film production and compositional design
• Ability to animate multiple types of character/non-character assets from simple to complex with a minimum of supervision
• Strong visual storyteller and well-versed in cinematography: camera angles, composition and continuity
• Excellent attention to detail when finalizing, approving or quality controlling work
• Ability to balance quick turnaround while achieving a high degree of aesthetic quality

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Technical skills

• Expert level knowledge of Maya
• A working knowledge of Motion Capture and/or Rigging is a plus

Core skills

• Ability to troubleshoot and deal with competing priorities and projects
• Capable of managing a team of artists; setting expectations, and managing their time
• Ability to assess artist’s strengths and weaknesses to assign tasks and manage workflow
• Ability to train and coach artists in animation techniques and best practice
• Ability to adapt quickly to new technologies and applications
• Ability to teach new techniques and apply new approaches to push Animation to the next level
• Strong leadership skills
• Excellent time management and communication skills