RIGGING SUPERVISOR – YES CHEF
Studio: nWave Location: Brussels, Belgium
Project: Yes Chef
Contract period: now – February 2028
Work setup: Full-time, 3 days on-site in Brussels
Languages: Fluent French and good working proficiency in English
About the project
nWave is looking for a Rigging Supervisor to join the production of Yes Chef, our upcoming 3D animated feature film. Yes Chef follows two sister cats as they take part in a high-energy baking competition. The film features a strong cast of expressive anthropomorphic animal characters, with a particular focus on appealing character design, acting and animation performance.
The role
As Rigging Supervisor, you will oversee the rigging department throughout the production, ensuring that character rigs meet the artistic and technical requirements of the project and are delivered efficiently to the Animation team. You will work closely with Production, CG Supervisor, Modeling Supervisors, Animation Director and Technical Animation Supervisor to establish and maintain an efficient rigging workflow throughout the project
Responsibilities
• Supervise and coordinate the rigging team throughout the production.
• Plan and distribute rigging tasks in collaboration with Production.
• Establish and maintain rigging standards and workflows for the project.
• Review and validate character rigs before delivery to Animation.
• Contribute to the creation of props rigs.
• Contribute hands-on to rigging production, working directly on character rigs alongside the team.
• Work closely with Character Modeling to ensure models are properly prepared for rigging.
• Collaborate with Animation to understand and address animators' needs and feedback.
• Troubleshoot technical and production issues related to rigging.
• Provide technical guidance and support to the rigging team.
• Communicate progress, potential issues and production risks to Production.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of the rigging pipeline and tools.
• Participate in relevant production and department meetings.
• Help ensure rigging deliverables are completed according to schedule and quality requirements.
Profile
• Experience working on 3D animated feature films and/or with stylized or anthropomorphic characters is a strong asset.
• Previous experience as a Rigging Supervisor, Rigging Lead or Senior Rigging Artist.
• Strong knowledge of character rigging, deformation and facial rigging workflows.
• A good understanding of the needs and constraints of animation production.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Good communication and organizational skills.
• A proactive, solution-oriented and production-minded approach.
• Fluent French and good working proficiency in English.
• Strong experience with Maya and Python
• Experience with MEL
Skills Required
- Previous experience as a Rigging Supervisor, Rigging Lead, or Senior Rigging Artist
- Strong knowledge of character rigging, deformation, and facial rigging workflows
- Understanding of animation production needs and constraints
- Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
- Good communication and organizational skills
- Proactive, solution-oriented, and production-minded approach
- Fluent French and good working proficiency in English
- Strong experience with Maya and Python
- Experience with MEL
- Experience working on 3D animated feature films and/or with stylized or anthropomorphic characters
What We Do
Created in 1994, nWave Studios is a state-of-the-art 3D animation studio based in Brussels, Belgium. nWave creates 3D stereoscopic feature films, 3D/2D large format films, and has a library of over 100 4D/3D theme park attractions and ride simulation films distributed worldwide. nWave’s first feature film, "Fly Me to the Moon 3D" (2008) represented a turning point for cinema by becoming the first ever animated movie created for 3D. With the release of "Sammy's Adventures" (2010), nWave established its position in the animated feature film business. It continued to make audiences travel from an enchanted manor to the remote shores of a desert island and all the way to the luxurious corridors of Buckingham Palace with “The House of Magic” (2013), “Robinson Crusoe” (2016) and “The Queen’s Corgi” (2019). In 2020, nWave released “Bigfoot Family”, the much anticipated sequel of the blockbuster “The Son of Bigfoot” (2017). Despite the global pandemic, Bigfoot Family was a global hit and Netflix secured the rights for its distribution in English-speaking territories. nWave then released next project, “Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness”, hitting theaters in 2022. And is currently working on "The Inseparables" for a 2023 release.
