Principal VFX Artist

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

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Principal VFX Artist to join their innovative team. In this dynamic role, you will leverage your extensive experience in the games and VFX industry to guide development teams, mentor fellow artists, and create stunning visual effects. Your technical prowess in software like Houdini and Maya, combined with your artistic vision, will help shape the future of interactive entertainment. If you're passionate about pushing creative boundaries and thrive in a collaborative environment, this opportunity could be your next big adventure!

Qualifications

• Advanced level in Houdini and Maya, with strong 3D modeling skills.
• Expertise in modern game engines and visual effects systems.

Responsibilities

• Mentor the art team and advise on VFX techniques and workflows.
• Collaborate with Art Directors to set artistic direction.

Skills

Expertise in Houdini

Expertise in Maya

3D modeling skills

Technical scripting (MEL, Python)

Knowledge of visual effects principles

Adaptability to artistic styles

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Substance Designer

Photoshop

After Effects

Blender

Job description

Why PlayStation?

PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation5, PlayStation4, PlayStationVR, PlayStationPlus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more.

PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation.

Insomniac is looking for our new Principal VFX Artist. In this role, the Principal VFX Artist will be responsible for blending significant industry experience, technical and artistic versatility to a variety of Real-Time VFX tasks. Paramount to the role, the Principal VFX Artist must possess the agility required to move quickly between technical and artistic challenges. In addition, the artist must leverage their experience to provide feedback, mentoring, and recommendations throughout the course of product development.

If this is the opportunity you have been looking for, please read on:

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

• Leverages significant experience in the Games, CG or VFX industry to advise development teams across a variety of disciplines.
• Serves as a mentor for the art team, assisting in training while sharing techniques and workflows.
• Collaborates with the Art Directors to determine the artistic direction for new and existing properties.
• Understands the VFX needs at the project level and works with the VFX Manager and Art Directors to create a plan that fits within all budgetary constraints.
• Utilizes industry experience to provide clear recommendations on team structure, company policy, and artistic direction.
• Sets “quality targets” for new or existing properties.
• Creates pivotal content for new or existing properties.
• Provides detailed and relevant feedback across a variety of creative materials.
• Possesses a strong understanding of the capabilities and limitations of current real-time hardware and software and has experience to push the limits within those constraints.
• Be aware of the future trends to evolve the studio’s VFX tech in innovative ways.
• Identifies VFX pipeline bottlenecks and inefficiencies and works with stakeholders to improve them.
• Demonstrates expertise across a variety of artistic foundations including visual and graphic design, composition, color theory, rhythm, balance, timing, etc.
• Displays an ability to lead by example amidst artistic and technical challenges.
• Helps debug, troubleshoot and solve major technical hurdles, especially those pertaining to graphics and performance.
• Ability to quickly adapt to a diverse selection of styles and sensibilities.
• Possesses a proven track record of dependability, consistency, and high-quality work on big budget AAA projects.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Computer Skills:

• Advanced level in Houdini and Maya: expert understanding of these DCC visual effects packages, competent working with joints and locators, animation/keyframing, rigid-body and fluid simulations, materials, shaders, lighting and rendering.
• 3D modeling and procedural modeling/UV’ing skills are a must.
• Strong knowledge and experience with modern game engines/editors such as Unreal, Unity, proprietary, etc.
• Proficient with real-time particle-editors and VFX systems such as Unreal’s Niagara, PopcornFX, etc.
• Advanced understanding of complex node-based shader networks such as those used in Unreal, Unity, etc.
• Familiarity with game scripting and/or node-based systems (e.g. Unreal Blueprint, etc).
• Have strong grasp of technical scripting, programming and expressions pertaining to DCC and graphics: e.g. MEL, Python, Houdini VEX, HLSL Shaders, etc.
• Proficient in Photoshop for painting and editing textures.
• Strong knowledge of procedural texture generation software (e.g. Substance Designer, Filter-Forge, After-Effects, etc).
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledge of other visual effects or CG software a plus (e.g. Blender, Nuke, etc).

We look forward to hearing from you. Please use the link below and apply. Thank you!

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.