CFX TD - Lead

1 Week ago • 5-5 Years • $136,500 PA - $140,400 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

The Lead Creature FX TD plays a crucial role in the quality control and leadership of the CFX team. They will lead a small team in designing and creating simulations for realistic creature movement, including clothing, hair, fur, skin, and muscles. The Lead communicates client or VFX Supervisor notes to artists constructively. They are also responsible for improving Image Engine's Creature Effects workflow and tools. The Lead will be responsible for delivering simulation work and technical animation. They will assess and lead the implementation of Creature Effects needs, build and maintain dynamic rigs, create digital assets in Houdini, address supervisor and client comments, attend/lead meetings, write utility scripts, and ensure high-quality work within time constraints. The position requires strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Must have:
  • 5+ years of feature film/TV production experience.
  • Experience leading teams on large projects.
  • Strong understanding of real-world physics and anatomy.
  • Proficient in Houdini.
  • Strong communication skills.
Good to have:
  • Extensive experience with Houdini and Maya.
  • Experience with Linux based OS.
  • Working knowledge of at least one scripting language (python preferred).
  • Rigging knowledge is a plus.
Perks:
  • Extended healthcare from day 1.
  • Premiums 100% covered by Image Engine.
  • Up to 8 paid Health and Wellness days per year.

Job Details

Position: CFX TD - Lead

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

Term Contract:  June/July start

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 Creature FX TD plays a very important role in the quality control and leadership of the CFX team. They will be responsible for leading a small team in designing and creating simulations related to the realistic movement of a creature, including clothing, hair, fur, skin and muscles. The Lead is also responsible for communicating notes from the client or VFX Supervisor to artists in a constructive manner. This person will also take charge of improving Image Engine's Creature Effects workflow and tools.


DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES


  • Responsible for delivering the Simulation (Cloth, Muscle and Skin, Hair and Fur) and Technical Animation work (pre and post) for the show/department
  • Responsible for working with the relevant Producers and Supervisors to assess, assign and lead the implementation of Creature Effects needs
  • Build and maintain Dynamic rigs of varying complexity (hero and background assets, digital doubles etc), to meet the requirements of the show
  • Create and maintain digital assets in Houdini for better workflow and shot delivery efficiency
  • Address supervisor and client comments by integrating solutions into assets or providing one-off shot fixes as appropriate to deliver required results with maximum efficiency
  • Attend/lead dailies, reviews, and team meetings as required
  • Work with the rigging, assets, animation and other departments, as required, to maintain continuity between projects and ensure information is communicated up and down the pipeline
  • Write utility scripts and provide input regarding existing tools and interfaces for creature FX pipeline and workflow
  • Responsible for achieving high quality work within the time constraints given
  • Responsible for the clear communication of Creature FX goals and working processes between all departments
  • Provide guidance on how to best achieve a certain effect within the available show pipeline
  • Estimate the time required for tasks and provide accurate progress reports
  • Ability to train and mentor junior artists. Assisting members of the team to learn and grow their skills to meet their career aspirations by providing feedback, tips and tricks, and encouragement


EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE


  • 5 years+ of feature film/TV production experience
  • The CFX Lead should have 5+ years of progressive experience leading small to medium size teams (i.e. 3+ people) on large projects (300+ shots).
  • Strong understanding of real-world physics and anatomy and a desire to learn more depending on the requirements of the project
  • Proficient in Houdini
  • Strong communication skills and a clear understanding of animation requirements. The applicant must be able to work alongside other creative and technical artists.


SKILLS AND ABILITIES


Technical skills      

  • Extensive experience with Houdini and Maya 
  • Ability to train and coach artists in preferred software
  • Experience with Linux based OS
  • Deep understanding of the Houdini dynamics tool sets and ability to quickly pick up proprietary tools and pipeline
  • Strong technical skills in Houdini
  • Working knowledge of at least one scripting language (python preferred)
  • Excellent eye for detail for quality control
  • Rigging knowledge is a plus


Core skills

  • Ability to assist with bids, determining the timeframe and scope required for each project 
  • Ability to troubleshoot and deal with competing priorities
  • Capable of managing a team of artists, setting expectations, and managing their time
  • The ability to work alongside, communicate with, and understand the requirements of Animators, CG and VFX Supervisors, Assets Department, FX, Lighting, Comp, R&D and Pipeline developers
  • Ability to assess artist’s strengths and weaknesses to assign tasks and manage workflow
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Excellent problem solver who can focus on detail while maintaining the whole picture
  • Excellent time management and communication skills


Similar Jobs

Global Step - Mid 3D Animator

Global Step

Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania (Remote)
6 Months ago
lucas films - Creature Technical Director

lucas films

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
ZeniMax Media - Animator (Creatures)

ZeniMax Media

Rockville, Maryland, United States (On-Site)
7 Months ago
DNEG - Creature Supervisor

DNEG

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (On-Site)
7 Months ago
Welevel - Animator

Welevel

Munich, Bavaria, Germany (On-Site)
1 Month ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

Global Step - Creature Processing Artist – Nighshift

Global Step

Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania (Hybrid)
6 Months ago
Giant Sparrow - Gameplay (and Creature) Programmer

Giant Sparrow

Los Angeles, California, United States (Remote)
2 Days ago
ZeniMax Media - Animateur.trice de créatures / Animator (Creatures)

ZeniMax Media

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (On-Site)
7 Months ago
Nintendo - Cinematic Technical Animator [Remote Contract] (Retro Studios)

Nintendo

United States (Remote)
9 Months ago
One of Us - Creature / Character Modeller

One of Us

(Hybrid)
1 Week ago
Qualcomm - Technical Animator, Staff

Qualcomm

Hyderabad, Telangana, India (On-Site)
5 Months ago
Giant Sparrow - Creature (and Gameplay) Programmer

Giant Sparrow

Los Angeles, California, United States (Remote)
2 Months ago
Epic Games - Animation Lead

Epic Games

(On-Site)
10 Months ago
One of Us - Creature / Character Modeller

One of Us

London, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
1 Week ago
Welevel - Animator

Welevel

Munich, Bavaria, Germany (On-Site)
1 Month ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Mistplay - Senior User Acquisition Manager II

Mistplay

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Amber - Localization Quality Assurance (Italian)

Amber

Quebec, Canada (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
DNEG - Animatic Editor

DNEG

Quebec, Canada (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Motive Studio - Technical Animator - Battlefield

Motive Studio

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (On-Site)
4 Weeks ago
DraftKings - Senior Site Reliability Engineer - FinOps

DraftKings

Canada (Remote)
1 Week ago
Keywords Studios - Tax Analyst

Keywords Studios

Quebec, Canada (Remote)
1 Month ago
Epic Games - Senior Software Programmer, Developer Relations

Epic Games

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
NVIDIA - Senior Software Engineer - Data Center System Bringup

NVIDIA

Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago
newrick netwok  - Senior Backend Developer - PHP Laravel

newrick netwok

Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Epic Games - QA Programmer Specialist

Epic Games

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Category Jobs

Looks like we're out of matches

Set up an alert and we'll send you similar jobs the moment they appear!

About The Company

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)

View All Jobs

Get notified when new jobs are added by Image Engine

Level Up Your Career in Game Development!

Transform Your Passion into Profession with Our Comprehensive Courses for Aspiring Game Developers.

Job Common Plug