What are the responsibilities and job description for the Crowd TD position at Ghost VFX?
Crowd Artist
Ghost VFX
For over two decades, Ghost VFX has collaborated with the very best to create award-winning, innovative visual effects. With contributions to over 100 feature films, episodic and interactive, we are a full-service, global visual effects house. Our talented and dedicated teams around the world make the impossible, possible, fulfilling the dreams of clients and artists alike. With roughly 150 artists and production professionals, we try every day to produce imagery that quietly speaks for itself.
We are looking for a talented Crowd TD to join our dynamic team! Apply now to join us.
Position Summary
The main focus of the position will be to create crowd simulations for CG scenes to populate cities, large-scale environments, and choreograph large crowd movements.
Responsibilities:
- Use Maya/Golaem crowd system to design, create, and implement show specific crowd layouts, QC, and supply to lighting
- Manage and organize motion for crowds
- Animation and simulations on shots or sequences
- Creating show-specific tools and setups to complement the crowd pipeline.
- Setting-up / troubleshooting crowd simulations
- Setup and run cloth simulations on Crowd
- Work with Character Modeling and Rigging to ensure quality and efficiency of crowd assets
- Incorporate provided motions into a locomotion set
- Work with Animation Supervisor and Director to place crowds in shots ranging from simple vignette scattering to complex behavior and simulation using locomotion networks.
- Create a list of needed motions and develop a schedule with the Animation Supervisor
Required Skills:
- Advanced knowledge of Houdini Software
- Proven experience working on high-end VFX feature-film productions.
- Strong crowd and layout skills including asset integration, scene setup, and running simulations
- Experience working with motion capture and/or clip-based animation
- Strong communication skills
- Ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines whilst maintaining a high-quality output.
- Proficiency in crowd production
- Strong team player
- Comfort with non-linear thinking
- Excellent communication
- Proactive, collaborative, and assertive work style
- Strong experience shot building in Maya
- Knowledge of Golaem, or another crowd software (Massive, Houdini, etc);
- Experience using Golaem in production
- Animation experience and the ability to create or update motions
- Experience retargeting new motions in Motionbuilder for crowd prep or re-use
Preferred Skills:
- Passion for creative problem solving
- Additional experience in other 3D packages is a plus
- Varied skill set including animation, rigging, and character work is a plus
- Prior company experience.
- Experience working with cloth simulations and Vellum
- Working knowledge of VEX and/or Python
- Understanding of ‘Maya-to-Houdini’ workflow
- A keen eye for how crowds flock and move / behavioral observations
Qualifications:
- Minimum 2 years experience in a similar role
- Previous experience with the Golaem crowd system is required
- Good understanding of physical motion, weight, balance, texture, and form
- Demonstrated ability to work with strict deadlines and under pressure
- Ability to take direction and find creative solutions during the iterative process
- Strong attention to detail
- Ability to troubleshoot in 3dsMax
Education:
- High School education or equivalent required
- BA/BS in applicable field preferred
Ghost VFX is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law.
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