Lead Rigger Jobs

At Skydance Interactive, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive entertainment. Innovation in game design, technology and storytelling is the passion that drives our agile studio of dedicated and talented game creators. Collaboration across all disciplines is vital to our success and is at the core of the inclusive culture we strive to foster every day.

We empower our employees to take ownership of the features they develop and create their own solutions when challenges arise. As our studio grows, we want to bring even more risk-takers, innovators and diverse voices along for the ride as we continue to create the games that will defy convention and define the future of the medium.

Following the success of our first VR title Archangel, we elevated our ambition and tackled The Walking Dead universe in VR. The result was the 2020 genre-defining hit The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.

As Lead Rigger, you’ll creatively and technically lead the rigging team and build rigs that meet the needs of the Art and Animation Director. Working alongside Animators, Character Artists, and Designers, you’ll help forward the development of rigging tools, workflows, and apply the latest advancements that bring props and characters to life for current and future projects.

Responsibilities

• Mentor and train internal rigging team members.
• Drive development of new tools and rigging systems for future projects to support new pipelines, future technology, and advance quality and realism.
• Oversee and manage the daily operations of internal and external rigging teams.
• Collaborate and advise character artists in the development of models that meet technical requirements.
• Design, build and maintain prop rigs.
• Ensure proper implementation and setup of SKM in the game engine.
• Work with team Directors and Leads, to ensure rigs meet game requirements, identify and prioritize tasks.
• Provide and maintain documentation.
• Design, build, and maintain joint based character rigs (body, facial, and creature) using existing systems and tools.
• Collaborate with animators to create artist-friendly rigs that satisfy animation and gameplay needs.
• Set up custom deformers and secondary motion using dynamics/physics whether in Maya or game engine. (i.e. cloth, fur, hair)

Requirements

• Strong understanding of anatomy and biomechanics (human and animal).
• Python and Mel scripting experience.
• Strong background with integration of motion capture data (body and face) with rigs.
• Strong communication, self-management, and organizational skills.
• Familiarity with Maya.
• Detailed working knowledge of rigging, deformation, topology, and skinning.
• Minimum 7+ years of games production experience with 2+ years managing a team.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to find sensible and practical solutions.
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine 5 and or similar game engines.

Pluses

• Familiarity with multi-platform performance efficiency and optimization.
• Has a background in either drawing, modeling, or animation.
• Have shipped a console games title.
• Knowledge of C++ programming.

The salary range for this position in Los Angeles is $106,000 – $130,000. The salary offered may vary based on the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience and relevant expertise, among other factors. The range indicated is for base salary only and does not reflect the total compensation package, including bonus, benefits, etc.

We realize that skills and expertise can come from many different experiences and paths, and we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet all of the requirements as written in the job description.

#Interactive #LI-hybrid

Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive, and animation divisions.

Skydance is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to building and fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. We welcome and consider applicants for employment regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy status, military/veteran status, disability, or any other protected category. Diversity in the workplace is not just a commitment, it is who we are and a reflection of what makes our world special.

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