VFX Animation Technical Director (TD)
All applicants must be residents of British Columbia, Canada.
Must be legally entitled to work in Canada ie. Citizen, PR, Open Work Permit.
At this time, we’re pleased to offer this role as an option to work from home OR work from our Vancouver studio in the beautiful Gastown area, close to the Waterfront Station in Downtown. (Remote is not available outside of BC; there is no hybrid)
About Zoic
Zoic Studios is a Visual Effects company that specializes in high end visual effects for television, film, and advertising. Our mantra is Visual Evolution - we focus on every part of the process, from the final picture to the pipeline used to create them.
Are you looking for your next creative and technical challenge? Come join our team!
Why Join Zoic?
- We are an Artist owned and operated VFX studio.
- We love what we do and always stay curious about new technology and techniques.
- We respect work/life balance in a hectic industry.
- We work with a team from all walks of life and backgrounds.
We are excited to share an incredible stop-motion animated feature project that promises creativity, collaboration, and a fantastic chance to showcase your skills!
Summary of Position
The VFX Animation TD is responsible for working with VFX leadership to provide support and development for the VFX animation team, in our USD-based pipeline. This position will design, develop, and support novel tools to improve animation workflows, assist animators in scene casting and updating, and investigate potential issues encountered by artists.
Job Functions
- Support a large team of animators working on complex content in Maya, leveraging Maya-USD and a host of custom software.
- Collaborate with other Animation TDs to design, develop, and support new tools that empower animators to execute complex shots efficiently.
- Collaborate with VFX TDs to facilitate clean handoff of animation content downstream.
- Support animators with technical tasks including scene casting, updating, and publishing.
- Diagnose and fix problems that may arise in a USD-based pipeline including composition quirks, compatibility issues, etc.
- Diagnose and fix asset management related issues, as needed.
- Support the team through documentation and training.
- Author and maintain thorough test suites to complement tools development.
Qualifications
- 4+ years' experience as a TD developing and supporting feature animation and/or VFX pipelines.
- Solid foundation in software design and development with an emphasis on VFX.
- Expertise with Maya's Python APIs required; knowledge of Maya's C++ API, a plus.
- Expertise with Python's standard library, along with industry standard APIs such as Pyside2/PyQt.
- Experience with one or more additional DCCs including Nuke, Houdini, and Katana, a plus.
- Experience with USD debugging and development, preferred.
- Experience with Version Control Systems, specifically Git and Gitlab or Github, preferred.
- Experience developing on Linux, preferred
Additional information
- British Columbia Employees Pay Range: $45 - $65 (The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location of the position)
- Zoic does not cover relocation costs.
- Any and WFH remote positions require the candidate to have a reliable internet connection via ethernet and be located in BC, working on Pacific Standard Time.
- This job description contains the basic requirements for the position and is NOT intended to be a complete list of responsibilities; other duties may be assigned.
- Due to the volume of applications, we receive, we regret that only those selected to interview will be contacted.
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What We Do
"Visual Evolution" is our mission-to evolve the story, art, and technology of the moving image, and through this evolution, broaden the audience for moving images. Partnership, integrity, and enthusiasm are the key founding principles at Zoic. Our projects are born in think tanks, where every idea has value and potential. Good ideas are fleshed out, and a plan for achieving a visual representation of the idea is set early in the creative process. During production we remain accountable to our word and, as changes occur, we change together. We believe that partnerships that remain intact finish with integrity. Most importantly, we love what we do. Zoic is a company of accomplished artists and producers who understand story, process, and relationships. Our team has a proven record of success. They are masters in their fields of 3D, Compositing, and Production Management. Their reputations, in turn, attract additional talent and encourage a strong work ethic. We have built a digital infrastructure, which is flexible and strong to support the staff. It is a "liquid" pipeline, designed by our team for rapid expansion and contraction. It is resolution- independent and changeable based on project needs. Leading visual technology firms provide additional support and insight to the latest methods. We work with these partners as we do with our creative partners: by promoting visual evolution as fast as technology allows. What we do can seem complex and foreign--even incomprehensible. It is our intention to educate and encourage others to embrace this change and together create something new.
