Rigging Artist

About the Company:

AGBO is an artist-led Academy Award-Winning independent studio focused on developing and producing innovative story universes spanning film, TV, and digital platforms. Founded in 2017 by award-winning and record-breaking directors Anthony and Joe Russo, AGBO’s mission is to inspire and advance the next generation of storytelling to entertain and influence worldwide audiences. AGBOs recent productions include “Everything Everywhere All At Once”, Amazon series “Citadel”, Netflix’s “The Gray Man”, “Extraction”, “Extraction 2”, and “The Electric State”.

About the Position:

AGBO is seeking a talented Rigging Artist to join our Visual Effects (VFX) team. The Rigging Artist is responsible for designing and creating complex character and creature rigs and pipeline for use in various projects. They collaborate closely with animators, modelers, and other team members to ensure that characters and creatures move realistically and convincingly within the context of the project.

This is an Expression of Interest role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work with department heads to design and build sophisticated character and creature rigs using industry-standard software like Autodesk Maya, Houdini, Blender, or similar tools. This may include creating skeletons, muscle systems, deformations, and control setups.
• Prepare characters for animation by setting up skinning and weighting to ensure that the mesh deforms correctly as the character moves.
• Develop facial rigs that allow animators to create expressive facial animations, including lip-syncing, blinking, and emotive expressions.
• Implement realistic body mechanics in rigs, such as joint limitations, muscle simulations, and secondary animations like cloth and hair.
• Write scripts and use automation tools to streamline rigging processes and improve efficiency.
• Troubleshoot rigging issues and provide creative solutions to technical challenges that may arise during the animation process.
• Collaborate closely with animators, modelers, and other team members to ensure rigs meet the artistic and technical requirements of the project.
• Maintain detailed documentation and guidelines for the rigs to facilitate smooth handovers to animators and other team members.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior rigging artists, sharing best practices and helping them develop their skills.
• Keep up-to-date with industry trends, tools, and techniques related to rigging and animation to ensure the team's work remains at the cutting edge of the field.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Animation, Computer Graphics, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of proven experience as a Rigging Artist in the animation or VFX industry, with a strong portfolio showcasing your rigging work.
• Proficiency in industry-standard 3D software, such as Maya or Blender.
• Solid understanding of anatomy, kinematics, and character movement.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work creatively within technical constraints.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Leadership abilities and experience in mentoring junior artists is a plus
• Metahuman experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with scripting languages like Python for automation is a bonus.

Additional Information:

• This is a temporary position with the possibility of extension based on project needs.
• This is an Expression of Interest role. You will be contacted once an opportunity becomes available.
• Remote candidates may be considered; however, preference will be given to those who can work in Los Angeles.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for sponsorship.
• Please submit a portfolio or demo reel for consideration.