Senior Animation Artist - Temporary contract

Company Description

Repeatedly voted one of Montreal’s Top Employers and Employer of the Year for the 2022 Mercuriades Awards, Rodeo FX is a high-end creative company offering services in visual effects, advertising, animation, and experiential.

Nominated for multiple Emmy Awards for its work on the series Stranger Things season 4, The Witcher season 2, and The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power season 1, the independent, Oscar-winning company boasts close to 900 artists crafting from studios in Montreal, Québec City, Toronto, Los Angeles and Paris.

Rodeo FX is a creative partner to the world’s best storytellers including Netflix, HBO, Disney, Marvel, Amazon Studios, Warner Bros., and Sony, and has collaborated on ads for YouTube, NBC, and Apple. Current projects include Blue Beetle, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon. Recently released projects include John Wick: Chapter 4, Black Adam, Disney's The Little Mermaid, and Love, Death and Robots Volume 3, for which the company won a 2023 VES award.

Work arrangements:
As a company founded and led by an artist, creativity above all guides us. Our mission is to provide our talents with the freedom and resources they need to deliver quality work and thrive in a stimulating, caring environment. While we require employees to be present in the studio at least three days a week, we maintain flexible work arrangements for the remaining days. This balance ensures that we foster collaboration, maintain our vibrant culture, and encourage in-person interaction and teamwork.

Job Description

The Animation Artist at Rodeo FX plays a key role in creating hyper-realistic animations for creatures, characters, and objects, ensuring they meet the studio's high standards. This role requires a strong understanding of movement, storytelling, and acting to bring both realistic and fantastical characters to life.

The artist will collaborate with the Animation Lead and Supervisor to achieve the project’s creative goals while respecting deadlines. The ability to work autonomously and contribute to the technical development of animation techniques is essential.

Main responsibilities:

1. Master Your Craft:
   • Deliver high-quality animations that capture natural and exaggerated movements, depending on project needs.
   • Demonstrate technical proficiency in various animation styles (realistic, cartoon, etc.) to suit the creative direction.
   • Creative Quality:
   • Create compelling performances for creatures, characters, and objects, based on the creative vision and project requirements.
   • Continuously strive to improve animation quality by refining performances, seeking feedback, and pushing creative boundaries.
   • Technical Quality:
   • Ensure animation is technically sound, follows guidelines, and performs efficiently in various pipelines.
   • Work closely with rigging and technical teams to overcome challenges and enhance the animation workflow.
   • Communications:
   • Effectively collaborate with other departments, providing clear feedback and discussing creative and technical solutions to reach optimal results.
   • Keep leads and production teams informed about progress, potential bottlenecks, and adjustments.
   • Teach, Learn, and Grow:
   • Share knowledge, participate in department-wide learning sessions, and mentor junior animators.
   • Stay up-to-date with the latest animation techniques and technologies, continuously expanding your skillset.

Qualifications

• Experience in a similar position within the VFX industry.
• Proficiency in Maya software, with strong body mechanics, facial animation, and FACS (Facial Action Coding System) knowledge.
• Proven ability to animate creatures, bipeds, and mechanical characters, with an understanding of weight, timing, and body dynamics.
• Proficiency in animating performances from video references, with skills in interpreting and creating complex acting scenes.
• Strong prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with a proven ability to work well within a team.

Additional Information

• Proven experience as a Senior Animation Artist.
• Must be based in Montreal.
• Canadian citizenship, permanent residency or open work permit is required.
• Availability to work on-site at the studio 3 days a week.

Diversity is a core value at Rodeo FX. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable work environment where diversity is celebrated and valued. We believe every member on our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to perceive and interact with the world, identify challenges, and to design and deliver projects.