FX Animator / FX Artist

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Designs and creates images, elements and effects (such as fire, smoke, crowds)


• Solid understanding of Maya to be able to use it for particle systems, fields, expressions, MEL scripts, soft bodies, rigid bodies, cloth dynamics and particle instancing/flocking


• Develop EFX system independently for production use


• Effectively use in production an EFX system that another FX Animator developed (i.e. bubbles, Creatively solve problems and achieve art direction given to them for a shot


• Work with other departments and other FX animators to achieve the goals of art direction given


• Solve minor problems independently 


• Strong artistic vision and ability to be creative and expand upon the art direction given


• Strong sense of design and composition


• Strong understanding of Animation and how things should look, feel and move


• Some experience writing scripts and/or programming is preferred


• Ability to multi-task on multiple shots whether similar or different


• Prioritize tasks


• Work on shots independently and efficiently


• Patient and willing to answer questions and mentor other artists


• Stays abreast of current technologies and attempt to implement them effectively


• Shows follow thru and is punctual at dailies

Qualifications, Education and/or Experience

• Experience involving simulations of natural phenomenon, particle systems, procedural modeling, procedural animation, hard and soft body dynamics and other similar effects


• Must have visual and technical skills 


• Ability to work collaboratively in a high-end software and production environment


• A background in computer programming, preferably in C or C++ and UNIX


• An understanding of physical dynamics and natural phenomena is key