Senior Houdini FX Artist

The Senior Houdini FX Artist is responsible for developing complex FX setups and simulations, supporting the FX team with technical troubleshooting, mentoring, and look development. Key duties include delivering high-complexity FX work, defining visual styles, collaborating with other departments, ensuring technical efficiency and quality, mentoring junior artists, and maintaining scene hygiene. The role requires expertise in Houdini, strong technical skills in simulation and rendering, and proficiency in various 3D software and scripting.

Must Have

• Deliver high-complexity FX setups across shots and sequences.
• Define FX visual style and iterate quickly based on feedback.
• Liaise with lighting, comp, layout, and CFX.
• Ensure setups are efficient, consistent, scalable, and pipeline-friendly.
• Set the standard for quality and problem-solving in the FX team.
• Expert in Houdini pyro, destruction, particles, Vellum, and other solvers.
• Strong technical skill in simulation control, caching, and proceduralism.
• Proficient in rendering and preparing FX for lighting and comp.
• Maya, Houdini, Nuke experience is a must.

Good to Have

• Experience with USD FX publishing or referencing.
• VEX scripting or Python for custom tools and setups.
• Understanding of FX-driven workflows in creature or environment scenes.
• Proficient in Maya, ZBrush, Mari, Substance Painter, and Arnold or equivalent.
• Solid understanding of modeling, UVs, texturing, and shading.
• Working knowledge of rendering, lighting, and asset publishing.
• Familiarity with USD workflows.
• Basic scripting or tool awareness.

Description

The Senior Houdini FX Artist is responsible for developing complex FX setups and simulations while supporting the FX team with technical troubleshooting, mentoring, and look development.

Requirements

Duties:

• Hero FX Work: Deliver high-complexity FX setups across shots and sequences.
• Lookdev: Ability to understand the brief and define FX visual style and iterate quickly based on feedback.
• Collaboration: Liaise with lighting, comp, layout, and CFX to align FX with shot needs.
• Technical Oversight: Ensure setups are efficient, consistent, scalable, and pipeline-friendly. Deliver visually impactful and technically sound FX at scale.
• Quality: Set the standard for quality and problem-solving in the FX team.
• Mentorship: Provide support and review feedback for mid and junior artists. Support the team in elevating both output and efficiency.
• Scene Hygiene: Maintain clean networks, version control, and caching standards.
• Communication: Keep the team updated on progress and flag blockers early.
• Feedback: Be open to feedback and work iteratively to reach final quality.
• Problem-Solving: Strong technical ability to debug scene/cache issues such as simulation behaviour, collision or attributes.
• Workflow Contribution: Share techniques and suggest pipeline or tool improvements.

Skills, attributes and experience:

• Expert in Houdini pyro, destruction, particles, Vellum, and other solvers.
• Strong technical skill in simulation control, caching, and proceduralism.
• Proficient in rendering and preparing FX for lighting and comp.
• Experience with USD FX publishing or referencing.
• VEX scripting or Python for custom tools and setups.
• Understanding of FX-driven workflows in creature or environment scenes.
• Proficient in Maya, ZBrush, Mari, Substance Painter, and Arnold or equivalent.
• Solid understanding of modeling, UVs, texturing, and shading.
• Working knowledge of rendering, lighting, and asset publishing.
• Familiarity with USD workflows.
• Maya, Houdini, Nuke experience is a must.
• Basic scripting or tool awareness.
• Excellent communicator, sharing information clearly and actively listening.