Creature FX Artist

Company Description

Repeatedly voted one of Montreal’s Top Employers and Employer of the Year for the 2022 Mercuriades Awards, Rodeo FX is a high-end creative company offering services in visual effects, advertising, animation, and experiential.

Nominated for multiple Emmy® Awards for its work on the series Stranger Things season 4, Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, the independent, Oscar®-winning company boasts close to 800 artists crafting from studios in Montreal, Québec City, Toronto, Los Angeles and Paris.

Rodeo FX is a creative partner to the world’s best storytellers including Netflix, HBO, Disney, Marvel, Amazon Studios, Warner Bros. and Sony, and has collaborated on ads for YouTube, NBC and Apple. Current projects include Dune: Prophecy, Silo Season 2 and Sonic 3. Recently released projects include The Rings of Power Season 2, Venom: The Last Dance, Taika Waitit's Time Bandits, and House of the Dragon Season 2.

Work arrangements:
As a company founded and led by an artist, creativity above all guides us. Our mission is to provide our talents with the freedom and resources they need to deliver quality work and thrive in a stimulating, caring environment. While we require employees to be present in the studio at least three days a week, we maintain flexible work arrangements for the remaining days. This balance ensures that we foster collaboration, maintain our vibrant culture, and encourage in-person interaction and teamwork.

Job Description

The Creature Effects Artist is responsible for creating believable and photo-realistic simulations and deformations for creatures and characters across our projects. Working closely with leads, supervisors, and colleagues from other departments, they develop robust setups for hair, fur, clothing, feathers, muscles, and skin, while meeting creative, technical, and production requirements. They contribute to the quality of final deliverables, the evolution of department tools, and the continuous improvement of the pipeline.

Key Responsibilities:

Master your the craft

• Create simulation setups for hair, fur, feathers, fabrics, muscles, skin, and other organic materials, tailored to the specific needs of shots or characters.
• Launch and adjust simulations based on feedback received during dailies or internal reviews.
• Perform shot modeling passes to support deformation or simulation.
• Manage time efficiently by prioritizing tasks according to shot progress and delivery deadlines.

Creative quality

• Develop realistic simulations that are aesthetically consistent with the project’s visual style.
• Adapt creative approaches to the narrative or technical constraints of each shot.
• Propose elegant and optimized visual solutions to challenges related to creatures or characters.

Technical quality

• Ensure the robustness, cleanliness, and optimization of created setups.
• Identify, diagnose, and quickly resolve technical issues related to simulations.
• Perform rigorous quality control before submitting shots for review.

Communication

• Collaborate closely with other departments (Modeling, Rigging, Animation, Lighting, etc.) to ensure smooth technical exchanges.
• Maintain proactive communication with production and leads regarding task status, technical challenges, and potential impacts on schedules.
• Actively participate in shot reviews, dailies, and technical discussions to advance the overall quality of deliverables.

Learn, share, and evolve

• Contribute to the development and documentation of department tools, techniques, and best practices.
• Adapt to pipeline evolutions, new software features, and innovative methods.
• Share knowledge and actively collaborate on the continuous improvement of workflows.

Qualifications

• CFX experience in a VFX environment (minimum 2 years recommended).
• Advanced proficiency in Houdini and the VEX language.
• Working knowledge of Nuke for presenting work.
• Experience in shot modeling and creating simulation setups for hair, clothing, muscles, or other deformations.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to manage priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Rigor, autonomy, attention to detail, and a collaborative mindset.
• Asset: Knowledge of Python scripting.
• Asset: Knowledge of Flow and participation in pipeline or internal tool development.

Additional Information

• Sick/personal days ;
• Group Insurance, access to Dialogue online support and to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) ;
• RRSP with employer contribution ;
• Discounts on public transports, several spas, sports classes, art center, cafes, furniture and several other local businesses.

#LI-Hybrid

Diversity : At Rodeo FX, diversity is a core value. We’re committed to creating an inclusive, equitable workplace where different perspectives are embraced. Every team member brings unique insight that strengthens our creativity, challenges our thinking, and helps us deliver better work.

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