Character Development Lead

Character Development Lead

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Type: Full Time
Activities:
Lead Character Developer
Place:
Montreal
Description
Job Summary

The Character Development Lead is the liaison representative of the Animation department to the Rigging and Modeling departments. Working closely with these department heads to help facilitate the functionality and usability of all CG characters.

Responsibilities

• Create modeling “Aesthetic checks” for all character assets to ensure appealing design in 3d space.
• Work with Animation Supervisor to create an efficient animation-rig testing workflow
• Work with the Animation Supervisor, Character Specialists, and Rigging team to ascertain if current rig functionality is providing the performance and character appeal expected from a given asset. If discrepancies arise, mediate by contributing examples and explanations in a way that is clearly understood by all parties present.
• Contribute examples and explanations that all teams can understand.
• While exploring rig functionality provide the Rigging team with animator friendly solutions to any complex technical problems that emerge.
• Impart knowledge to the Rigging team to help facilitate a better understanding on how animators approach and execute rig and tool functionality.
• Be the corner stone on all global character rig updates and changes to ensure a consistency across multiple productions.
• Assist the heads of Modeling, Rigging, and Animation to maintain, and improve upon, a systematic and efficient rig testing workflow.
• Create, or supervise the creation of, online documentation to reflect all philosophical and technical approaches needed for the creation, testing, and animating of character rigs.
• Assume the role of filtering all Character Specialists’ philosophical and technical rig inquiries including proof reading testing notes and entertaining functionality proposals.
• Help maintain a healthy, interactive relationship between the Modeling, Rigging, and Animation departments.
• Attend training within the Rigging department to gain an understanding of the character modular system and departmental workflow.
• Must be capable of distinguishing the complexity requirements of each character asset based on it’s role in the production. Be it main, secondary, or tertiary. Assist the HOA in disseminating these expectations to the Character Specialists and keeping them on course.
• Work consciously with character rig deadlines in mind. Stay in frequent communication with Character Specialists, production staff, and the heads of Modeling, Rigging, and Animation with concerns of overage in regards to asset due dates.
• Stay current with modern trends in rig philosophies and technology.

Qualifications

• Degree/diploma in fine arts or animation or equivalent experience
• Minimum 2-5 years experience as an Animator (or equivalent)
• Solid understanding of character animation, and lip-synching
• Ability to communication design concepts through drawing
• Good understanding of strong character posing and performance
• Understanding in bipedal and quadruped anatomy
• Proficient with Maya
• Solid grasp of rigging
• Solid modeling skills
• Good understanding of Mel, Python.
• Able to communicate creative and technical thoughts and ideas
• Able to multi-task and prioritize
• Enjoy working in teams
• Able to follow directions, receive and deliver critiques

If this position does interest you, we invite you to apply directly on our website: https://careers.reelfx.com/apply/624?language=en

This job description is not meant to be all inclusive. Employee may be required to perform other duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Please note that Canadian citizen or a permanent resident candidates will be treated in priority.
Only the selected candidates will be contacted. Please note that you may be asked to provide references.

Apply now