Assistant Technical Director (ATD) / Tech Check Artist
DIGIC Pictures has been making 3D animated films for more than twenty years. We are a world-renowned animation studio creating high-impact trailers and cinematics for games, films, and commercials. We have won numerous prestigious awards and created short films for world-renowned brands such as Call of Duty, Netflix's Love, Death & Robots and Amazon's Secret Level series. Our team is currently working on several high-profile projects, including the animated film series based on the world-famous card game Magic: The Gathering for Netflix.
Please note that DIGIC can only work with freelancers who are registered as sole proprietors/entrepreneurs or as self-employed professionals.
Responsibilities
Core Mission
The ATD executes strict data transfer protocols for the CADIZ production. Operating as the technical bridge between Assets, Animation, CFX, FX, and Lighting, the ATD manually audits handoffs and mitigates upstream errors. The primary directive is to intercept broken shots and ensure Lighting receives only render-ready assets.
Main Tasks
- Data Validation: Audit and verify data at all departmental handoffs. Intercept incomplete or broken data before it reaches Lighting. Confirm material application to geometry, groom integrity, and CFX cache attachment.
- Issue Triage & Reporting: Identify upstream data errors. Escalate recurring artist errors or knowledge gaps to the Lead ATD to trigger training interventions.
- Pipeline Support: Execute manual Quality Check (QC) protocols on high-volume shot output. Log precise, actionable defect tickets for pipeline bugs.
- Render Farm Monitoring: Monitor assigned division render queues. Troubleshoot standard render failures, optimize local node allocation, and escalate infrastructure bottlenecks to the Lead ATD.
Main Performance Indicators (for success)
- Data Integrity: Zero broken assets, missing materials, or detached caches bypassing QC into the Lighting department.
- Triage Accuracy: Precise, factual, and actionable logging of upstream data errors.
- Render Efficiency: Minimal downtime in assigned render queues due to unaddressed standard render failures.
Essential skills
Professional Skills & Interfaces
- Cross-Departmental Support: Interfaces directly with upstream artists to request necessary data fixes or file repubs.
- Communication: Factual and precise communication. Capable of logging clear error reports and following strict pipeline standards without deviation.
Desirable skills
- Able to direct and develop a team of technical specialists, delegate ownership, hold a quality bar and resolve conflict without escalating friction into production.
- Interfaces daily with CG Supervisors, Heads of Departments, Production, CG Technology and Render Farm Ops. Able to say no with a reason, offer alternatives, and hold a defensible priority order under pressure.
- Precise technical communication with developers, and plain, non-technical communication with artists, producers and executives. Able to present a roadmap and justify it.
- Comfortable making architectural decisions with incomplete information, distinguishing a temporary production fix from a permanent solution, and scheduling the repayment of the difference.
What we offer
You’ll be part of a forward-looking leadership team shaping how our long-form animation division delivers excellence - creatively, operationally, and culturally. This is an opportunity to make a tangible impact while leading a talented team at the forefront of our industry.
- The chance to work on a high-profile projects
- An inspiring professional environment with world-class productions
- Remote work - but working onsite in the office is must at least once a week
- A full-time employment in Hungary or a freelance contract within a European time zone
- A supportive, open-minded team