Senior Rigging & Simulation Artist II – Temp; SFD​/Cinematics

Job Title

Senior Rigging & Simulation Artist II – Temp (SFD / Cinematics)

Cinematics

R026392

Blizzard Entertainment’s Animation team is looking for a motivated and experienced senior character technical artist to join its award-winning cinema tics department.

Are you a highly motivated artist who has built complex rigs and is capable of maintaining a high level of visual and technical quality for all characters? Do you have a passion for character CFX and a diligent technical mind to bring them to their full potential? We have a wide range of projects, and we are looking for a multifaceted artist who can help round out our team.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA. However, we understand each person’s circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore other possible options, including remote work arrangements.

This is roughly a 4-month temporary position.

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

You must have a strong understanding of anatomy, muscles, cloth/hair behavior, and be comfortable in a scripted environment. Experience with simulation rigs and directable shot sims for hair and cloth are a necessity. You must be attuned to the needs of a production pipeline and those of the animators we support. Our team works in an intensely art-driven environment, so you must be able to work collaboratively with other departments including modeling, animation, FX, and lighting.

Experience

• 12+ years’ experience rigging characters in Maya, or similar software
• Previous experience working in feature film or a TV animation pipeline
• Experience in Python, MEL, C/C++, or other programming languages
• Strong communication skills

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong communication skills
• Ability to manage, share knowledge and experience
• Strong knowledge of character kinematics, deformations, and topology
• Knowledge of cutting-edge character pipeline and workflow techniques
• High proficiency in technical problem solving

Extra Points

• History of generating cloth/hair rigs and creating art directed shot simulations
• Thorough knowledge of layout, modeling, rigging, simulations, and animation tools and workflows currently used in the industry
• Knowledge on subjects such as Maya tool development and pipeline design
• Experience working in Houdini
• Experience rigging in Unreal
• Ability to generate tools to facilitate the rigging and simulation pipeline
• Passion for Blizzard Games and Cinematics

• Resume (PDF Preferred)
• Demo Reel and Shot Breakdown showing rigging/simulation and technical proficiency

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and Star Craft, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards.

Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via , Xbox, Play Station, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world s largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Candy Crush and Bubble Witch. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the…