Senior Creature Technical Director

Job Description

ILMxLAB Senior Creature Technical Director (Character Technical Artist) Singapore, Singapore

Description

Position at ILMxLAB

Position Summary

We are looking for a creative problem solver who reflects the innovative spirit, creative talent, production excellence, collaborative mindset and passion for great storytelling that defines ILMxLAB.

Senior Creature Technical Directors design and build animation setups and systems, and partner with Modelers, Animators, Designers, and Engineers to bring our characters to life. You will also play a key role in mentoring junior and mid-level character artists.

What You'll Do
• Design, build and test advance animation rigs, setups, systems and workflows for a variety of ultra high-end characters, creatures, vehicles and props via Maya, Unreal and ILM's proprietary toolsets
• Assist in development & maintenance of systems and workflows for animating and rigging characters which expedite our character setup and animation process, as well as writing scripts to facilitate art production when required
• Up to date on the industry standard tools and systems (in Unreal Engine, Maya, etc..) and constantly curious about promising new techniques for skeletons, facial animation methodologies, and constraints used for character animation
• Develop familiarity of proprietary toolsets & workflows in the ILM pipeline, integrating as necessary with established best-practices for real-time production workflow, adapting and evolving to solve problems within hybrid framework. This position calls for an individual who enjoys the difficulty of solving problems, with a keen attention to detail and sense of anticipation
• Consult in development of breakdowns, task lists, estimates, schedules, milestones and overall project goals as necessary; participate in project stand-ups, meetings and reviews
• Participate in concept testing of new ideas and building of rapid prototypes
• Supervision of junior and mid-level artists, as required

What We're Looking For
• 5+ years experience as a Character TD, Technical Artist-Rigger or Technical Animator role for AAA game development, directly supporting production with rigging, scripting & tool development
• 4+ years production experience with Maya, Maya API
• Excellent working knowledge of scripting - Maya Python/PyMEL, C++ API, and PySide/PyQt GUI Design experience
• Knowledgeable of the real-time art production pipeline & process for different types of asset creation - especially of potential pitfalls and other risks involved with movement mechanics & deformation
• Strong grasp of basic animation principles, clear understanding of anatomy, kinematics & deformation
• Extensive experience with integration of performance capture animation for both body & face
• Experience with run-time, blend-tree based animation systems. Unreal and Maya experience preferred
• Bonus points for:
• Deep knowledge of Unreal Animation features & toolsets: blueprints, component anims, physics-based anims, Sequencer, Matinee
• Experience with cloth, hair, fracturing and rigid simulations
• Working knowledge of Linus, Perforce, Linear Algebra
• VFX Production experience
• Experience or interest in the creation of VR & AR experiences
• Previous experience as a lead on a project is a plus
* A portfolio / reel submission - including a detailed breakdown of your work in each section/shot - is required with all applications

**FOR US BASED NEW HIRES ONLY:** We are taking a responsible approach to creating environments that allow us to do what we do best - entertain and inform millions around the world. As part of our commitment to health and safety, COVID-19 vaccines are required for current US salaried and non-union hourly employees, as well as all newly hired US employees.
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This position is with Industrial Light & Magic, which is part of a business we call Industrial Light & Magic.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-revnw0-3-135-219-166-42 in your application.