This position has been filled
Overview
Waterproof Studios is looking for Lead Rigger with a preference for Vancouver based candidates. Our riggers will work with our directors and animation supervisors to bring our characters to life. We have a range of projects from In-Game Cinematics to Pre-Rendered Trailers and VFX creature work.
The Lead Rigger must assume responsibility for delivering assigned Rigging work, and more specifically:
- Sets up rigs for optimal performance and efficient animation output while collaborating closely with Design, Modelling and Animation departments.
- Must have extensive articulation and deformation skills.
- Must have motion capture production experience, he/she must establish the technical requirements of how a motion capture rig can be used to create the template to generate animation.
- Devises and innovates methods of working with skeletons, modelling geometry and weighting that meet the project’s creative objectives.
- Build and/or integrate face shapes, muscle simulations, cloth simulations, dynamics and hair.
- Collaborates with the animation team in the testing of characters and provides timely solutions to any technical or performance related issues.
- Responsible for evaluating any issues that may arise in the rigging and enveloping of creatures and devises efficient solutions.
- Collaborates with FX and Character FX to provide them with information needed to integrate characters and digital effects.
- Assists in the development of a creature pipeline for film, TV and game productions.
- Develops and maintains leading-edge proprietary tools/plugins/scripts to improve the rigging process.
- Research new techniques and tools.
- Maintains contacts with academia/industry to keep current on new research and recent developments.
- Lead rigging team to ensure schedules are met.
- Create and maintain documentations for tools and processes.
- Also responsible for a range of 3D tasks, including modelling, animation, texturing, lighting and rendering when required.
- Able to take direction and constructive criticism from the Supervisors and feedback from the Directors.
Required Qualifications
Education/Experience:
- Diploma in fine arts or animation or equivalent experience is required.
- Honours Degree in Computing Animation, Computing Science, or related disciplines.
- 2-5 years of experience working in a professional environment within their discipline preferred however not required.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
- 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.
- In-depth knowledge of geometry creation, weighting and skeleton rigging.
- In-depth knowledge of animation principles and practice.
- Experience in both cartoon and realistic creatures and characters.
- Production knowledge of Maya, Mel and Python required.
- Thorough knowledge of procedural and object-oriented programming languages.
- Ability to create script in Mel or Python allowing for automation of specific tasks.
- Strong artistic skills; demonstrable ability to make creative and aesthetic judgement calls.
- Thorough knowledge of CG Feature Animation.
- Traditional arts background as well as technical.
- Evaluates and recommends relevant external plugins/scripts.
- Experience in dynamics, hair and cloth.
- Experience in modelling, animation, texturing, lighting and rendering.
- Experience in motion capture tools, including data cleaning, characterization , retargeting and using optical data.
- Clean up and retarget motion capture data, removing jitter and adding key-frame animation while retaining the original essence of the movement.
- Ability to communicate and/or demonstrate ideas clearly and concisely both verbally and visually. Practices attentive and active listening. Incorporates feedback and direction received from the Lead, Supervisor and/or Studio CG Supervisor.
- Ability to mentor and train. Open to and encourages feedback and new initiatives. Shares information and techniques with team members.
- Adaptable to change, he/she can alter course of action quickly per production needs. Solid work ethic and positive attitude. Ability to work under pressure. Self-motivated and pro-active. Consistently strives to expand knowledge base.
- Makes decisions in a timely manner. Accepts accountability for own actions. Creatively solves problems, eliminates road blocks and focuses on issue at hand.
- Efficient and detail oriented.
- Strong problem solving skills and ability to work collaboratively.
- Ability to deliver work on time and meet set performance objectives.
This is a full time position, to apply please send your reel and CV to jobs@waterproofstudios.com