Senior FX/Crowd Artist

Job Overview:

A Crowd Artist is responsible for creating realistic crowd simulations and animations to populate large-scale environments with characters, animals, or vehicles in feature films, episodic content, and commercials. He/She will use procedural tools and crowd simulation software, to create believable population movements that integrate seamlessly into live-action or CG environments. He/She will work closely with Animation, Layout, and FX departments and make sure the workflow is seamless.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and animate crowd simulations using industry-standard tools like Houdini, Golaem, Massive, Miarmy.
• Work with the CG Supervisor and other departments to achieve creative goals and continuity across shots.
• Troubleshoot and optimize crowd assets and simulations for efficient rendering.
• Implement behavioral logic and animation cycles to achieve believable motion.
• Ensure crowd elements match the visual style and technical requirements of the project.
• Collaborate with Lighting, Compositing, and FX teams for final integration.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of animation principles and character performance.
• Proficiency with crowd softwares such as Golaem, Houdini, Massive, or similar. Solid knowledge of Maya, Houdini.
• Understanding of pipeline workflows and ability to solve problems & technical issues.
• Should also have the ability to simulate elements like fire, water, smoke, explosions, and other dynamic effects.
• Good eye for detail, scale, timing, and weight in motion.
• Experience with scripting (Python, MEL) is a plus.
• Experience with lighting/rendering in Arnold, Mantra.
• A portfolio demonstrating previous crowd animation work is required.

Preferred Experience:

• 4+ years of experience as a Crowd Artist in a VFX or animation studio.
• Experience on feature films, TV series, or high-end commercials.
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.
• Ability to take direction and iterate based on feedback.