OVERVIEW
Working collaboratively with Production, Supervisors, and Department Heads, a Lead CFX Artist will manage all creative discussions and decisions pertaining to the creation of world class photoreal character effects.
A Lead CFX Artist is a key creative and technical leader, overseeing allocated projects through the CFX department. You are an excellent communicator, and are responsible for determining the creative technical approach and the resources needed to achieve the desired creative look for specific projects. You are also responsible for developing the pipeline and identifying processes and procedures to improve the workflow.
In addition to your leadership role, you will be responsible for developing simulation setups for photo-realistic creatures, including: clothing, fur, hair, feathers, muscle, and skin. In this position, you will work closely with CG Supervisors, VFX Supervisors, and the Creature Supervisor to determine the best creative approaches and techniques for your task. Additionally, you will work closely with Creature Artists, Rigging Artists, and Lookdev Artists to efficiently hand off assets and shots through the pipeline and maintain the highest creative quality possible. As a Lead CFX artist, you will participate in developing tools and efficiencies for cloth and hair simulation and muscle systems in Houdini.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Set up and supervise hair/fur simulations in Houdini.
Set up and supervise cloth simulations in Houdini.
Set up and supervise groom simulations in Houdini.
Build and manage muscle/skin systems using the Houdini Muscle system.
Work with Houdini forces, constraints, collisions, and solvers.
Manipulate curves and mesh data procedurally.
Defining, documenting, and communicating best practices and techniques for fur/hair/cloth/muscle development.
Debug unstable sims and optimize setups for production.
Ensure CFX setups are scalable and shot-friendly.
Suggesting and participating in department initiatives with creative supervisors, and the pipeline team to ensure initiatives are met.
Work closely with Groom, Rigging, Creature and Lookdev to achieve the desired creative look.
Ensure clean data flow between Maya and Houdini.
Support tool development with the pipeline team when needed.
Mentor mid and junior CFX artists.
DEPARTMENT OVERSIGHT
Advise VFX Supervisors and department supervisors on best practices (to keep bids competitive and minimize unnecessary production needs and labour)
Prepare and document workflows and best practices, organizing them to be readily accessible to staff
Cultivate a team-oriented approach across the department and project, as well as the company as a whole
Participate in hiring, performance reviews and growth plans for the CFX Department
Collaborate with CG Supervisors, Department Heads, and Leads to evaluate and determine opportunities for quality improvements including long term strategies and pipeline development.
Provide training and creative and technical support to the rest of the CFX team
Provide creative and technical feedback to artists working on your allocated projects
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum of 4 years of experience
Ability to troubleshoot and solve problems independently
Good communication skills to be able to liaise between team members and other departments
Previous experience on CG characters/creature projects
Good knowledge of anatomy and understanding of skeletal and muscle mechanics
Excellent knowledge of Houdini
Experience working with Houdini’s Hair system
Strong understanding of Vellum, forces, constraints, SOP geometry manipulation, cloth, hair/fur, feathers, skin and muscle system.
Strong understanding of geometry attributes and procedural workflows.
Experience with Houdini muscles or other muscle systems
Experience working with HDA’s is a plus
Experience with any of the following renderers is a plus: Renderman, Karma, and/or Arnold.
Experience with Shot sculpt using Mush3D is a plus
The salary range for this position is $80,000 to $120,000 CAD per year, based on experience, skills, and qualifications.
We are an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection processes in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). We welcome applications from all qualified individuals. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates participating in all aspects of the recruitment process. Please inform us of any accommodation needs.
This posting is to build a candidate pipeline for future opportunities. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.