Lead CG 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, Chicago, Berlin and Bangalore. 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.
Our global Visual Effects team combines talent with technology, artistry with rigor, the familiar with the fantastic. Our work can be inspiring or invisible, but always unforgettable. From the language of colour to the hand drawn and photo-real, we bring ideas to life through the use of movement, storytelling and timing.

The Lead CG Artist will strive to deliver jobs to the highest standards. Leading a variety of high-profile jobs, they must demonstrate strong leadership qualities throughout. It is their responsibility to ensure that not only is the work of best quality but throughout the duration of a job they are a key figure in executing and managing project pipelines, maintaining team morale.

This artist must possess an in-depth knowledge of 3D, and be able to advise upon the most effective ways to approach high-end visual effects. They must deal with client feedback in a constructive manner, and understand how to guide them through the creative process, often with great diplomacy, achieving a result which delivers within schedule and budget.

This role will work closely with the Heads of department to ensure The Mill remains at the cutting edge of 3D by testing new methodologies and workflows then sharing their findings. They will proactively research, develop and adapt new and current ideas and techniques so they build a reputation for producing outstanding visuals and driving innovation.

What you'll do:

As the Lead CG Artist you will drive highly complex projects and is responsible for planning each project's work-flow, working with the Director and Creatives to define the desired look and feel and supervise teams of 3D Artists to successfully deliver the project.

Internally you will be responsible for managing the team of artists on a project both locally and in other studios. This includes daily liaison with other Senior Artists across the group.
Often required to attend shoots, you will work with the 2D lead artist to ensure that the outcome of the shoot is successful and the correct 3D data has been obtained to execute the job efficiently.

In this role you are responsible for training and mentoring new artists and developing the careers of the junior artists to ensure the creative output of the whole department is to a standard befitting our worldwide reputation. As Lead Artist you will represent The Mill in a professional way both internally and externally at events or conferences.

Responsibilities:

Job Execution
• Lead and manage high profile and complex visual effects projects to deliver to creative expectations, deadline and budget.
• Manage local & remote teams of VFX artists.
• Manage large and complex workloads to deliver on time, even with tight deadlines.
• Demonstrate strong leadership, mentoring, and proactive problem-solving skills.
• Manage expectations on progress throughout tasks and projects.
• Work in coordination with both 3D and 2D VFX artists to ensure Mill standards are maintained at all times.
• Build strong personal client relationships with both creative talent and directors.

Pre-Production
• Attend pre-production meetings as required.
• Lead meetings with clients providing detailed knowledge of complex effects creation.
• Attend shoots to advise Directors and Producers upon the most effective ways to shoot for high-end VFX.
• Determine production requirements and advise on best practices, available processes and budgets for all types of VFX projects.

Departmental
• Work closely with scheduling to make sure artists are well-integrated into jobs, including jobs they are not responsible for.
• Work closely with the Heads of 3D and VFX artists to research, develop and implement new technology and creative ideas.
• Coordinate jobs efficiently across all sites.
• Stay current with developments and technology in the industry.

Mentorship / Talent
• Manage and mentor the 3D Artists on complex VFX projects, and co-ordinate their VFX output and ensure high levels of quality control.
• Help progress artists into lead roles by overseeing them with the intention of giving them more responsibilities on a job and give them the opportunity to quote jobs, attend meetings and shoots.
• Advise Artists across the department on their technique and provide feedback on work-in-progress.
• Deliver talks and presentations at industry events.
• Actively seek out new talent and help Heads of 3D with recruiting new talent keeping and eye on possible gaps in the 3D structure.

Qualifications

What you'll need
• At least 5 years' experience as a VFX artist.
• Highly developed knowledge of the visual effects and associated pipelines.
• Proven experience of managing teams of CG Artists.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Exceptional problem solving skills.
• A diplomatic ability to scrutinize work, say how it could be improved and implement constructive workflows to obtain superior visuals.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rnwk31-3-16-70-101-42 in your application.