Overview

ABOUT IMAGE ENGINE
Based in Vancouver BC, we are a world-class visual effects studio led by a team of creative and passionate individuals who are committed to furthering the art of visual storytelling, and helping our exceptionally talented crew to push the boundaries of artistic and technical achievement.

Well known for our Academy Award Nominated work on Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, we have gone on to create numerous incredible creatures, epic environments and extraordinary digital effects for a broad range of feature films including; Zero Dark Thirty, Jurassic World, Game of Thrones, and Independence Day Resurgence.

We can do this because we place awesome new tools in the hands of our artists. R&D is central to our philosophy of driving creativity through innovation, with a focus on continually evolving our robust production pipelines and pioneering in the area of proprietary software development

POSITION PURPOSE
The Mid Rigger is responsible for delivering high quality assets across multiple shows in a quick and efficient manner. They will apply notes provided by the Asset Supervisors/Rigging Leads. They will manage their time effectively to ensure tasks are completed within the assigned timeframe and to the specifications requested by Image Engine clients. They will identify and troubleshoot problems as needed and will ask for assistance when necessary to ensure effective use of time and resources.

They will begin quality checking their own work and assisting Senior artists to develop new concepts and approaches to improve work quality. They will participate in all team meetings when necessary.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Process requests from pipeline departments
Use time management skills to schedule meetings and tasks effectively
Manage time and resources to meet weekly targets
Construct 3D character rigs and animation interfaces and controls for assigned characters
Create and maintains motion controls including skeleton and body animation, body deformations, tight clothing and wrinkles, facial animation, facial deformations, skin and hair set up and dynamics
Support characters throughout all phases of production to ensure animators have tools to meet the Director’s vision
Work within the defined pipeline Work with Rigging team, as required, to maintain continuity; as well as, support other departments (Animation, Modeling etc) to ensure information is communicated up and down the pipeline
Provide input regarding existing tools and interfaces for Rigging pipeline and provide solutions for technical problems that may arise in an asset/ shot
Write utility scripts to help other riggers, animators and pipeline developers
Produce the highest quality work possible within a given amount of time
Work closely with the other departments in the asset team
Promote interdepartmental collaboration
Ensure all email correspondence and scheduling is up to date, responding to emails in a timely manner
Mentor and help train Jr Riggers
Participate in meetings and asset reviews
Utilize multitasking ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
3+ years’ experience creating high quality rigs for visual effects for film
Proficiency in creating photo-realistic hard surface assets
Thorough understanding of traditional art skills (Form, architecture, topology, color theory, and UV mapping)
Strong understanding of human anatomy
Strong understanding of some animal anatomies (dogs, birds, etc) and a desire to learn more depending on the requirements of the project

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Technical skills
Experience in MEL / Python / C++/PERL scripting (python preferred)
Understanding of the Maya rigging tool sets
Experience with Houdini is also appreciated
Experience with LINUX/UNIX
Ability to come up with creative and efficient rendering solutions

Core skills
Ability to provide Leads with estimate of time of task completion to support Supervisor in the bidding process
Ability to troubleshoot and deal with competing priorities
Ability to take direction positively, work well within a diverse group, and thrive under the pressure of tight production deadlines
Ability to adapt quickly to new technologies and applications
Ability to complete quality control on individual work
Excellent time management and communication skills
A strong understanding of Animator requirements
Eye for detail