VAD (Virtual Art Dept) Artist

Wētā FX is seeking a VAD (Virtual Art Dept) Artist, a Maya 3D Generalist with strong modelling, texturing, and layout skills, competent in lighting concepts. This role involves delivering high-quality, efficient, accurate, flexible assets for real-time rendering within fast turnarounds. The artist will collaborate closely with various departments to build a usable, real-time virtual world for film visualization, contributing to a diverse and learning-focused team in Wellington, New Zealand.

Must Have

• Oversee and support VAD team members
• Represent VAD team at show dailies and meetings
• Provide real-time assets using appropriate methodologies
• Guide and support artists of varying skill levels
• Assist with work scheduling for shows and departments
• Communicate effectively with artists, supervisors, and production
• Balance multiple shows, monitoring quality and productivity
• Demonstrate organic and hard surface models with clean topology in a reel
• Possess quick and efficient UV & texture skills (Mari, Photoshop, Quixel, Substance)
• Work under pressure, meet tight deadlines, and address feedback quickly
• Experience with Game Engines (Unreal or Unity)
• 6+ years professional experience in games, VR, VFX, or commercial industries using Maya 3D
• Thorough research skills: interpret architectural plans, scan data, understand scale
• Flexible, adaptable to change, open to compromise and critique
• Team modeling ability, provide constructive feedback, quality check work
• Take initiative and work effectively independently

Good to Have

• Excellent communication skills
• Interdisciplinary thinking
• Ability to effectively collaborate with the team

Perks & Benefits

• Diverse and inclusive environment
• Welcoming, respected, supported, and appreciated crew
• High-quality work environment
• Valuing open minds and encouraging authenticity
• Discrimination-free recruitment process

is seeking expressions of interest for strong generalist/modeller/texture artists to join our Virtual Art team.

The Virtual Art Department is one of only a few of its kind in the world. Our small and talented team of generalists deliver real-time assets for Mocap, Previs and Animation using the unique proprietary pipeline and contribute to the successful delivery of shows. In VAD we value our diverse culture and professional backgrounds, and we encourage an atmosphere of learning and teamwork.

Collaboration, efficiency and learning are our core values. Our mission statement is “Working closely with Art, Animation, Layout, Mocap and Onset to build a usable, real-time virtual world for the director to visualize the creative process of film making.”

This role is for a Maya 3D Generalist with strong modelling, texturing and layout skills who is also competent in lighting concepts. You’ll be providing high quality, efficient, accurate, flexible assets for real-time rendering, within a fast turnaround.

To thrive in this role, you’ll have excellent communication skills and interdisciplinary thinking and you'll understand how to effectively collaborate with the team to achieve the best outcome possible.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Conducting regularly scheduled rounds, overseeing and supporting VAD on your team
• Representing the VAD team at meetings such as show dailies etc.
• Adopting appropriate methodologies to provide assets for Real-time
• Motivating and providing effective guidance, experience and support to artists at varying skill levels
• Assisting Show and Dept Supervision/Management when scheduling work
• Effectively communicating with artists, supervisors and Production daily to raise concerns and discuss potential solutions
• Balancing and maintaining an overview across multiple shows while monitoring quality and productivity

We are looking for artists with the following attributes:

• A reel demonstrating a wide range of organic and hard surface models with clean and efficient topology (preferably with wireframe stills)
• Quick & efficient UV & texture skills for texturing assets using Mari, Photoshop, Quixel, Substance Painter/Designer
• Be able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines, taking direction and addressing written and verbal notes with quick turnarounds
• Experience with Game Engines (Unreal or Unity)
• Professional applicable experience in games, VR, VFX/commercial related industries (6+ years) of Maya 3d
• Thorough research skills - you’ll be able to interpret architectural plans and scan data, with a strong understanding of scale, so that what is built is accurate to the real world
• Flexibility to perform in a constantly changing work environment, able to compromise and take critique well
• The ability to model as part of a team, provide constructive feedback, work to a high standard and quality check your own and other's work
• The ability to take initiative and work effectively under own direction

we celebrate our diversity and believe in creating an environment where all our crew feel welcomed, respected, supported and appreciated. We define ourselves by the quality of our work, and we’re striving to build a workplace experience that’s second to none. Here we value open minds and encourage our crew to be themselves.

We aim to provide a discrimination-free experience, beginning from the moment you apply for a role with us. If there is anything we can do to make the recruitment process easier, please let us know at recruitment@wetafx.co.nz.

If this sounds like you, please apply without delay!