Senior FX Artist - Temp; SFD​/Cinematics

City Santa Monica California Category Art / Animation Cinematics

Team Name:

Cinematics

Senior FX Artist
- Temp (SFD / Cinematics)

R028291

Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a talented Senior FX Artist to assist our Story and Franchise Development (SFD) team in creating the next generation of our award-winning cinema tics.

Responsibilities

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

You will work in partnership with modelers, animators, texture artists, lighters, compositors, and the various games teams to ensure FX are delivered to the highest standard. You have experience creating simulations and systems that mimic real life phenomena such as smoke, fire, and water. You’ll also need to have strong art skills to help design and implement abstract magical and technological effects.

Basic compositing skills will be required for FX slap-comps for review by the supervision team. Lastly, your strong background with procedural tools, methodologies and game engines are a plus.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The home studio for this role is Irvine, CA. However, we understand each person’s circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore other possible options, including remote work arrangements.

This is roughly a 4-month temporary position starting mid-December or mid-January.

Minimum Requirements

• 8+ years' experience working in a professional Gaming/Animation/VFX company producing feature film quality effects in Houdini
• Extensive experience with particle systems, fluid dynamics, rigid body dynamics, and procedural systems

Knowledge & Skills

• A good understanding of physical dynamics and natural phenomena as demonstrated by your portfolio
• Familiar with feature film level pipelines and their respective issues
• Proven track record creating effects such as smoke, fire, clouds, water, steam, explosions, magic, etc.
• A trained creative eye that is able to participate in conceptual and practical discussions about what is needed to achieve an effect – and what is important to communicate with it
• Experience with node-based compositing software such as Nuke
• Experience with real-time VFX within a modern Game Engine (ex: Unreal, and Unity)
• Experience using PDG to execute caching and rendering processes
• Experience / familiar with USD FX deliverables

Key Attributes

• Able to problem solve both technically and creatively in a collaborative environment with directors / art directors
• Able to stay current with the latest tools, technologies, and techniques

Extra Points

• Experience with VEX
• Experience with C++ or Python
• Working Knowledge of Houdini’s Solaris lighting context (LOPS) and Karma, Mantra, Render Man or Redshift renderers
• Shipped a AAA game title

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and Star Craft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (  ), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards.

Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via ®, Xbox, Play Station, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and…