Lead CFX Artist

The Lead CFX Artist will manage CFX artists & project pipeline on 3D projects for TV, film & games clients. Using the studio’s Houdini CFX pipeline and co-operating with the CFX Technical Director, the CFX Lead will be driving the team to meet scheduled objectives & quality targets set across a variety of Cloth, Hair, Fur, Feathers and Muscle set-ups & simulations. The Lead CFX Artist is responsible for QC on all output from the project CFX team.

In addition, they are required to feedback on & manage technical challenges alongside other project leads and CFX Technical Directors. A fundamental responsibility of this role is interpreting, filtering & communicating a diverse range of feedback to the CFX artists. The Lead CFX Artist will help the Head of Dept in mentoring Jnr members of the Dept providing technical & artistic leadership, passing on knowledge & methodology on best practice & technique, helping the growth of the studio.

The Lead CFX Artist should contribute to the general progression of the studios CFX pipeline as well as ensuring the projects run smoothly.

This role can be performed remotely, with working hours overlapping GMT. 

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Art Director, CG Supervisor, and Departments Leads to take the most efficient creative decisions that guarantee the best output. 
• Set up and run Cloth, Hair, Fur, Feathers and Muscles simulations using Houdini.
• Work together with the Supervisor, CFX Technical Directors and HODs to implement solutions adoptable by the whole team across multiple projects, assets, and platforms.
• Communicate with the Modelling team to ensure that the models are suitable.
• Prototype and implement new solutions, following the standard of our pipeline and contributing to its maintenance.
• Meet delivery deadlines under production constraints.
• Document and present their own work to the rest of the team.
• Mentoring and coaching the members of the team on an individual and collective basis.
• When required be assigned to simpler FX or Rigging tasks during production ensuring exceptional standards, building and improving animation rigs or supporting on foliage or other types of FX where tool requirements is similar to CFX

Skills Required

• Excellent written and verbal communication and time management skills.
• A desire and ability to lead others members of the team.
• Willing to be part of a team of different skill levels and contribute to the growth of others and to the achievement of common goals.
• Being self-reliant and able to judge and review your own work.
• Ability to problem solve and predict potential problems with assigned tasks.
• Excellent knowledge of Houdini and/or Maya.
• Experience with Cloth, Hair, Fur, Feathers and Muscles simulation.
• Being self-reliant and able to judge and review your own work.
• Solid asset building skills, including modeling and rigging.
• Ability to problem solve and predict potential problems with assigned tasks.
• A thorough understanding of the techniques and technologies relating to CFX simulation and procedural animation.
• A familiarity with scripting e.g. Vex, Python, hscript is preferable.

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