Lead Crowd Artist

Eyeline; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Eyeline is seeking a Lead Crowd Artist to join their team in Vancouver, Canada. In this role, you will lead a team of crowd artists to produce advanced VFX crowd setups and shots.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of four years of crowd experience in live-action visual effects and expert knowledge of Houdini Crowd. Strong leadership skills and excellent communication abilities are essential for this position.

Salary ranges from $140,000 to $160,000 CAD annually, commensurate with experience.

Qualifications

• Minimum four years of crowd experience in VFX for feature films.
• Strong portfolio showcasing crowd setups and shots.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of crowd artists.
• Collaborate with supervisors to maintain quality.
• Create digital crowd behaviors and simulations.

Skills

Crowd experience in live-action visual effects

Expert knowledge of Houdini Crowd

Leadership experience

Excellent communication skills

Troubleshooting ability

Tools

Houdini

Golaem

Maya

MotionBuilder

Python

VEX

Job description

Eyeline is a global creative studio partnering with storytellers to convert ambitious visions into stunning realities. We are seeking a Lead Crowd Artist to lead a team of crowd artists in producing advanced VFX crowd setups and shots across various projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of crowd artists, providing guidance, feedback, and technical support.
• Collaborate closely with Crowd Department Supervisors and Show Supervisors to maintain a high standard of quality and consistency across all crowd work in the project.
• Establish ongoing communication with production and supervisors regarding project schedules, deadlines, and shot/sequence feedback.
• Troubleshoot and problem-solve complex crowd issues.
• Attend all relevant meetings on shots, sequences, production, and internal team development.
• Create digital crowd behaviors and simulations to achieve the envisioned look, movement, and style.

Qualifications

• Minimum four (4) years of crowd experience in live‑action visual effects for feature films, episodic or similar production environments with a strong portfolio showcasing a range of crowd setup and shot work.
• Expert knowledge of Houdini Crowd is required.
• Experience with Golaem is strongly preferred.
• Proven experience in a leadership or supervisory role for crowd teams preferred.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision; strong troubleshooting ability and an artistic eye for crowd behaviors.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Experience with mocap retargeting in Maya or MotionBuilder is a plus.
• Experience working with a USD‑based pipeline is a plus.
• Familiarity with scripting languages is a plus (Python/VEX).

Salary: 140,000–160,000$ CAD per year (specific to Vancouver, BC). Compensation may vary based on qualifications, skills, and experience and can also be affected by location.