Lead FX Artist

Job Description

Sony Bend Studio, renowned creator of Days Gone, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and Syphon Filter, is seeking outstanding talent to join our passionate and creative family in crafting our next high-profile AAA console title.

Living in Bend, Oregon means saying goodbye to gridlock, concrete, and pollution. Use your Extra Life to shred at Mt. Bachelor, drag a line in the Deschutes River, hike in the wild, or perfect your game. Plug into adventure and community!

We are seeking a Lead FX Artist who will collaborate with the Art Director, VFX Supervisor, and FX team to create consistent, high quality, and performant in-game and cinematic visual FX. You will help mentor and guide the FX team, while also driving FX initiatives and assisting in the development of new solutions. In addition to creating FX content, you will help set department standards, troubleshoot technical issues, and participate in FX department tool development.

Responsibilities:
• Lead and drive FX initiatives while collaborating with other departments to develop and implement high quality and performant FX content.
• Content creation of visual FX across all areas of the game which set the industry leading standard for the team and the project.
• Leading by example in the team, working with the VFX Supervisor to assess, recruit, and develop the FX team to support studio goals and initiatives.
• Work with and mentor FX Artists to provide clear direction and set expectations for aesthetic and technical requirements.
• Collaborate with the project Art Director to ensure a consistent style and quality level across all the various types of game FX assets.
• Research and Develop new FX solutions, visually and technically.
• Partner with the Art Manager and Production department to deliver time estimates for FX creation.
• Work with your team to troubleshoot FX related issues in a timely manner and maintain your implementations throughout production.
• Work with graphics engineers to improve upon existing technologies and develop new ones that raise the bar of game FX, both visually and technically.
• Build documentation, communicate requirements, and provide feedback to internal artists and outsourcing partners.
• Track trends, the latest technology, the competition and the newest tools to constantly refine techniques while maintaining a foundation in established artistic practices.

Requirements:
• 10+ years' experience as a professional FX artist in AAA games.
• Portfolio of realistic, high quality real-time FX work.
• Proficiency in fluid, particle, and rigid body simulations to create realistic FX in 3d packages such as Houdini, Maya, or 3dsMax.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong time management and organizational skills and an ability to prioritize work
• A deep comprehension of how real-time VFX influences performance and how to maintain visual standards while supporting game-play.
• Strong leadership, mentoring and teaching abilities
• Bachelor of art degree or equivalent industry experience and training

Pluses:
• Experience with a scripting or programming language
• Experience using popular game engines such as Unreal
• Experience building and maintaining FX tools/Rigs

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d887v6-18-223-32-230-42 in your application.