Description
CG Supervisor (Rigging) – EA SPORTS
Artworks is the central content creation group for the EA Sports Label, developing high end visual content (characters, environments, props, FX, lighting, etc.). We partner closely with the studio Game Teams in co-development for all of the sports titles developed across EA Canada and Tiburon. Artworks prides itself in delivering large volumes of high quality art assets while consistently striving for improvements in visuals, tools, process and workflow.
The Artworks Rigging CG Supervisor leads a team of Riggers who are responsible for the delivery of all rigging assets to multiple clients, for multiple game titles.
The Rigging CG Supervisor role is a full-time position within Artworks, the central content creation group at Electronic Arts. Artworks develops visual content (characters, environments, props, FX, lighting, etc.) for all of the sports titles at the studio (FIFA, NHL, Fight Night, etc.). The group has a strong commitment to delivering large volumes of high quality art assets on time and on budget, and consistently strives for improvement in visuals, tools, processes, and workflow. The Artworks Rigging CG Supervisor is responsible for guiding the pursuit of such improvements as it pertains to rigging.
Candidates for the CG Supervisor role can be from an Art, Design, Mathematics, Engineering or Science background; however, they must demonstrate a deep understanding of both art and technology in the computer games context. Having worked in both a game development team as well as in a central team is a bonus.
Responsibilities
Leadership, Vision, Roadmap
• Accountable for developing and improving rigging technology and workflows, and defining a roadmap that is linked to the unified Sports Label vision – in collaboration and compatible with the Content Management Initiative group, Core Operations Leaders, Art Directors, Group TDs, etc.
• Lead the rigging community, and provide support and guidance to the animation community.
• Aware of global industry trends in content production and technology for major entertainment forms (e.g., video games, film, animation, etc.) and present to appropriate stakeholders on a regular, recurring basis.
Production
• Accountable for rigging asset delivery to all game team partners on time and meeting budget (memory and performance).
• Accountable for all rigging technology and art workflows, local and distributed.
• Accountable for documenting rigging workflows within EAC Artworks.
• Identify rigging workflow problems, and work with Technical Producers, SMEs, CG Sups and TAs to solve them.
• Identify and prioritize rigging development needs, both internal to Artworks as well as those delivered to partner groups such as Core Tech, Configuration Management, and the game teams.
• Evaluate technology delivered to Artworks for technical completion, performance, quality and compliance.
• Prototype cutting-edge approaches to rigging and animation content creation using internal or external frameworks in support of R&D efforts and new intellectual property.
Career Management, Mentorship
• Ensure that the responsibility set and skills of the rigging role remains current and accurately reflects the direction of EA Sports games development, supported by training initiatives and recruitment/retention strategies.
• Responsible for Artworks rigging staffing (including overhead roles, TFT/contractors, and RFT hiring).
• Interact with artists/TAs on a semi-regular basis to identify challenges and provide mentoring as related to rigging and animation.
• Accountable for mentoring and coaching the Artworks rigging community on technical skills.
• Provide performance feedback and career management, where applicable, for rigging team.
Community
• Liaison with TAs, CG Supervisors, and TDs to improve overall Label rigging and animation community.
• Liaison with studio peers to represent Artworks rigging interests amongst the studio’s technical community.
• Provide visibility, clarification, and status to technical community and Label steering group on central initiatives relevant to rigging production and workflows.
• Liaison with the staff at the EA Motion Capture Studio, particularly during skeleton proportion and animation testing, but also in development of technical workflows as it pertains to motion capture and rigging.