Expression of Interest - Rigging Artist

AGBO; California; On-site; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a talented Rigging Artist to join their dynamic team. In this exciting role, you will design and create intricate character and creature rigs, collaborating closely with animators and modelers to ensure lifelike movements and expressions. This position offers the chance to work in a fast-paced, creative environment, where your contributions will directly impact high-profile projects. If you have a passion for animation and a strong portfolio showcasing your rigging expertise, this opportunity is perfect for you. Join a team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of storytelling through innovative content creation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Rigging Artist in animation or VFX.
• Proficiency in Maya or Blender and a strong portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Design and build character and creature rigs using industry-standard software.
• Collaborate with animators to ensure realistic movement and expressions.

Skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Leadership abilities

Understanding of anatomy

Kinematics knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Animation

Equivalent experience

Tools

Autodesk Maya

Houdini

Blender

Python

Job description

About Us

Founded by award-winning, record-breaking directors Anthony and Joe Russo, AGBO is an artist-led entertainment company focused on creating content born of innovative story universes across film, television, and digital platforms. This position is working for a prestigious and prolific production company run by directorial talent. This is an amazing opportunity for the right candidate to work in the heart of a fast-paced, well-connected, highly creative environment with competitive compensation commensurate with experience.

The Rigging Artist (Project Hire) is responsible for designing and creating complex character and creature rigs and pipeline for use in various projects. They collaborate closely with animators, modelers, and other team members to ensure that characters and creatures move realistically and convincingly within the context of the project.

Responsibilities

• Work with department heads to design and build sophisticated character and creature rigs using industry-standard software like Autodesk Maya, Houdini, Blender, or similar tools. This may include creating skeletons, muscle systems, deformations, and control setups.
• Prepare characters for animation by setting up skinning and weighting to ensure that the mesh deforms correctly as the character moves.
• Develop facial rigs that allow animators to create expressive facial animations, including lip-syncing, blinking, and emotive expressions.
• Implement realistic body mechanics in rigs, such as joint limitations, muscle simulations, and secondary animations like cloth and hair.
• Write scripts and use automation tools to streamline rigging processes and improve efficiency.
• Troubleshoot rigging issues and provide creative solutions to technical challenges that may arise during the animation process.
• Collaborate closely with animators, modelers, and other team members to ensure rigs meet the artistic and technical requirements of the project.
• Maintain detailed documentation and guidelines for the rigs to facilitate smooth handovers to animators and other team members.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior rigging artists, sharing best practices and helping them develop their skills.
• Keep up-to-date with industry trends, tools, and techniques related to rigging and animation to ensure the team's work remains at the cutting edge of the field.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Animation, Computer Graphics, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of proven experience as a Rigging Artist in the animation or VFX industry, with a strong portfolio showcasing your rigging work.
• Proficiency in industry-standard 3D software, such as Maya or Blender.
• Solid understanding of anatomy, kinematics, and character movement.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work creatively within technical constraints.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Leadership abilities and experience in mentoring junior artists is a plus.
• Metahuman experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with scripting languages like Python for automation is a bonus.

The job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent to this position.