Pipeline Technical Director, FX Level I

Description

The Pipeline TD is responsible for developing and maintaining software tools, providing front-line support to artists, and general troubleshooting of the CG pipeline in a fast-paced, feature film visual effects production environment. The primary focus is ensuring artist efficiency. Receives day-to-day direction and priorities from facility supervisors; reports to Studio Technology Director/Supervisors for technical guidance and oversight.

• Develop and maintain FX pipeline tools to meet immediate, department-directed production demands, ensuring facility-wide consistency as directed by show and facility technical supervisors. Help maintain a wide array of existing workflows and scripts.
  
• Provide front-line production support,[removed “wide range of disciplines”] troubleshoot assets and shots, and help artists with general problem-solving. Monitor email requests, package up problems and redirect to appropriate engineering team. 
  
• Test and validate tools and techniques in production. Work closely with engineering teams in testing, and releasing new and modified software systems.
  
• Act as an on-call resource for show production staff.
  
• Collaborate effectively with artists, production supervisors, and technical staff across ILM studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, Singapore, and London.
  
• When not crewed to shows, serve on software teams working on projects that improve the efficiency of asset setup, caching, and shot-data handoff between artists across the entire pipeline.
  
• Take direction from facility supervisors to determine day-to-day and hour-to-hour priorities.
  
• Work primarily on tools of moderate complexity, requiring general understanding of the larger pipeline.
  
• Provide front-line support and gather information about artist problems and obstacles; resolve complex user errors; connect artists with deeper problems to appropriate technical support. 
  
• Develop broad knowledge of software, systems, and standards and conventions used in production.
  
• Update documentation for the pipeline and tools to reflect any changes that are made.

Education / Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science or a related technical field.
  
• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining tools for use in computer graphics.
  
• At least 2 years production experience in visual effects for film, commercials or television.
  

• Proficiency in Linux
  
• Strong Python scripting required
  
• Experience in one or more of Maya, Nuke, Houdini or similar.
  
• Ability to communicate cross-discipline and provide innovative solutions to pipeline issues.
  
• Detail oriented and strong self-sufficient trouble shooter.
  
• Good understanding of the entire visual effects process, from shooting to modeling and texturing, animation, FX, rendering and compositing
  

• Experience with production database systems
  
• Experience with C, C++
  
• Experience with FX pipelines.