Lead Crowd Technical Director (Gamedev)

TL;DR

Lead Crowd Technical Director (Gamedev): Executing the creative and technical direction of a show, ensuring the vision of the VFX Supervisor is met with high-quality, efficient solutions with an accent on supporting, mentoring, and guiding artists and solving production roadblocks. Focus on contributing to the evolution of crowd tools and workflows, while leading a sequence or a show.

Location: Hybrid, 2-3 days onsite in Vancouver, Canada, and occasionally from home.

Salary: C$142,200 to C$173,300 per year based on a 40-hour work week.

Company

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

What you will do

• Lead and manage a team of crowd artists technically and artistically, providing creative feedback at a shot and sequence level.
• Lead the direction and development of shot templates and tools, collaborating with other crowd artists to implement efficient solutions.
• Gather, edit, and maintain the show motion library to meet artistic and technical show requirements, assisting with the planning and direction of motion capture shoots.
• Manage crowd agent setups for the show, collaborating with upstream departments to troubleshoot issues and maintain agent variation logic.
• Mentor crowd artists on Houdini workflows and proprietary pipeline tools, maintaining comprehensive technical documentation.
• Work with Production and Artists to understand and assign tasks, meet show deadlines, and provide shot/sequence feedback.

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.
• College degree in Computer Science, Art, Animation, or Engineering, or equivalent professional experience.
• Expert knowledge of Houdini for Crowds.
• Expert knowledge of crowd behavior, including human crowds, swarming insects, combat choreography, and animal behaviors.
• Strong knowledge of cinematography and composition with a passion for storytelling.
• Strong knowledge of VEX and Python.
• Proficiency with Linux including shell scripting.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills with the ability to address technical and artistic obstacles.
• Excellent 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

• Full range of medical, financial, and/or other variable pay or benefits may be offered dependent on the level and position offered.