BG Prep Artist - Lead

Image Engine Design

Vancouver

On-site

CAD 99,000 - 107,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Extended healthcare from day 1

Premiums 100% covered by Image Engine

8 paid Health and Wellness days per yr

Job summary

Image Engine Design is seeking a BG Prep Lead in Vancouver, BC. The role focuses on leading background prep for shots, annotating guidance for artists, and ensuring high-quality compositing outputs across feature films and TV projects.

The successful candidate will collaborate with production and other departments, manage capacity, and help refine workflows. A strong background in Silhouette, Nuke, and Mocha Pro is essential.

Qualifications

6 years of feature film/TV production experience
Expertise in Silhouette and Nuke
Proficiency in Mocha Pro and Shotgrid
Experience in Photoshop/Lightroom/After Effects is appreciated

Responsibilities

Attend show kickoffs and establish strategy with the Compositing Supervisor
Brief and annotate guidelines for artists
QC submissions and advise on technical solutions
Collaborate with BG Prep Coordinator and Production Manager on scheduling
Work with BG Prep Supervisor on standards and practices
Coordinate with HOD on department strategy
Provide feedback to artists on shows
Occasionally assist with roto/paint and quick fixes

Skills

Rotoscoping in Silhouette

Spline breakdown & keyframing

Matching plate motion blur

2D point & Mocha planar tracking

Extracting tracking information

Frame-by-frame painting in Silhouette

Dust bust & cosmetic touches

Retime artifacts painting

Nuke 3D environment understanding

Education

6 years of feature film/TV production experience

Expertise in Silhouette

Expertise in Nuke

Proficiency in Mocha Pro

Proficiency in Shotgrid

Basic Linux knowledge

Degree/Diploma in Digital/Traditional Arts appreciated

Tools

Nuke

Mocha Pro

Shotgrid

Photoshop

Lightroom

After Effects

Silhouette

Job description

Position: BG Prep Artist - Lead

Hiring Range: $98,800 to $106,600/year for a 40 hour work week

Project Contract: TBC

Company Benefits:

Extended healthcare from day 1, premiums 100% covered by Image Engine, up to 8 paid Health and Wellness days per year.

*Candidates are required to be based in British Columbia and eligible to work in Canada.

ABOUT IMAGE ENGINE

Image Engine is a world-class VFX studio based in Vancouver, BC, that has built a reputation for excellence in the visual effects industry since 1995. We specialize in crafting stunning visual effects for feature films and television with an award-winning portfolio that includes The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, Game Of Thrones, Lost in Space, Jurassic World, and District 9.

We offer a full range of visual effects services, from concept designs and pre-visualization to CG animation, compositing, and explosive volumetric digital effects. Our crew is passionate about storytelling and pushing the artistic and technical boundaries to deliver the highest quality work on every project. R&D is central to our philosophy of driving creativity through innovation and we're committed to continually evolving our robust production pipelines.

At Image Engine, we value diversity and teamwork, and we're proud to foster a workplace culture that is supportive, respectful, and empowering. We believe that our success is a reflection of our exceptionally talented team, and we're always looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join us on our mission to create unforgettable visual experiences. Join our team and be part of something extraordinary.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE

The primary focus of any BG Prep Lead at IE can be divided into several areas:

To attend show kickoffs and establish with the Compositing Supervisor the best strategy to tackle the shots.
To brief and draw clear annotations as a guideline for the artists.
To QC any submissions and advise the artists on the best technical solutions.
To engage in a collaboration with the BG Prep Coordinator and Production Manager to effectively address all scheduling priorities.
To work closely with the BG Prep Supervisor on the standardization and good practices.
To work closely with the HOD on the overall strategy of the Department.
To provide feedback regarding the artists working on their shows.
To occasionally work on Roto or Paint shots or any quick fixes that are required.

POSITION EXPECTATIONS

For the BG Prep Lead role there’s the following expectations:

To represent the Department in a calm and professional way.
To collaborate with the other Departments for the effective resolution of any problems.
To manage the internal crew’s capacity in regards to the complexity of the work.
To manage the packaging and QC of outsource requests.
To help with the training of any Artists or Coordinators within the Department.
To develop their own effective communication skills to simplify the processes and relationships.
To actively provide suggestions on how to improve the quality or speed of the production workflow.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE