Crowd Technical Director

Disney; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a talented individual to join their innovative team, focusing on creating stunning crowd simulations for CG scenes. This exciting role involves choreographing crowd behavior, managing motion cycles, and collaborating with a diverse team of artists. You will leverage your strong knowledge of Houdini and problem-solving skills to address artistic and technical challenges, ensuring high-quality outputs under tight deadlines. If you thrive in a dynamic environment and have a passion for visual storytelling, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of Houdini Software and cinematic principles.
• Experience in high-end VFX production and motion capture.

Responsibilities

• Choreograph crowd motion and behavior in CG scenes.
• Develop efficient workflows within Houdini and troubleshoot issues.

Skills

Houdini Software

Problem-solving

Cinematic principles

Motion capture

Linux proficiency

Communication skills

Tools

Vex

Python

Maya

Job description

This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work 2-3 days onsite at a Company designated location and occasionally from home.

The main focus of the position will be to create crowd simulations for our CG scenes, using either off-the-shelf or our own proprietary software to populate cities, large-scale environments, and choreograph battles.

At ILM, we strive to be an inclusive environment, and we are committed to considering promising individuals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences for this position.

What You’ll Do

• Choreograph the motion and behaviour of crowds in shots, meeting the artistic direction of the show supervisor.
• Manage the motions and cycles used on your show, including creating blending cycles.
• Assist in developing efficient workflows within Houdini, including creating and modifying internal HDAs.
• Creatively use existing motion and character variations to create visual diversity within a crowd.
• Troubleshoot technical issues within Houdini and the wider pipeline.
• Work with Production and your lead to meet the show deadlines.
• Communicate with artists across disciplines to work effectively as part of the wider show team.
• Attend dailies to present your work and receive feedback from the show supervisor.
• Collaborate within the crowd team, sharing knowledge and contributing to the development of the department.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong knowledge of Houdini Software
• Exceptional problem-solving skills with the ability to address technical and artistic challenges
• In-depth understanding of cinematic principles and composition
• Background working on high-end VFX or animated feature-film productions
• Experience working with motion capture and/or clip-based animation
• Proficiency with Linux
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines whilst maintaining a high quality output

Nice to have:

• Proficiency scripting in Vex and/or Python
• Strong understanding of Houdini input/output pipeline
• Experience with cloth/hair simulation
• Working knowledge of Maya and rigging
• Keen eye for how crowds flock and move

JoinILM