Motion Capture Technical Director - Silver Spoon Animation

Tech Artists; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading animation studio in New York is seeking a talented Motion Capture TD to join their team. The ideal candidate will have over 3 years of industry experience with motion capture technology, strong skills in Vicon Shogun and Maya, and a good understanding of animation principles. Responsibilities include installing motion capture systems, processing data, and creating tools to enhance production efficiency. This role requires relocation for full-time positions in New York.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of industry experience using motion capture technology.
• Extensive experience with Vicon Shogun/Blade and Maya.
• Strong understanding of human anatomy and classic animation principles.

Responsibilities

• Install and calibrate Vicon/Optitrack motion capture systems.
• Prepare actors and props for capture sessions.
• Process and edit motion capture data in Vicon Shogun.
• Animate using motion capture data in Maya.
• Create tools and pipelines for editing motion capture.

Skills

Motion capture technology

Problem solving

Classic animation principles

Human anatomy understanding

Tools

Vicon Shogun

Maya

Python

C++

Unreal Engine

Job description

Silver Spoon specializes in motion capture and animation services for feature films, TV, video games and commercials. We work with VFX shops and animation houses large and small, pushing the boundaries of motion capture, character animation and modeling. Our in‑house team of artists, engineers and developers constantly seeks to hone our skills and give our clients the best data and animation. Our team members come from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines, with experience in video games, feature film, commercial production, special effects, architectural design, and software development. The culture at Silver Spoon is one of centered learning and professional growth, and as a company we welcome any opportunity to further our expertise in this exploding field. We love getting into the details, doing fun stuff on our coffee breaks, and welcoming new friends to our East Coast family!

Silver Spoon is looking for a talented Motion Capture TD who is passionate about performance capture and wants to be part of a small talented team. The role requires the ability to adapt to custom toolsets and workflow and to maintain the highest data quality. We are looking for someone skilled in debugging, user training, and full system troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Installing and calibrating a Vicon/Optitrack motion capture system(s)
• Preparing actors, props, environments and other aspects required to run a capture session
• Process, and edit motion capture data using Vicon Shogun
• Animating on top of motion capture data in Maya (motion editing)
• Create and maintain tools and pipelines to process and edit motion capture using Vicon Shogun, IKinema, and Maya
• Create custom tools and scripts to increase the productivity and efficiency of the production team
• Keep up to date with new technologies and continue to improve on existing workflow

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of industry experience using motion capture technology
• Experience setting up and supervising full body performance sessions
• Extensive experience with and knowledge of Vicon Shogun/Blade and Maya
• Excellent problem solver
• You can demonstrate a strong understanding of classic animation principles and fundamentals
• Strong understanding of human anatomy
• Ability to maintain motivation, has an excellent work ethic, and works well with others
• Have a deep understanding of the production process and the ability to communicate effectively

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with using head mounted cameras for facial capture
• Experience with Faceware and or Dynamixyz
• Expert knowledge of scripting and coding in Python & HSL
• Knowledge of C++ a huge plus
• Knowledge of Unreal Engine and techniques for real-time production
• Ability to write customs tools for motion capture animation pipeline in Unreal Engine
• Character body rigging and facial rigging a huge plus

As a part of the Silver Spoon Animation application process, candidates will be expected to provide a demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an animation test. All applicants are required to relocate for full-time positions in New York.