Senior Facial Character TD

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

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking company as a Senior Facial Character TD, where you will create innovative facial rigs and push the boundaries of visual performance. This exciting role requires a strong understanding of facial anatomy and FACS, as well as expertise in tools like Maya and Python. You will work collaboratively with talented artists and engineers to develop cutting-edge solutions for photorealistic characters in games and films. If you have a passion for technology and creativity, this is the perfect opportunity to make a significant impact in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Expert experience in Maya and proficiency in ZBrush or Mudbox.
• Strong understanding of rigging photorealistic faces for film or games.

Responsibilities

• Author high-quality facial rigs based on FACS using blendshapes.
• Collaborate with teams to deliver high-quality assets optimized for performance.

Skills

Maya

ZBrush

Machine Learning

Facial Rigging

FACS Knowledge

Tools

Python

C++

Unity

Unreal Engine

Wrap3

Job description

Why PlayStation?

PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Recognized globally as a leader in entertainment, we produce the PlayStation family of products and services, including PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation VR, PlayStation Plus, and acclaimed titles from PlayStation Studios.

We strive to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome passionate and curious individuals interested in innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team.

The PlayStation brand operates under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.

CONTRACT ROLE

Insomniac is seeking a Senior Facial Character TD responsible for authoring facial rigs from scratch or using high-resolution scan data, participating in facial research & development, and pioneering new tools and techniques to enhance visual fidelity, performance, and efficiency. A strong understanding of FACS, facial anatomy, and advanced facial technology is essential.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include:

1. Author high-quality photorealistic facial rigs based on FACS using blendshapes.
2. Create rigging systems to support or augment blendshape-based facial rigs.
3. Develop systems and workflows for integrating head and body rigs.
4. Collaborate with Character Art, Animation, and Engineering teams to deliver high-quality assets with animator/mocap friendly interfaces optimized for engine performance.
5. Contribute to tools for authoring and editing facial rigs (Python/PyQt/PySide).
6. Develop automated tools and workflows for runtime optimization.
7. Assist in tools for integrating third-party facial rigs.
8. Work on facial animation systems such as facial solvers and R&D (Python/C++/Machine Learning).
9. Sculpt FACS from scratch if necessary, using deformers and sculpting tools.
10. Process and clean 3D or 4D scan data from FACS sessions.
11. Stay updated with state-of-the-art facial rigging techniques for photorealistic characters in film and games.
12. Understand facial shape transfer techniques and implement shape transfer pipelines.
13. May direct actors during facial acquisitions using FACS.
14. Ingest and integrate facial assets from third parties and provide feedback to external vendors as needed.
15. Adhere to lawful and ethical business practices, supporting a diverse team of artists.
16. Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This role does not have supervisory duties but may mentor other TDs regarding facial mechanics, rigging, sculpting, or solving techniques.

Qualifications: Candidates must be able to perform all essential duties satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities.

Computer Skills:

• Expert experience with Maya.
• Proficiency in sculpting with ZBrush, Mudbox, or similar; processing scan data with Wrap3 or similar; deformation transfer workflows.
• Preferred experience with machine-learning solutions for facial scanning/authoring/solving (TensorFlow, PyTorch, etc.), developing plugins for facial deformation transfer or solving (Python or C++), and working with real-time faces in Unity, Unreal, or other engines.

Other Skills: Strong understanding of current approaches to rigging photorealistic faces for film or games, knowledge of FACS and facial anatomy, ability to identify primary action units visually, understanding of facial performance capture and solving, and modern scanning techniques such as LightStage and 4D scanning.

Expertise in facial skeletal and muscle anatomy, passion for high-quality detail through iteration, innovative thinking for realistic solutions or runtime optimization, and a collaborative spirit are essential.

For more information, refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice regarding data processing and your data rights.

At SIE, base pay considers market data, location, skills, experience, and other factors. The estimated hourly pay range is $75 — $87 USD.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered without regard to gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, parental status, trade union membership, or other protected categories.

We promote an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. PlayStation is a Fair Chance employer; qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.