Crowd FX at Sony Pictures Imageworks

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Junior (1 to 2 years), Mid-level (3 to 4 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Visual Effects, Animation, FilmIndustries

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, OR Diploma or certificate from a recognized school of animation or visual effects, OR 3-4 years of relevant experience in animated or VFX feature films
Expertise with crowd simulation in Houdini/Massive/Golaem or similar
Able to design interaction characteristics for a variety of agent types
Understanding of animation principles and the ability to create realistic group behaviors by controlling the motion of individuals within a crowd
Customize procedural techniques to create unique and varied performance for animation clip driven characters, as well as standalone simulation agents
Adept at providing solutions to creative and technical problems
Comfortable with Houdini and FX basics: Particle simulation, Basic VEX/VOPS, Understands attributes, Basic FLIP, PYRO, RBD/destruction, OTL/HDA basics
Render optimizations
Nuke competence
Katana knowledge a plus
Organized, proactive and a self-starter
A team player and clear communicator, with a natural aptitude for collaboration
Adaptable, with a keenness to learn new skills and techniques
Calm under pressure and committed to meeting production deadlines
A positive, can-do attitude

Responsibilities

Conceptualize and implement digital character elements and methodology for computer generated crowd animation
Create agent assets, pipelines, tools and techniques that enable population and manipulation of large numbers of characters in scenes requiring crowd simulation to support and motivate the story
Accountable for meeting efficiency and quota targets to ensure show/client deadlines are met
Develop solutions and techniques that meet art/technical direction
Participate in dailies, rounds, team reviews of work in progress
Interact with production, supervisors and team/peers in order to problem solve and share information related to show/assigned tasks
Decipher as well as follow through on shot turnovers, dailies, briefings/notes and feedback
Shot set up and assisting junior Artists

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

HoudiniMassiveGolaemCrowd SimulationAgent AssetsAnimation PrinciplesVFX PipelinesCrowd FX

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What benefits are offered for this role?

Benefits include healthcare, tuition reimbursement, RRSPs, sick and vacation leave, and standard increases as applicable, per company policy.

Is this a remote position or does it require working in the office?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What skills are required for the Crowd FX artist role?

Required skills include expertise with crowd simulation in Houdini/Massive/Golaem or similar, understanding of animation principles for realistic group behaviors, comfort with Houdini and FX basics like particle simulation, basic VEX/VOPS, attributes, and basic FLIP/PYRO/RBD, plus Nuke competence.

What is the company culture like at Sony Pictures Imageworks?

The company is committed to respecting traditional lands and working towards reconciliation, seeks highly motivated and creative artists for collaborative VFX teams, and values organized, proactive, and self-starting personal qualities.

What makes a candidate stand out for this Crowd FX position?

Candidates stand out with professional experience in both animated and live action projects, generalist knowledge in Houdini, Katana, Maya, personal project work showing self-motivation, comfort with Linux/Unix command line, programming in VEX/Python/shell scripting, and in-depth knowledge of VFX pipeline data flow.

Sony Pictures Imageworks

Visual effects and animation studio

About Sony Pictures Imageworks

Sony Pictures Imageworks creates visual effects and animations for the film and entertainment industry. They produce photorealistic live-action effects, dynamic character animations, and full computer-generated features. Their work includes over 100 productions, contributing to major films like "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" and animated features such as "Across The Spider-Verse." The studio differentiates itself through proprietary software and tools that enhance their visual effects capabilities, giving them a competitive edge. Their goal is to deliver high-quality visual content while also licensing their technology to other studios.

Culver City, CaliforniaHeadquarters

1992Year Founded

VENTURE_UNKNOWNCompany Stage

Design, EntertainmentIndustries

1,001-5,000Employees

Benefits

Health Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Paid Sick Leave

Paid Vacation

Risks

Competition from Montreal-based VFX companies may impact market share.

Relocation to The Post could lead to operational disruptions.

Departure of key personnel might affect ongoing projects and collaborations.

Differentiation

Sony Pictures Imageworks excels in photorealistic live-action visual effects and CG animation.

The company has developed proprietary software for cutting-edge visual effects production.

Their global presence includes facilities in Culver City, Vancouver, and Chennai.

Upsides

Expansion into Montreal enhances their North American market presence.

Increased demand for high-quality VFX boosts their project opportunities.

AI-driven animation tools improve workflow efficiency and creative possibilities.

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