Senior Technical Artist-Rigging & Dynamics (Temp)

Description

Who We Are:

The NBA TechArt team is a diverse group of talented Technical Artists that perform a wide variety of tasks. We write and maintain tools for the art department, rig the characters, props, and clothing, and do a lot of problem solving.

A pioneer in video games across multiple generations and the creator of some of the top-rated video game franchises including 2K Sports and the NBA 2K series, Visual Concepts is widely regarded as one of the world's top studios. A subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (TTWO), Visual Concepts continues to innovate in gameplay, creativity and technology. With studios around the globe Visual Concepts has a culture of excellence and passion for building amazing products year after year, and offers top candidates the opportunity to learn and grow with some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry.

What We Need:

We are looking for a Senior Technical Artist (Rigging and Dynamics) to work with our team of Technical Artists to deliver characters deserving of the term next gen.  You will work on our character rigs, add dynamic elements to hair and cloth, and find solutions to layering clothing rigs on top characters.

What You Will Do:

• Create and maintain rigs (both body and facial) and skinning, for characters, clothing and props
• Collaborate with Art and Engineering, drive research, workflows, and technologies for improved deformations, animation fidelity, and streamlined content creation processes
• Troubleshoot technical issues related to rigs, animations, and performance capture
• Mentor other technical artists

Who We Think Will Be a Great Fit:

• You have a love for inspiring others and tackling challenging technical assignments head on. 
• You have significant experience developing body and facial rigs for shipped AAA games, or feature films
• You are someone who sets a shining example for positive collaborative process
• You are self-motivated, have good communications skills, and possess a great team-player attitude

Minimum Requirements:

• Fluent in Maya with significant experience writing animation, rigging, and UI tools
• Proficient in one or more programming/GUI languages (Ex. Python, PySide/PyQt). C#/C++/Maya API experience a plus
• Experience with cloth and rigid/soft body physics setup for characters including collision volumes
• Experience with facial capture and re-targeting for full performance capture
• A strong understanding of anatomy, gesture, and silhouette in regard to motion
• Experience investigating new techniques, implementing them and training the team
• You are up to date with current technology and software
• A love for research, reference, and documenting your findings to share with the team
• Ability to effectively translate creative ambition and onscreen feature requests into the achievable technical tasks required to realize them