FX Lead
The FX Lead plays a key role in the execution and supervision of visual effects for the project. They create dynamic and photorealistic simulations (smoke, fire, fluids, particles, abstract effects) while supporting the team's FX artists with leadership, rigor, and kindness. A true artistic and technical anchor point, they ensure the visual consistency of deliverables, support the vision of the FX Supervisor, and collaborate closely with the CG, compositing, and production teams. While mentoring colleagues, they remain an expert practitioner, capable of producing exemplary work and directly intervening on complex shots.
Key Responsibilities:
Creative Quality
- Actively participate in dailies and internal reviews, proposing effective and creative solutions consistent with the project's vision.
- Help FX artists translate visual concepts into clear, dynamic, and expressive simulations.
- Collaborate with FX, CG, and compositing supervisors to ensure fluid visual continuity across departments.
- Support supervision in the artistic development of the show, while ensuring the creative quality of the team's deliverables.
Technical Quality
- In collaboration with the project's FX supervisor, produce and supervise advanced FX simulations in Houdini (Pyro, Flip, RBD, Vellum, SOPs), optimized and adapted to project constraints.
- Verify the technical continuity of effects, ensure compliance with standards, and document the methods used.
- Quickly identify and resolve technical problems encountered by artists.
- Participate in tool development tests and provide constructive feedback to the pipeline team.
Leadership & Communication
- Supervise FX artists calmly and clearly, fostering a team culture based on listening, mutual support, and rigor.
- Collaborate with the project's FX supervisor to conduct turnovers, briefings, task follow-ups, and other key FX team meetings.
- Collaborate with production and the FX supervisor to ensure realistic and balanced workload planning.
- Communicate any issues, risks, or support needs at the right time and to the right people.
Department Support
- Train FX artists on the methods, tools, or workflows used in the show.
- Provide constructive feedback and participate in performance evaluations, sharing their perspective on the team members' progress.
- Identify specific training or support needs and report them to the Head of Department.
- Contribute to the creation of reference documents or internal technical training sessions.
Optimization
- Ensure that delivered simulations are efficient, stable, and easy to reuse by other FX artists and other departments.
- Propose improvements to existing workflows to gain performance or quality.
- Participate in the development or updating of FX templates used in the studio.
- Identify recurring bottlenecks and propose concrete optimization solutions.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in an FX Lead role in a VFX environment.
- Advanced proficiency in Houdini (Pyro, Flip, RBD, Vellum, SOPs).
- Good proficiency in USD and Solaris.
- Functional knowledge of Nuke, Arnold, Karma, and Python scripting.
- Knowledge of Flow Production Tracking for task management.
- Ability to deliver complex simulations while technically supporting a team.
- Natural leadership, rigor, proactive attitude, and calm under pressure.
- Assets: creation of templates, technical documentation writing, participation in artist training, contribution to internal tool development.
Additional Information
- Proven experience as a FX Lead.
- Must be based in Montreal.
- Canadian citizenship, permanent residency or open work permit is required.
- Availability to work on-site at the studio 3 days a week.
Diversity : At Rodeo FX, diversity is a core value. We’re committed to creating an inclusive, equitable workplace where different perspectives are embraced. Every team member brings unique insight that strengthens our creativity, challenges our thinking, and helps us deliver better work.
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