Game Engine Artist

This is a Full Time Job

Cinecode, the Virtual Production arm of DigitalFilm Tree (DFT) is growing and we're excited to add an Animator to our team. Reporting to our Head Producer, the Animator is responsible for quick turnarounds in Unity and Unreal environments with heavy interactions with our in house developer, editor and project manager to meet critical deadlines for our clients. Work ranges from safety protocols and stunt coordination to full scale environment creation and character creation.

Description:

+ Create pre-vis for film/tv by leveraging game engine tech in both Unity and Unreal.
+ Understanding of the film/tv post and production process.
+ Pre-vis experience on a film or television series is helpful. Portfolio of Unity and/or Unreal Animation work required.
+ Can work under the pressure of quick turnaround times
+ Comfortable with research & development projects to conceptualize & execute animation + pre-vis tools.
+ Must work well on a team with blended focuses (animators + developers) for the benefit of stories.
+ Interest in virtual production + learning new skills.

Soft Skills:

• Flexibility
^ Interchange between creating previs animation for characters + objects, to animating & exporting Virtual Camera shots.
^ Can animate in both Unity, and Unreal Engine.
^ Can work in both 3D + 2D
^ Familiar with environments : 2D sprites, 3D FBX., OBJ. Lidar, or Point Cloud.
^ Able to work between desktop and VR based projects.
^ Can project manage, switching between competing priorities & keeping track of tasks.

• Teamwork + Communication Skills + Problem Solving
^ Our team consists of animators + developers we keep each other up to date on any project changes, let other teammates know what projects you're actively working on, new workflows, and ways to make our process more efficient.
^ Clear on communicating project information to avoid merge conflicts when pushing projects over via Perforce (p4v), & preventing overwriting any work.
^ Animators + Developers work together when it comes to troubleshooting & testing; individual has to be able to quickly adapt between departments, and is able to solve problems that don't always have clear solutions.

• Innovative
^ Looking for someone who can bring new ideas + concepts that can make workflows much more efficient.
^ Our team welcomes thinking that can make the process of creating a project from start to finish easier.
^ Individual finds creative ways to execute each project while still fulfilling the clients' vision + needs

• Organized
^ Great attention to detail. Cannot emphasize how valuable this is to our team.
^ Be able to track & document your steps as you progress through the project.
^ Keep projects organized with proper file structures, and naming conventions. Goal is to make it easy for other teammates to collaborate and pick up on.
^ The team learns from individual accomplishments; explaining your process in detail educates a diverse team.

Service/ Job Duties:

• Animate characters, objects, & virtual cameras inside Unity or Unreal Engine.
^ Use multiple timelines + control tracks to avoid merge conflicts with other animators.
• Use 3D Softwares such as: Maya, Blender, SketchUp to optimize 3D models.
• Set up environments
^ Import + scale + texture
^ Work with 3D, Lidar, Point Cloud, or 2D.
• Create proper timelines + prefabs when starting new projects.
• Occasionally use photoshop, illustrator, after effects, or premiere to mock up samples.
• Use Perforce (p4v) to push and pull projects.
^ This is our way of merging projects + assets.
• Export shots with proper delivery formats + codecs, frame rates, naming convention, burn-in info, & metadata.
• Troubleshoot
• Join client sessions for realtime previs. Modifying changes on the spot, troubleshooting, taking notes on any additional revisions or client requests.
• Research + ask questions
• Can work remotely

Experience & Education:

+ Needs to be proficient at using Unity, and Unreal Engine.
+ Has an understanding, or has previously worked in the film/ tv industry. We're looking for people who know how to tell stories visually.
+ Ability to work in a team, and individually.
+ Multitask between projects, and can pick up on any remaining tasks.
+ Knows how to use perforce (p4v) in a collaborative setting.
+ Intermediate in other 3D softwares: Maya, Blender, Sketchup.
+ Beginner to Intermediate in: photoshop, illustrator, after effects, or premiere
+ Familiar with PC.
+ Understands the importance of keeping projects organized, proper delivery formats + codecs, and keeping naming conventions accurate before delivering media to clients + other teammates.
+ Comfortable with working overtime when necessary to meet deadlines.
+ Deliver media on time in an environment with quick turnaround times.