Previs Supervisor

Barnstorm is an Emmy and VES-nominated visual effects studio specializing in photo-realistic VFX for episodic and feature films. We are seeking a creative and technically skilled Previs Supervisor with 7-10+ years of experience in previs, postvis, or animation. The role involves leading the previs team, collaborating with Directors and VFX Supervisors, overseeing scene breakdowns, and mentoring artists. The supervisor will ensure sequences are visually compelling, story-driven, and production-ready, contributing to pipeline development and presenting to clients.

Must Have

• 7-10+ years experience in previs, postvis, or animation for feature film, episodic TV, or high-end VFX projects
• Strong cinematic eye and technical skill
• Confident leader and mentor
• Expert-level proficiency in Autodesk Maya
• Strong understanding of cinematic storytelling, camera techniques, shot composition, staging, and timing
• Demonstrated ability to manage, mentor, and inspire a team under tight deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving abilities

Good to Have

• Familiarity with motion capture cleanup
• Familiarity with real-time engines (Unreal, Unity)
• Familiarity with Nuke/compositing
• Familiarity with PFTrack or similar tracking software
• Familiarity with virtual production workflows
• Familiarity with ShotGrid, Houdini, Blender, or Unreal Sequencer
• Experience with techvis or previs for complex VFX-heavy sequences
• Exposure to immersive content or game cinematics

Perks & Benefits

• Eligible contract artists may have access to certain benefits based on project length and local plan offerings

About Barnstorm

Barnstorm is an Emmy and VES-nominated visual effects studio based in Los Angeles and operations in Vancouver, Montreal, NYC, Atlanta, London, and Hyderabad. We provide photo-realistic visual effects for a variety of episodic and select sequences in feature films. We pride ourselves in our artists’ talent and dedication to producing world-class visual effects.

Who You Are

You are a creative and technically skilled visualization professional with a strong cinematic eye and at least 7-10 years of experience in previs, postvis, or animation for feature film, episodic TV, or high-end VFX projects. You thrive in collaborative, fast-paced production environments and enjoy translating storyboards, scripts, and creative notes into clear, actionable previsualizations. You are a confident leader and mentor who can guide artists, balance creative vision with production constraints, and communicate effectively with Directors, VFX Supervisors, Producers, and other departments. You embrace evolving technologies and are eager to explore new tools and workflows that enhance storytelling.

What You’ll Do

• Lead Barnstorm’s previs team on assigned projects, ensuring sequences are visually compelling, story-driven, and production-ready.
• Collaborate closely with Directors, VFX Supervisors, Production, and Editorial to interpret scripts, storyboards, and concept art into accurate previs sequences.
• Oversee scene breakdowns, camera blocking, shot composition, timing, and pacing, providing guidance to ensure clarity for production and VFX planning.
• Mentor and provide constructive feedback to previs artists, supporting their growth and ensuring high-quality output across the team.
• Coordinate with Layout, VFX, Editorial, and Postvis teams to ensure previs sequences integrate smoothly into the production pipeline.
• Manage schedules, resources, and deliverables for the previs team; identify potential bottlenecks or production risks and propose solutions proactively.
• Participate in client and internal reviews, presenting creative and technical decisions clearly and professionally.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of Barnstorm’s previs pipelines, workflows, and tools.

What You Bring

• Experience: 7-10+ years in previs, postvis, layout, or animation on feature film, episodic TV, game cinematics, or high-end VFX projects; previous supervisory or lead experience preferred.
• Creative Skills: Strong understanding of cinematic storytelling, camera techniques, shot composition, staging, and timing.
• Technical Skills: Expert-level proficiency in Autodesk Maya; familiarity with motion capture cleanup, real-time engines (Unreal, Unity), Nuke/compositing, PFTrack or similar tracking software, and virtual production workflows is a plus.
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage, mentor, and inspire a team under tight deadlines while maintaining high-quality output.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills; confident presenting to clients and coordinating across multiple departments.
• Problem-Solving: Strong critical thinking and creative problem-solving abilities; able to anticipate production challenges and propose solutions proactively.
• Adaptability: Flexible and eager to learn new tools, workflows, and emerging VFX technologies; comfortable adapting to evolving production requirements.
• Nice-to-Haves: Familiarity with ShotGrid, Houdini, Blender, or Unreal Sequencer, experience with techvis or previs for complex VFX-heavy sequences, and exposure to immersive content or game cinematics.

About This Role

This role is open to all locations. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in their country of residence and be willing to work on-site/hybrid as required by production and studio location. As this is a contract position, benefits may vary by employment status. Eligible contract artists may have access to certain benefits based on project length and local plan offerings.

Barnstorm VFX is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. We aim to recruit, support, and retain talented individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people of color, people of all genders or non-genders, and people with disabilities.

We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.