Lead Crowd Technical Director (VFX)

TL;DR

Lead Crowd Technical Director (VFX): Leading and managing a team of crowd artists, executing creative and technical direction for VFX shows with an accent on developing shot templates, managing crowd agent setups, and maintaining show motion libraries. Focus on troubleshooting complex issues throughout the crowd pipeline and mentoring artists on Houdini workflows.

Location: Hybrid (Vancouver, Canada). This role requires working 2-3 days onsite at a Company designated location.

Salary: C$142,200–C$173,300 per year

Company

Founded by George Lucas, Industrial Light & Magic is a leading visual effects facility renowned for creating stunning images for motion picture, commercial production, and attraction industries.

What you will do

• Lead and manage crowd artists, providing creative and technical feedback.
• Lead development of shot templates and tools, collaborating for efficient solutions.
• Manage and maintain the show motion library, assisting with motion capture shoots.
• Oversee crowd agent setups, troubleshoot issues, and balance diversity and performance.
• Mentor crowd artists on Houdini and proprietary pipeline tools.
• Collaborate with R&D and Pipeline Engineers to solve pipeline issues.

Requirements

• At least 6+ years of experience working on high-end VFX or animated feature film productions.
• Previous experience in a leadership or mentoring role.
• Expert knowledge of Houdini for Crowds and crowd behavior.
• Strong knowledge of VEX and Python.
• Proficiency with Linux including shell scripting.
• Exceptional problem-solving, leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

Nice to have

• Experience with motion capture retargeting and motion editing.
• Experience with creature simulation including cloth and groom.
• Working familiarity with C/C++.

Culture & Benefits

• Opportunity to work for a world-leading effects facility, part of The Walt Disney Company.
• Contribute to over 325 feature films, including top worldwide box-office hits.
• Work on groundbreaking visual effects, VR, AR, and Immersive Cinema.
• A full range of medical, financial, and/or other variable pay or benefits offered.
• Collaborative and supportive environment, focused on storytelling and challenging the impossible.

Hiring process

• Application requires submitting a demo reel, shot breakdown, or equivalent work with a current resume.