Lead Asset Artist

Job Description

The Mill is a global creative partner for agencies, production companies and brands, working across all media channels and platforms.

We are trusted specialists in visual effects, creative technologies, and content production. Our projects include the creation of digital products and virtual experiences, as well as world class visual effects and video production.

We are a vibrant network of talented artists, producers, directors, and creative technologists from multinational backgrounds. We nurture innovation, flexibility, and diverse ideas across our studios in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Shanghai, Seoul and India. We are all united by one single ambition: To create extraordinary and memorable work that captivates and excites audiences.

We are The Mill. We create the extraordinary.

This role can be remote in France, UK or Poland, but we cannot accept any applications from outside of these regions

The Role

The main responsibilities of the Asset Lead revolve around organizing, planning, and overseeing the execution of all CG assets for Game Cinematic and Commercial projects. In addition to working hands-on, you will oversee and participate in the construction of props, vehicles, stylized characters, creatures, photoreal humans, FACS blendshapes, and, at times, environmental work. You will be tasked with working on hero assets like characters/creatures while providing supervision. Your portfolio must showcase exceptional artistic skill. Collaborating closely with teams in Los Angeles, Europe, and India is essential, with a special emphasis on leveraging Time Zone overlap to initiate and oversee work in India. A continual drive for increased artistic and technical quality/expertise within a collaborative team is highly valued and encouraged.

The assets department is responsible for most asset work, from initial model creation/ingestion through texturing, lookdev, and assisting rigging. The Asset Lead possesses expertise in best practices and techniques for generating clean and efficient geometry for various target outputs (e.g., rigging, simulation, photorealistic rendering, as well as real-time game engines). Collaborating with Assets Supervisors, CG Supervisors, VFX Supervisors, and Heads of the CG Department (HODs), the Asset Lead ensures that assets are created properly within the studio pipeline and meet the specific needs of projects and clients. Continued collaboration with other department supervisors on workflows and pipeline is also expected.

Experience with real-time engines is highly desirable, particularly in Unreal Engine, Unity, and Frostbite.

Details

Local Report: LA Head(s) of CG

Works With: Directors, Creative Directors, CG Supervisors, VFX Supervisors, and HODs, Producers, and Coordinators

Responsibilities:
• Create and supervise high quality models, UVs, sculpts, retopology, blendshapes, textures and lookdev
• On the box Hero Character and Creature modeling, along hard surface models
• Exceptional understanding of Facial Modeling and FACS blendshapes
• Work efficiently and navigate a fast-paced environment
• Work with the rigging department to ensure that the animators have what they need in the rigs
• Participate in meetings with the LA / India Assets teams whenever necessary
• Collaborate with Directors, Creative Directors, CG Supervisors, VFX Supervisors, and HODs to ensure that all work being delivered meets high level expectations and specific project needs.

Qualifications
• 8+ year experience working in high quality asset creation (modeling, sculpting, uvs, texturing on hero assets from hard surface to characters)
• 3+ year experience leading or supervising
• Must be a proactive and self-driven creative problem solver
• Proficient in Maya, Zbrush, Mari, Substance Painter
• The ability to texture in Substance Painter and/or Mari
• Ability to work within a new pipeline and continually look for ways to improve it
• Understanding of Facial Modeling, FACS blendshapes, and Facial Rigging
• Knowledge of MEL and/or Python for scripting and tool development is a plus, but not required

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-dyn5j0-52-14-224-197-42 in your application.