MONTREAL- Rigger: MID/SR

About Barnstorm

Barnstorm is an Emmy and VES-nominated visual effects studio based in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, and Montreal providing photo-realistic visual effects for a variety of television and online streaming projects. We pride ourselves in our artists’ talent and dedication to producing world-class visual effects.

Who You Are

You are a senior rigger with a deep mastery of Maya and an eye for both technical precision and animator-friendly design. You’ve built complex character, creature, and prop rigs that hold up from previs to final, and you understand the nuances of deformation, control design, and pipeline integration.

You’re not just building rigs — you’re leading a team, setting standards, and mentoring artists while also collaborating with supervisors and production to ensure assets are delivered on time and at the highest quality.

Python scripting and tool development are part of your daily toolkit (mGear familiarity is a plus), and you’re comfortable architecting systems that are scalable, maintainable, and production-tested.

Experience in Houdini CFX — especially with feather simulations — is a huge plus, enabling you to collaborate more seamlessly with downstream departments and contribute to creature and environment FX needs.

What You’ll Do

Rig Development & Oversight (60%)

• Design, build, and maintain complex character, creature, and prop rigs in Maya
• Ensure rigs are animator-friendly, stable, and optimized for performance
• Develop deformation setups (muscle, skin, corrective shapes) that integrate cleanly with the pipeline
• Oversee rigging deliveries across multiple assets or shows, maintaining quality and consistency
• Debug and solve high-level technical and performance issues

Tool Development & Pipeline Integration (25%)

• Write and maintain Python scripts to automate rigging workflows and improve efficiency
• Create custom tools, rigging frameworks, and UI systems for the rigging and animation departments
• Integrate rigs and tools smoothly into the studio pipeline
• Leverage mGear (where applicable) to speed up setup and standardize controls

Leadership & Collaboration (15%)

• Lead and mentor rigging artists, reviewing work and providing constructive feedback
• Collaborate with animation, CFX, modeling, and pipeline to ensure rigs meet all department needs
• Set rigging best practices and technical standards for the team
• Assist production with scoping, scheduling, and resource planning

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in Rigging for VFX or animation production
• Intermediate - Advanced skills: with Maya , Python & VEX scripting
• Experience in simulation rigging with Houdini - Experience with Quadroped a plus (muscle systems, cloth, hair)
• Knowledge of C++ or MEL is a bonus.
• Strong understanding of anatomy, mechanical rigging, and kinematics
• Expert Maya rigging skills with proven production experience at a senior/lead/supervisor level
• Strong Python scripting skills for automation, rig tools, and pipeline integration
• Experience in deformation systems, facial rigs, creature setups, and technical debugging
• mGear experience is a plus
• Houdini CFX experience — especially with feathers — is a major asset
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring skills
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to balance quality with deadlines
• Understanding of cross-department workflows and downstream requirements
• Comfortable collaborating with multiple teams in a fast-paced environment