Studio: Animal Logic
Job Opening: Senior Crowd Artist – Animated Feature Film
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Type: Full-Time
Responsibilities:
- Setup crowd assets and HDAs within the existing Houdini pipeline and test new procedures and workflows
- Create a range of efficient crowd agents (bipeds/quadrupeds and vehicles) for efficient simulation
- Work with Animation teams to identify and breakdown behaviours into cycles for artists to use
- Work closely with FX Department Supervisor and Crowd Lead to implement efficient and effective ways to fill the sets and shots with life
- Give feedback to the department TD’s to continue the development of tools and workflows associated with crowd simulation
- Build templates that are highly geared towards automation
- If required, work with the fellow artists on the show that have been assigned shot implementation to make sure the scene files are being used efficiently
- Evaluate any issues that may arise in the setup of crowd and devises efficient solutions
Qualifications & Skills:
- 3+ years’ Houdini experience on feature films, TV and/or animated feature with a focus in Houdini Crowds
- Past experience, demonstrated via reel, of feature animation crowd or effects simulation
- Strong understanding of Houdini crowd agent design & setup
- Production experience using Houdini: SOPs/DOPs essential
- Production experience using Houdini: Vex and Python knowledge desirable
- Experience building Houdini digital assets
- Solid understanding of motion and principles of rigging and animation
- Good understanding of the crowd shading and rendering procedurals
- Attention to design and artistic detail
- Ability to work solo as well as collaboratively within a team environment and when necessary to pass knowledge to other staff members
- Excellence in problem solving and balancing quick turnaround with long term quality and ability to meet deadlines with high quality output
- Strong written and verbal English language skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to efficiently organise and prioritise work across multiple areas and work under pressure
- Ability to take direction and feedback and apply this to assets or shots moving forward; anticipating the supervisors and leads preference
- What you should demonstrate in your demo reel/portfolio:
- Feature animation quality crowd or effects simulation (preferably in Houdini)
- Any digital assets and setups you’ve contributed to, created or developed yourself
- Building setups/rigs/templates geared towards automation would be useful
- A range of crowd work
