Crowd Technical Director (VFX)

TL;DR

Crowd Technical Director (VFX): Creating crowd simulations for CG scenes, populating cities, large-scale environments, and choreographing battles. Focus on motion and behavior of crowds, developing efficient workflows within Houdini, and troubleshooting technical issues within the pipeline.

Location: Hybrid, must work 2-3 days onsite in Vancouver, Canada

Salary: C$100,300 to C$128,300 per year

Company

hirify.global (ILM) is the leading effects facility in the world, founded in 1975 by George Lucas.

What you will do

• Choreograph the motion and behavior of crowds in shots, meeting the artistic direction of the show supervisor.
• Manage the motions and cycles used on your show, including creating blending cycles.
• Assist in developing efficient workflows within Houdini, including creating and modifying internal HDAs.
• Creatively use existing motion and character variations to create visual diversity within a crowd.
• Troubleshoot technical issues within Houdini and the wider pipeline.
• Communicate with artists across disciplines to work effectively as part of the wider show team.

Requirements

• Strong knowledge of Houdini Software
• Exceptional problem-solving skills with the ability to address technical and artistic challenges
• In-depth understanding of cinematic principles and composition
• Background working on high end VFX or animated feature-film productions
• Experience working with motion capture and/or clip-based animation
• Proficiency with Linux

Nice to have

• Proficiency scripting in Vex and/or Python
• Strong understanding of Houdini input/output pipeline
• Experience with cloth/hair simulation
• Working knowledge of Maya and rigging
• Keen eye for how crowds flock and move

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive environment
• Committed to considering promising individuals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences