As a company founded and run by an artist, it's our mission to provide talented artists with the freedom and resources they need to deliver quality work and to thrive in a fun and creative environment.

The Rigging Lead will create 3D rigs for different types of objects, vehicles, characters and creatures, ensuring to meet the high quality standards of Rodeo FX, while supporting the Rigging Artists within their project team. This includes answering questions, offering guidance and helping to resolve issues in a positive and constructive manner.  They will work closely with production to assign tasks to artists, communicate the status of work, propose solutions to problems 

Main responsibilities:

• Create 3D rigs for different types of objects, vehicles, characters and creatures;
• Create and rig the internal anatomy of a creature, in order to drive the final deformation of the skin;
• Create feature-quality, scripted rigs and refine them based on the needs of animators and downstream departments;
• Implement and refine character, body/face, cloth/deformer and hard-surface rigs;
• Work closely with modelers and animators to ensure an asset is efficiently rigged and capable of believable movements.
• Work closely with the CG and Animation Supervisors and Production to find creative and technical solutions and approaches that meet project requirements and deadlines;
• Participate in the creation of tools for their speciality. Test the tools before their integration, and ensure clear and accessible documentation;
• Oversee the work of a team of artists on a show, demonstrating an expert standard of skills in the specialty and a positive, solution-driven attitude;
• In collaboration with production, plan and assign appropriate tasks to team members, taking into consideration their abilities, level and the project workflow and timing;
• Provide feedback on artist’s work to ensure it meets quality standards and corresponds with client’s artistic vision;
• Communicate promptly with the Production Team and Department Manager regarding any artist who may not have enough work. May assist in finding alternative tasks (training, R&D pipeline tools, etc);
• Mentor members of their team by providing training and sharing knowledge. Communicate any training needs for their team to the Head of Department. May participate in preparing training materials or giving group training sessions;
• Participate in mid & post mortem reviews, and annual reviews of artists by providing feedback to the Head of Department;
• Keep Production and the project team informed of the status of work, issues to be resolved, ramifications of problems encountered and recommend potential solutions;
• Ensure deadlines are met, advising the project team promptly if delays could be expected, whether by themselves or a member of their team;
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of their specialty and be on the lookout for the latest technological advances in methods and approaches.

• Minimum of 3 years experience as an Rigging Artist, within the VFX industry;
• Knowledge of English and French - should be fluent in one of these languages, functional in the other;
• Excellent knowledge of Maya software;
• Experience in programming using Python and PySide;
• Good knowledge of of the principles of anatomy (bipeds, quadrupeds, skeletons and muscles) and facial expression;
• Knowledge of modeling tools for blend shapes;
• Knowledge of animation tools for the creation of animation test deformation;
• Excellent sense of prioritization and respect of deadlines;
• Ability to stay calm under pressure and act as a positive role model and mentor.

• Full-time, Permanent Contract;
• 5 paid sick days;
• 2 additional statutory holidays in the winter holidays;
• Group Insurance, access to Dialogue online support and to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• RRSP with employer contribution;
• Discounts with Bixi, Nautilus Plus and many more local businesses.

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.