Groom Artist (All Levels) - ILM London

The Walt Disney Company (France); London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the film industry is seeking a Groom Artist, responsible for creating photorealistic hair and fur for digital characters. The role demands technical expertise in grooming tools, collaboration with creative teams, and an eye for realism. This is a hybrid position, requiring on-site work in London.

Qualifications

• Proven professional experience in grooming, demonstrated in a portfolio.
• Experience with grooming software in a production environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and construct hair, fur, and feathers for digital doubles.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve desired asset look.

Skills

Strong spatial awareness

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Tools

Houdini

Linux

Job description

Position Summary

We are looking for an artist who reflects the creative talent and passion for great filmmaking that define ILM.

• The Groom Artist is responsible for design and construct hair, fur and feathers for digital doubles and creatures with a focus on detail, form, and realism, ensuring they are ready for look development, rigging, and simulation.

• Support the design and construction of stylised, non photoreal assets when required.

• Utilise advanced grooming tools to craft the guide curves and detailed structure of hair, that meet the technical and artistic needs of production.

What You’ll Do:

• Collaborate with a cross-functional team, including Modelers, Texture Artists, and Rigging to achieve the desired look and functionality of assets.

• Incorporate artistic skill and technical expertise to develop grooms that seamlessly integrate into the production pipeline.

• Ability to create photoreal grooms for a mid to close up level of detail from scan data, reference, art and their own design ideas.

• Participate in creative discussions and provide feedback during team reviews.

• Capable of managing multiple assets and communicating with downstream departments.

What We’re Looking For:

Required Skills / Competencies:

• Proven professional experience in grooming, with a portfolio that demonstrates expertise of hair and fur of photorealistic assets in a feature film or production environment.

• Strong spatial awareness and technical skills for the construction of complex hair and fur.

• Strong organisational and time-management abilities to navigate schedules and meet project demands.

• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively across departments and assimilate new information quickly.

• Exceptional attention to detail and a keen eye for realism.

Preferred Skills / Competencies:

• A good understanding of the full CG pipeline.

• Ability to use node networks and procedural workflows is a plus.

Technical Skills:

• Established production experience with grooming software.

• Experience with Houdini is preferred.

• Knowledge of Linux is a necessity as to navigate through ILM’s production pipeline.

• Knowledge of VEX and HDA is a plus.

As part of your application please submit a demo reel, shot breakdown, or equivalent showcasing your work. A current resume is required.

This role is Hybrid, which means the employee will be required to work a minimum of 2 days on-site per week at a Company designated location, and occasionally from home.

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