R&D Engineer - Image-Based Capture

Job Description

Description

Position at Industrial Light & Magic

We are looking for engineers for our image-based capture R&D team, to help us develop advanced tools for computer vision, motion tracking and geometric reconstruction for major motion pictures.

We’re looking for engineers with experience in computer vision, image-based motion tracking, multi-view geometric reconstruction, facial capture, and match-animation. We need people with strong backgrounds in computer vision, geometric processing, and machine learning, with a keen interest in making production-worthy tools for artists and the drive to put them into action on our upcoming slate of Hollywood blockbusters.
Our motion capture and photomodeling tools have won several Scientific and Technical Academy Awards®. The technology we’re actively developing include such things as:
• Markerless facial motion capture, using machine learning and computer vision.
• Skin-tight human body tracking.
• Lidar set reconstruction

Who We Are

Industrial Light & Magic, founded in 1975 by George Lucas, has created some of the most iconic moments in motion picture history. From Star Wars to Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, Avengers, The Irishman, theme park rides and interactive experiences, ILM continues to expand the possibilities of what visual entertainment can be.

ILM’s R&D and Core Pipeline groups develop the ground-breaking technology that our artists use to create dazzling visuals. ILM’s innovations have won 31 Scientific and Technical Academy Awards®. Today, we are 70+ visually-minded software engineers, working side-by-side with over a thousand digital artists in a fast-paced, intensely collaborative, creatively-driven film production environment, across studios in San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver, London, and Sydney.

Primary Responsibilities
• Work in a collaborative, distributed team of full-time software engineers, and work directly with highly specialized and supremely talented artists, in ILM’s studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, London, and Singapore.
• Develop innovative algorithms and techniques, based on the latest research in computer vision and image-based geometric reconstruction.
• Design artist-friendly user interfaces and automated batch processes that scale to high volume visual effects production.
• Integrate commercial and open-source systems into the ILM production pipeline; collaborate with external organizations such as Disney Research, and with commercial software vendors.
• Work within and extend and support ILM’s proprietary software systems.
• Split time between long-term software development projects and day-to-day production support.

Education / Experience
• BS or advanced degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of experience in professional software development and/or VFX production.

Required Skills / Competencies
• An intuitive understanding of the demands of a fast-paced, creatively-driven visual effects production environment.
• Collaboration: a readiness to trust others, be trustworthy, and play nice.
• Communication: an ability to express yourself concisely, a willingness to speak up, and a conviction to keep everyone informed of progress and issues.
• Empathy: an ability to listen intently and understand artists’ needs.
• Creativity: an insightful and analytical thinker, and a creative problem solver.

Required Technical Skills
• Expert knowledge of programming in Python and/or C++ on Linux.
• Thorough knowledge of technology related to image-based motion tracking and photomodeling: image segmentation, lens models, optical flow, multi-view stereo reconstruction, etc.
• Good knowledge of open-source utilities and numerical libraries: OpenCV, Ceres, Dlib, Eigen, etc.
• Experience with visual effects software applications: Maya, 3DEqualizer, etc.
• Experience designing interfaces using GUI toolkits: Qt, PyQt/PySide, etc.
• Thorough knowledge of software design/development principles: design patterns, object-oriented design, agile development, etc.
• Experience working with a large, complex, mature, and dynamic code base.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gwp1vy-3-149-233-97-42 in your application.