Senior VFX Artist

Who are we hiring?

As a Senior VFX Art Specialist at Sphere Studios you develop entertainment that’s equal 
parts video game, amusement park ride, and spectacle. Your target platform is The Sphere – a 
massive 16K 4D theater with beam-formed audio – and the mobile phones of our guests.  You build 
from specifications and team objectives and iterate to eventual production-quality deliverables. You’re part of a veteran cross-functional team, learning from each other every day. As an ideal candidate you bring a solid artistic foundation in 3D art and a broad range of skills including gameplay, props and real-time and standard production art pipelines. You have a passion for gaming and can create immersive, exciting work. 

What will you do?

• Create photo-real particle systems for game environment.
• Work closely with the Creative Director and others to maintain stunning visual style and quality to bring levels and features to life 
• Design and simulate realistic fire, smoke, explosions, debris, clouds, energy, etc. that meet all technical and aesthetic standards for the project 
• Author real-time particle effects for the destruction of buildings, vehicles, natural environments, and everything in between 
• Set dress levels with ambient atmospheric effects that produce spectacular photo-realistic game moments 
• Create textures and/or meshes to use in particle effects with various 2D and 3D applications including flipbooks 
• Ensure industry leading quality and artistic fidelity for photo-real effects 
• Promote and enforce structure, such as naming conventions and documentation 
• Provide in-depth research, reference material, and develop conceptual ideas from scratch 
• This role is part of a production artist group exploring and developing a unique language for Sphere, in collaboration with a creative development team 
• Must be passionate for games 

What do you need to succeed?

• Minimum of 4 years in full-cycle AAA game development or equivalent film/tv experience
• Highly proficient with the Unreal Engine including Niagara and the material editor 
• Ability to simulate realistic fire, smoke, explosions, debris, clouds, etc. that meet all technical and aesthetic standards for the project 
• Passion for fluid dynamics pushing fidelity and refining techniques as technology changes 
• Excellent texture and flipbook creation skills 
• Aware of memory and technical constraints while working, and can balance visual quality with performance 

Desired Skills:

• Experience with simulation and VFX software like FumeFX, Houdini, Embergen, Fluid Ninja, Maya, Max, etc. 
• Demonstrate a strong eye for timing, weight, realism, color, volume, energy, and other particle aesthetics 
• Strong collaborative skills and interpersonal skills 
• Ability to act effectively in a dynamic development environment 
• Capable of working on own initiative, identify problems and offer practical solutions 
• Ability to interpret and transform abstract ideas and concepts into compelling work 
• Modeling and animation experience 

Special Requirements

• Cover Letter (optional)
• Portfolio demonstrating relevant skills. 
• Only digital artwork submissions such a website, blog, or online album will be accepted.

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