Effects Technical Director (Project Hire)

TL;DR

Effects Technical Director (Project Hire): Generates FX animation, procedural simulation, dynamic simulation, particle and fluid systems for feature film visual effects with an accent on heavy particle effects, enormous crowd shots, and pipeline scripting. Focus on lighting, rendering, moderate compositing, writing shaders, plug-ins, and debugging simulations.

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Salary: $90,400 to $118,700 per year

Company

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

What you will do

• Design and create FX animation, procedural simulation, dynamic simulation, particle and fluid systems
• Set up and wrangle heavy particle effects and enormous crowd shots
• Light, render, and perform moderate-level compositing of complex shots
• Write plug-ins, debug simulations, and create surface and volumetric shaders
• Animate moderate objects and pick up new techniques quickly
• Raise standards for speed, quality, and adaptability in technical direction

Requirements

• 3-5+ years production or feature film experience with effects simulation
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or computer graphics
• Demo reel required
• Advanced simulation experience with Houdini, Maya, 3DS Max or similar, ability to write expressions
• Excellent pipeline scripting, compositing (Nuke), problem-solving, and communication skills
• Competency in team environment with gentle supervision

Nice to have

• Linux and Python scripting
• MEL experience
• C++ skills

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative mindset with passion for great filmmaking
• Full range of medical, financial, and other benefits
• Bonus and/or long-term incentive units possible
• Work in innovative environment pushing visual effects boundaries