BC - Senior Houdini Crowd Artist - Stop Motion VFX Project

Zoic Studios; United States; Remote; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading visual effects company is seeking a Crowd Artist to create dynamic crowds of characters and creatures for an animated feature project. This role involves collaborating with various teams to enhance crowd simulations and manage crowd launches. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in high-end production and proficiency in Houdini.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of high-end production experience in television or feature films.
• Experience in producing crowd simulations.

Responsibilities

• Create layouts and performances of crowds in scenes and shots.
• Collaborate with animation teams to support animation performances.

Skills

Communication

Tools

Houdini

Nuke

Maya

Job description

All applicants must be residents of British Columbia, Canada.
Must be legally entitled to work in Canada, e.g., Citizen, PR, Open Work Permit.

At this time, we’re pleased to offer this role as an option to work from home OR work from our Vancouver studio in the beautiful Gastown area, close to the Waterfront Station in Downtown. (Remote is not available outside of BC; there is no hybrid work option)

About Zoic

Zoic Studios is a Visual Effects company that specializes in high-end visual effects for television, film, and advertising. Our mantra is VisualEvolution — we focus on every part of the process, from the final picture to the pipeline used to create them.

Are you looking for your next creative and technical challenge? Come join our team!

Why Join Zoic?

• We are an artist-owned and operated VFX studio.
• We love what we do and stay curious about new technology and techniques.
• We respect work/life balance in a hectic industry.
• We work with a diverse team from all walks of life and backgrounds.

We are excited to share an incredible stop-motion animated feature project that promises creativity, collaboration, and a fantastic opportunity to showcase your skills!

Summary of Position

The Crowd Artist is responsible for creating crowds of characters and creatures aligned with the visual style and narrative of the film.

Job Functions

• Create layouts and performances of crowds in scenes and shots, matching the animation style of the film.
• Publish crowds using Houdini according to specifications needed by layout for downstream processes.
• Manage crowd launches in sequences, scenes, and shots. Take creative input specific to crowds and translate it into crowd behavior through performances, movements, and timing via rules and simulations.
• Collaborate with animation teams to support animation performances for effective crowd simulation.
• Work with technical directors to develop processes and tools to improve capabilities, workflows, and throughput.
• Support shot production with technical tasks using various tools and troubleshoot or develop creative solutions for complex tasks.
• Partner with other disciplines to meet integration requirements across departments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of high-end production experience in television or feature films as a Crowd Artist and/or TD.
• Experience in producing crowd simulations.
• Proficiency with particle simulations to control crowd motion and appearance.
• Knowledge of software such as Houdini 18.0 or higher.
• Experience with Houdini Crowd setup and simulation.
• Working knowledge of Mantra rendering, Nuke compositing, and Maya.
• Experience with Renderman and Katan for lighting effects is a plus.
• Understanding rigging approaches is a plus.
• Strong communication skills for collaborative work environment.

Additional information

• British Columbia Employees Pay Range: $50 - $65 / hour(The actual salary will depend on factors like qualifications, experience, education, certifications, and location)
• Zoic does not cover relocation costs.
• Remote positions require a reliable internet connection via Ethernet and working on Pacific Standard Time.
• This job description covers basic requirements; other duties may be assigned.
• Only selected applicants will be contacted due to volume of applications.