Crowd Technical Director (Gamedev)

TL;DR

Crowd Technical Director (Gamedev): Creating crowd simulations for CG scenes, populating cities and large-scale environments, and choreographing battles using off-the-shelf or proprietary software with an accent on artistic direction and visual diversity. Focus on troubleshooting technical issues within Houdini and the wider pipeline, and collaborating with artists across disciplines to meet show deadlines.

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

Salary: C$100,300 to C$122,200 per year

Company

hirify.global (ILM) is the leading effects facility in the world, founded in 1975 by George Lucas, serving the motion picture, commercial production, and attraction industries.

What you will do

• Choreograph the motion and behavior of crowds in shots, meeting the artistic direction of the show supervisor.
• Manage motions and cycles, 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.

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive environment committed to considering individuals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
• Opportunity to work on visual effects for feature films.
• Collaborate within the crowd team, sharing knowledge and contributing to the development of the department.