Principal VFX Artist

Insomniac is looking for our new Principal VFX Artist. In this role, the Principal VFX Artist will be responsible for blending significant industry experience, technical and artistic versatility to a variety of Real-Time VFX tasks. Paramount to the role, the Principal VFX Artist must possess the agility required to move quickly between technical and artistic challenges. In addition, the artist must leverage their experience to provide feedback, mentoring, and recommendations throughout the course of product development.

If this is the opportunity you have been looking for, please read on:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

• Leverages significant experience in the Games, CG or VFX industry to advise development teams across a variety of disciplines.
• Serves as a mentor for the art team, assisting in training while sharing techniques and workflows.
• Collaborates with the Art Directors to determine the artistic direction for new and existing properties.
• Understands the VFX needs at the project level and works with the VFX Manager and Art Directors to create a plan that fits within all budgetary constraints.
• Utilizes industry experience to provide clear recommendations on team structure, company policy, and artistic direction.
• Sets “quality targets” for new or existing properties.
• Creates pivotal content for new or existing properties.
• Provides detailed and relevant feedback across a variety of creative materials.
• Possesses a strong understanding of the capabilities and limitations of current real-time hardware and software and has experience to push the limits within those constraints.
• Be aware of the future trends to evolve the studio’s VFX tech in innovative ways.
• Identifies VFX pipeline bottlenecks and inefficiencies and works with stakeholders to improve them.
• Demonstrates expertise across a variety of artistic foundations including visual and graphic design, composition, color theory, rhythm, balance, timing, etc.
• Displays an ability to lead by example amidst artistic and technical challenges.
• Helps debug, troubleshoot and solve major technical hurdles, especially those pertaining to graphics and performance.
• Ability to quickly adapt to a diverse selection of styles and sensibilities.
• Possesses a proven track record of dependability, consistency, and high-quality work on big budget AAA projects.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This job has no supervisory responsibilities

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Computer Skills:

• Advanced level in Houdini and Maya: expert understanding of these DCC visual effects packages, competent working with joints and locators, animation/keyframing, rigid-body and fluid simulations, materials, shaders, lighting and rendering.
• 3d modeling and procedural modeling/UV’ing skills are a must.
• Strong knowledge and experience with modern game engines/editors such as Unreal, Unity, proprietary, etc.
• Proficient with real-time particle-editors and VFX systems such as Unreal’s Niagara, PopcornFX, etc.
• Advance understanding of complex node-based shader networks such as those used in Unreal, Unity, etc.
• Familiarity with game scripting and/or node-based systems (e.g. Unreal Blueprint, etc).
• Have strong grasp of technical scripting, programming and expressions pertaining to DCC and graphics: e.g. MEL, Python, Houdini VEX, HLSL Shaders, etc.
• Proficient in Photoshop for painting and editing textures.
• Strong knowledge of procedural texture generation software (e.g. Substance Designer, Filter-Forge, After-Effects, etc).
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledge of other visual effects or CG software a plus (e.g. Blender, Nuke, etc).

We look forward to hearing from you. Please use the link below and apply. Thank you!

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At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. 

Base pay is one component of our total compensation package. Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location, as well as additional compensation components, such as annual bonus, profit sharing, and other incentive plans.

In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.

Profit Sharing (PSS Only)

$170,100 - $255,100 USD