FX TD - Lead

Position: FX - Lead

Hiring Range: $135,000 to $145,000/year for a 40 hour work week

Project Contract: As soon as possible

Company Benefits: Extended healthcare from day 1, premiums 100% covered by Image Engine, up to 8 paid Health and Wellness days per year.

*Candidates are required to be based in British Columbia and eligible to work in Canada*

ABOUT IMAGE ENGINE

Image Engine is a world-class VFX studio based in Vancouver, BC, that has built a reputation for excellence in the visual effects industry since 1995. We specialize in crafting stunning visual effects for feature films and television with an award-winning portfolio that includes The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, Game Of Thrones, Lost in Space, Jurassic World, and District 9.

We offer a full range of visual effects services, from concept designs and pre-visualization to CG animation, compositing, and explosive volumetric digital effects. Our crew is passionate about storytelling and pushing the artistic and technical boundaries to deliver the highest quality work on every project. R&D is central to our philosophy of driving creativity through innovation and we're committed to continually evolving our robust production pipelines.

At Image Engine, we value diversity and teamwork, and we're proud to foster a workplace culture that is supportive, respectful, and empowering. We believe that our success is a reflection of our exceptionally talented team, and we're always looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join us on our mission to create unforgettable visual experiences. Join our team and be part of something extraordinary.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Lead FX TD will be the main support line for all FX artists on a show. They will help ramp and prep the tools creating a good foundation. They will be required to maintain in house tools for department handoff. A large portion of a Lead FX TD’s time will include managing artist tasks, working closely with the VFX and CG Supervisors, as well as communicating schedules and concerns to the FX production team.

The Lead FX TD will help identify areas for improvement. They will work with R&D and pipeline to help improve workflow processes. They will also contribute to the overall operation and improvement of the FX TD team by setting and maintaining department standards. This will include, but will not be limited to advising on FX TD best practices, engaging in cross-department communication, flagging/providing solutions to critical issues, and documentation. 

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assessing a shows methodology and artist requirements for the FX department 
• Report to the Head of Department (HOD) for facility tasks, FX pipeline improvements,show requirement and progress updates
• Report to CG supervisor for assigned show tasks, working with HOD to ensure tasks align with studio standards
• Define and enforce standards and working practices within the FX team across all projects
• Responsible for achieving high quality work within the time constraints given
• Review scope of work and assign tasks based on artist skills/abilities
• Attend rounds, dailies, reviews, one to one and team meetings as required
• Provide guidance on how to best achieve a certain effect within the available show pipeline
• Provide performance reviews, daily feedback, and mentoring
• Estimate the time required for tasks and provide accurate progress reports
• Work closely with production coordinators to manage the show schedule for the team and to ensure delivery targets are met
• Work closely with VFX and CG supervisors to achieve the client FX brief within the constraints of the show
• Work closely with R&D to spec new tools, facilitate testing, integration and provide timely input for ongoing development projects
• Work with up and downstream depts to optimize data flow and achieve targets
• Identify and archive outstanding work on a show that may be reused for future projects 
• Assist with FX breakdowns at the end of a show

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 4 years of feature film/TV production experience as an FX artist in Houdini (internal candidate )

or 

• Minimum 1 year  experience as an FX Lead and 4 years of feature film/TV production experience as an FX artist in Houdini (external candidate)

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Key Technical Skills

• Excellent knowledge and demonstrated work experience in Houdini
• Excellent knowledge of creating HDA’s in Houdini and providing user support 
• Strong knowledge of VEX and Hscript.
• Strong knowledge of Arnold (preferred) and or another 3D Renderer 
• Strong knowledge of common data formats ( e.g. VDB, Alembic etc )
• Strong knowledge of compositing
• Working knowledge of Nuke

Communication Skills

• Excellent understanding and communication of image composition and creative story points
• The ability to work alongside, communicate with, and understand the requirements of all departments
• Excellent time management and communication skills
• Capable of liaising with production managers and coordinators to effectively schedule tasks amongst the team

Core Skills

• Able to troubleshoot and deal with competing priorities
• Excellent time management and communication skills
• Excellent eye for detail and quality control of FX elements (smoke,fire,destruction etc)
• The ability to work alongside, communicate with, and understand the requirements of all departments
• Assist with bids and scheduling
• Capable of managing a team of artists; setting expectations, and managing their time
• Strong leadership skills

Desirable skills and education

• Higher education in related fields 

• Strong knowledge of Gaffer or other node based rendering application
• Strong Python scripting
• Linux / Unix scripting
• Thorough knowledge of Maya
• Experience with other solvers and simulation tools (e.g. Naiad, realflow, Bullet, Blastcode, etc) 
• Knowledge of HDK