Time Graphics Artist, Sports

Company Description

VERSANT is a leading force in news, sports and entertainment - home to iconic and trusted brands that inspire, inform, and delight audiences. Our unique combination of content, technology and services enriches the cultural fabric, igniting passions, sparking conversations, and connecting people to what they love most.

As an independent, publicly traded company, VERSANT brings together powerhouse cable networks - including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel - with dynamic digital and direct-to-consumer brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, Golf Now, Golf Pass, and Sports Engine. Together, these businesses reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across every screen and service.

VERSANT is an industry-changing media company fueled by innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. With a strong foundation and a forward-looking vision, VERSANT empowers creativity, embraces change, and drives connection in an ever-evolving world.

Versant Media is a technology-driven media organization that empowers creative teams to deliver high-impact content across platforms. Our Creative Operations department builds and supports the infrastructure behind real-time graphics used in live production environments. We’re looking for a Senior Real-Time Graphics Artist to help develop and expand real-time workflows running on Viz Engine and Unreal Engine for our sports and entertainment properties.

We are seeking a versatile, highly skilled, and leadership-oriented Real-Time Graphics Artist with significant experience in Sports and Entertainment to join our team. This hybrid "player-coach" role combines the creative mastery of a 3D Generalist and the technical precision of a Vizrt and Unreal Engine Technical Artist with the ability to lead and inspire a team of creators. You will be responsible for the end-to-end creation of high-fidelity visual assets, their implementation into real-time environments, and the management of the artists executing these projects.

The ideal candidate possesses the technical depth to optimize complex scenes for live production and an eye for visual storytelling, innovating new ways of displaying complex data.

• Vizrt and Unreal Engine Integration:
  Build real-time scenes in Vizrt Artist. Ensure all assets are correctly imported, rigged, and optimized within the engine and prescribed architecture is followed.
• Real-Time Visual Fidelity:
  Create immersive environments with high-fidelity models, custom P  shading, and dynamic lighting solutions, ensuring a balance between high-end visual impact and strict performance efficiency within the Vizrt and Unreal Engine ecosystems.
• Blueprinting & Scripting:
  Build interactive logic and procedural systems using Vizrt scripts and Unreal Engine Blueprints to support live data integration and real-time graphics triggers.
• Optimization & Profiling:
  Conduct rigorous performance profiling to ensure consistent frame rates (60fps+) for live broadcast and large-scale video wall playback.
• Pipeline Development:
  Establish and maintain robust workflows between DCC tools (Maya/C4D/Blender) and real-time engines to streamline production.
• R&D:
  Stay at the forefront of real-time technology, exploring new features (Lumen, Nanite, PCG) to enhance our production capabilities.

• Experience:
  
  4+ years of experience in 3D and real-time production, with at least 2 years focused on the sports and entertainment markets.
• Real-Time:
  Vizrt, Unreal Engine.
• Scripting:
  Basic scripting knowledge within the Vizrt ecosystem (VB Script, HTML5, JavaScript, Type Script).
• DCC:
  Photoshop, After Effects, Maya, 3
  
  Ds Max, Cinema 4D, related design tools.
• Texturing:
  Substance Painter/Designer and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Rendering:
  Deep understanding of real-time rendering pipelines and GPU optimization.
• Templating: VB Script, HTML5, Java Script, Type Script.
• Visual Excellence: A strong portfolio demonstrating a mastery of real-time graphics skills, including self-serve graphics, interactivity, and hyper photorealistic compositions.
• Problem Solving:
  Exceptional ability to…