ILM Vancouver Generalist Department Pipeline TD

Description

The Generalist Department Pipeline Technical Director is a 3DS Max Developer who supports the VFX Generalist artists at ILM. The Generalist Pipeline TD maintains the pipeline to model, paint, animate, and render complex, large scale digital environments in Autodesk 3ds Max and Vray on Windows. This position builds and maintains software systems, improves production pipeline operations, and provide front-line troubleshooting to shows in production.

The 3DS Max Pipeline TD receives day-to-day direction and priorities from Generalist Area Tech leads and CG Tech Supervisor, with technical guidance from R&D and Core Pipeline Supervisors.

Primary Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Develop pipeline and asset management tools to meet immediate, show-directed production demands, ensuring facility-wide consistency as directed by show and technical supervisors. Help maintain a wide array of existing workflows and scripts.
• Provide front-line production support for generalists, troubleshoot assets and shots, work with IT to manage the Windows compute farm and ensure efficient render throughput, and help artists with general problem-solving.
• 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, primarily for complex, urgent problems.
• Collaborate effectively with artists, production supervisors, and technical staff across ILM studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, Singapore, and London.
• Identify day-to-day priorities in conjunction with show supervisors; act autonomously.
• Work primarily on tools of a high degree of complexity, requiring broad understanding of the larger pipeline.
• Assist junior Pipeline TDs in providing front-line support; resolve complex user errors; guide Pipeline Engineers and R&D with debugging technical issues.
• Develop comprehensive knowledge of software and systems; contribute to evolving 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 5 years production experience in visual effects for film, commercials or television.

Required Skills / Competencies:

• Proficiency in Windows
• Advanced 3ds Max experience required
• Advanced Python and 3ds Max scripting required
• Ability to communicate cross-discipline and provide innovative solutions to pipeline issues.
• Detail oriented and strong self-sufficient trouble shooter.
• Thorough understanding of the entire visual effects process, from shooting to modeling and texturing, animation, rendering and compositing

Preferred Skills / Competencies:

• Experience with C, C++ a plus
• Experience with Vray a plus
• Experience with linux development and applications such as Maya and Clarisse a plus.