Overview

Sony Pictures Imageworks is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. We are committed to respecting traditional lands, and working with communities towards reconciliation.

Sony Pictures Imageworks Canada Inc.
725 Granville Street, 5th Floor
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V7K 1Y4

Language in work environment – English

Benefits per company policy: include healthcare, tuition reimbursement, RRSP’s, Sick and Vacation leave, standard increases as applicable

Sony Pictures Imageworks has an exciting opportunity for an Environments Supervisor to join our team at our Vancouver studio!As an Environments Supervisor, you will lead all aspects of the creation of a diverse range of highly detailed 3D and matte painted environments for VFX and Animated projects.

Responsibilities:

Collaborate with Show leadership to achieve the creative vision of the client and the technical requirements of the Show.Supervise a team of environment artists and TDs to create complete, render-ready 3D environment assets for downstream consumption by lighting teams.
Supervise a team of matte painters to create rendered 2.5d backgrounds/set extensions for downstream consumption by compositing teams.
Participate directly in the creation of environment assets and matte paintings, establishing and modeling standard processes as you do so.
Run team creative reviews and represent your team in internal and client creative reviews. Ensure feedback from reviews is appropriately addressed.
Work with Show leadership to assess crew needs for your team, and collaborate with department leadership, Artist Management and Recruiting to help find staffing solutions.
Bid out asset creation and shot costs, assess the cost implications of client requests, and work out solutions in collaboration with Show leadership.
Collaborate closely with Show leadership and your peer supervisors in Layout, FX and Lighting to ensure that Environment asset deliverables are efficient, technically sound for consumption downstream, and delivered on time.
Collaborate closely with the Head of Environments, the departmental Workflow TD, and the Dev group in the ongoing development of Environments tools, pipelines and workflows for both your show and the studio as a whole.
Conduct show post-mortems, develop & integrate solutions to the problems identified in them, and communicate their findings to all show, department and studio team members.
Set the creative and technical expectations for the team, and see them through via consistent constructive feedback, recognition, and accountability.
Model and champion a culture of professional excellence based on trust, candour and respect.
In partnership with show creative leadership and management, department leadership and artist management, encourage and motivate the team and take ownership for its tone and morale.
Proactively engage in ongoing mentoring, training and other initiatives to support the professional growth of all members of the Environments department.
Build an inclusive and safe work environment by carefully handling sensitive information, encouraging everyone to have a voice, and addressing bias when it occurs.
Develop collegial partnerships with peer supervisors to find solutions and compromises for technical and creative challenges.
Provide regular updates to Show, Department and Studio leadership on the progress, health, and direction of the team.
Model transparency to your team by keeping them well-informed of all news and updates from the Show, Department and Studio.

Qualifications:

Minimum 7 years experience creating environments on high-end vfx and/or animated projects.
Prior experience as an Environment, Matte Painting or Set Extension Supervisor or similar role.
Bachelor’s degree or higher in Art, Illustration, Architecture, Design, Computer Graphics, or equivalent.
Skill and experience in a broad mix of the following areas is desired:
Traditional drawing, painting, design and/or sculptureConcept design
Modeling & UVing (esp. hard surface, landscape & foliage)
Texture painting and mapping
Look development and shading
Dressing & scattering of 3d environments
Lighting, rendering
Compositing
Photogrammetry and/or Neural Radiance Field capture and processing
Linux experience
Python scripting
Bidding and budgeting
Expertise in the use of Houdini as an environment generalist is essential.
Familiarity with VEX & HScript needed
Familiarity with Python a bonus
Hands-on production experience with a broad mix of other applications is
desired:
– Nuke
– Katana
– Photoshop
– Arnold
– Speedtree
– Maya, Max, Modo or similar
– Gaea, Terragen, World Machine or similar
– City Engine
– ZBrush, Mudbox or similar
– Substance Designer
– Substance Painter or Mari
– Shotgrid or similar

Preferred Skills:

Prior experience on both Animation and live action VFX projects.
Experience with USD-based pipelines
Experience with Unreal Engine
Experience with Virtual Production workflows
Experience with location/on-set photography and data capture for environments
Highly organized, able to efficiently handle the workload of yourself and your team.
A highly proactive problem-solver, anticipating potential roadblocks and addressing them before they occur.
An excellent communicator, able to interpret creative notes and convey them to artists with sensitivity and clarity.
A natural teacher, always looking to help and mentor others.

A willingness to detail processes and practices and contribute to the creation and delivery of training materials.
Unwilling to rest on your laurels, always learning new skills and techniques.
A natural collaborator, proactively contacting other departments to find solutions.
Very calm under pressure, always maintaining the morale and momentum of your team.
Please note that you must be able to provide a demo reel that illustrates your relevant artistic and technical experience that also includes the nuances for this specific role.

We value unique perspectives, and want diverse, unique talent to work with us. We encourage candidates from all identities to apply.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics