ILMxLAB Senior Character Technical Artist / Rigger

We are looking for a creative problem solver who reflects the innovative spirit, creative talent, production excellence, collaborative mindset and passion for great storytelling that defines ILMxLAB.Character Technical Artists design and build animation setups and systems, and partner with Modelers, Animators, Designers, and Engineers to bring our characters to life.What You’ll DoDesign, build and test advanced animation rigs, setups, systems and workflows for a variety of ultra high-end characters, creatures, vehicles and props via Maya, Unreal and ILM's proprietary toolsets

Assist in development & maintenance of systems and workflows for animating and rigging characters which expedite our character setup and animation process, as well as writing scripts to facilitate art production when required

Up to date on the industry standard tools and systems (in Unreal Engine, Maya, etc.) and constantly curious about promising new techniques for skeletons, facial animation methodologies, and constraints used for character animation

Develop familiarity of proprietary toolsets & workflows in the ILM pipeline, integrating as necessary with established best-practices for real-time production workflow, adapting and evolving to solve problems within that hybrid framework - this position calls for an individual who enjoys the difficulty of solving problems, with a keen attention to detail and sense of anticipation

Consult in development of breakdowns, task lists, estimates, schedules, milestones and overall project goals as necessary; participate in project stand-ups, meetings, and reviews

Actively participate in concept testing of new ideas and building of rapid prototypes

What We’re Looking For5+ years experience as a Character TD, Technical Artist-Rigger or Technical Animator role for AAA game development, directly supporting the production with rigging, scripting & tool development.

4+ years production experience with Maya, Maya API

Excellent working knowledge of scripting - Maya Python/PyMEL, C API, and PySide/PyQt GUI design experience

Knowledgeable of the real-time art production pipeline & process for different types of asset creation - especially of potential pitfalls and other risks involved with movement mechanics & deformation

Strong grasp of basic animation principles, clear understanding of anatomy, kinematics & deformation

Extensive experience with integration of performance capture animation for both body & face

Experience with run-time, blend-tree based animation systems. Unreal and Maya experience preferred

Bonus points for:

Deep knowledge of Unreal Animation features & toolsets: blueprints, component anims, physics-based anims, Sequencer, Matinee

Experience with cloth, hair, fracturing and rigid simulations

Working knowledge of Linux, Perforce, Linear Algebra

VFX production experience

Experience or interest in the creation of VR & MR experiences

A portfolio/reel submission - including a detailed breakdown of your work in each section - is required with all applicationsLocation: San Francisco,CaliforniaJob Posting Company:The Walt Disney Company and its Affiliated Companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, email Candidate.Accommodations@Disney.com with your request. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or correspondence. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.