Motion Editor - ILM Vancouver

Industrial Light & Magic; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 69,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Industrial Light & Magic in Vancouver's Coal Harbour studio seeks a Motion Editor (Motion Capture Animator) with proven high-end film/VFX experience. The role retargets and edits motion capture to deliver high-quality animations, emphasizing blending and believable transitions.

The position is hybrid, with 2–3 days onsite and opportunities for occasional home work. You will work with Maya, Blender, Nuance, and MotionBuilder, focusing on human and prop interactions.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Computer Visualisation or Computer Animation; equivalent experience.
• Proven experience with MotionBuilder, Blender, Nuance and/or Maya with motion-captured performances.
• Proven experience in high end film VFX and a showreel.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for transferring motion from a Hierarchy to another (Retargeting) independently and proficiently.
• Adhering to the performance of the actors/actresses and improving/adjusting it in a non-destructive way, leading to the highest quality of work.
• Adjusting interaction and contacts between characters/props/environment/terrain.
• Improving the performance by adding fingers/toe/tail animation and body adjustments that includes enhancing posture, gesture and weight.
• Blending of motions. Having a good eye and a good understanding of this workflow to create fluid, believable transitions between distinct animation clips.

Skills

Retargeting techniques

Animation principles

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Problem solving

Motion blending

Mocap animation

Maya

Blender

Nuance

Motion Builder

Linux

Vicon Shogun Post

Education

Computer Animation degree

Tools

MotionBuilder

Blender

Nuance

Maya

Linux

Vicon Shogun Post

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.

Position Summary

ILM Vancouver is looking for a Motion Editor (Motion Capture Animator) to join our team based in our Coal Harbour studio.

This candidate will have proven experience in high end film/VFX or video game industry.

The main responsibility will be to retarget and edit body motion of realistic motion-captured based performances in a non-destructive way and deliver animations to a high quality standards. We are also expecting the candidate to show solid knowledge about motion blending.

The Motion Editor will focus predominantly on human, props and bipedal characters, extending to quadrupeds when required.

Primary Responsibilities

• Responsible for transferring motion from a Hierarchy to another (Retargeting) independently and proficiently
• Adhering to the performance of the actors/actresses and improving/adjusting it in a non-destructive way, leading to the highest quality of work
• Adjusting interaction and contacts between characters/props/environment/terrain
• Improving the performance by adding fingers/toe/tail animation and body adjustments that includes enhancing posture, gesture and weight
• Blending of motions. Having a good eye and a good understanding of this workflow to create fluid, believable transitions between distinct animation clips

Education / Experience

• Computer Science, Computer Visualisation or Computer Animation degree or equivalent experience
• Previous experience using MotionBuilder, Blender, Nuance and/or Maya with motion-captured performances
• Proven experience in high end film VFX and an up to date showreel.

Required Skills / Competencies

• Solid understanding of retargeting techniques
• Good understanding of the principles of animation
• Attention to detail and communication skills
• Proactive in problem solving, with a keen eye to catch, analyze and identify technical issues
• Sharp eyes for motion, timing and posture
• Background in using Maya, Blender, Nuance and/or Motion Builder
• Background in using Linux and Vicon Shogun Post is a plus
• Excellent collaborative skills
• Eagerness to learn and develop

Preferred Skills / Competencies

• Experience with Mocap animation
• Maya Experience

Technical Skills

• Solid knowledge about Retargeting and Blending techniques

The hiring range for this position in Vancouver is C$68,700 to C$87,800 per year based on a 40-hour work week. The amount of hours scheduled per week may vary based on business needs. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other variable pay or benefits, may be offered dependent on the level and position offered.

Disclaimer

This position is with ILM (Vancouver) Inc., which is part of a business we call Industrial Light & Magic.