Junior Crowd Technical Director

TL;DR

Junior Crowd Technical Director (Houdini): Supporting creative and technical development of crowd simulations for large-scale environments like cities, stadiums, and battle sequences with an accent on choreographing motion, managing cycles, and troubleshooting pipeline issues. Focus on developing efficient Houdini workflows, creating visual diversity in crowds, and collaborating with supervisors to meet deadlines.

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Salary: $67,900–$86,900 per year

Company

Founded in 1975 by George Lucas, ILM is the leading visual effects facility, creating effects for motion pictures, commercials, and attractions.

What you will do

• Choreograph motion and behavior of crowds in entry-level shots to meet artistic direction.
• Manage motions and cycles, including creating blending cycles.
• Develop efficient Houdini workflows, creating and modifying HDAs.
• Use motion and character variations for visual diversity in crowds.
• Troubleshoot technical issues in Houdini and the pipeline.
• Collaborate with production, supervisors, and artists across disciplines to meet deadlines.

Requirements

• At least 2 years VFX experience with Bachelor's Degree or equivalent, or 3 years professional VFX experience
• Strong knowledge of Houdini workflows
• Exceptional problem-solving for technical and artistic challenges
• In-depth understanding of cinematic principles and composition
• Experience with motion capture and/or clip-based animation
• Proficiency with Linux
• Strong communication skills and ability to work under pressure

Nice to have

• Scripting in Vex and/or Python
• Houdini input/output pipeline
• Cloth/hair simulation experience
• Maya and rigging knowledge

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive environment committed to diverse backgrounds.
• Full range of medical, financial, and other benefits.
• Bonus and/or long-term incentive units possible.
• Part of The Walt Disney Company with global operations.