Framestore is looking for a dynamic Houdini Crowd Research and Development Technical Director to work across our Advertising, Episodic and Immersive London team.

Crowd Technical Directors are responsible for creating the motion of crowds, including the animating and simulating of tens of thousands of characters for high-end visual effects projects.

Responsibilities: 

• Creating simulations of crowd characters as briefed by the Visual Effects/CG Supervisor or Lead

• Developing locomotion, motion, and triggering behaviours to ensure a variety of looks can be achieved

• Utilising crowd software (both proprietary and off-the-shelf) to deliver to the highest possible standards

• Liaising with other departments involved in the crowd pipeline including Modelling, Rigging, Animation, Motion Capture, and Lighting

• Involvement in developing crowd tools and techniques

• Staying on schedule and meeting set deadlines while maintaining the highest levels of quality

• Ongoing communication with Production and Leads regarding schedules and deadlines

• A thorough knowledge of houdini

• Creative problem-solving skills

• An appreciation of both the aesthetic and technical requirements of the role

• A good understanding of animation and an eye for motion

• A strong work ethic and a willingness to be involved in both development and shot execution

• The ability to work as part of a team in a challenging, changeable and deadline-oriented environment

• Excellent organisation, communication, and interpersonal skills and the ability to liaise across departments

• A good understanding of the entire visual effects process

• A familiarity with pipeline and workflow issues, especially working between multiple packages

• Adaptability and the willingness to learn new processes, software, and technical skills