We’re looking for a Lead Technical Animator to join our Montreal studio and guide a small, dedicated team focused on supporting the Animation Department by providing the technical foundation that enables animators to work faster, smarter, and more creatively. The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with a solid foundation in animation principles and excels at clear, effective communication. This role requires a proactive mindset, a passion for overcoming challenges, and the ability to bridge the gap between creative vision and technical execution.
Responsibilities:
Work with local Animation HOD and Department Manager to assign crew, ensuring appropriate show casting and allocation of tasks for members of the Technical Animation team
Attend show kick offs and work closely with Animation Supervisors to actively suggest and advise on how the Technical Animation team can support their shows
Manage and spec Technical Animation assignments
Have a thorough understanding of the Technical Animation tasks the team will be working on and the potential challenges involved
Act as the key contact for production and supervisors, ensuring clear communication, dealing with technical challenges, solutions and adapting to changes in production & scheduling
Provide regular updates to HOD and Department manager as to the progress of a show, challenges in the work, schedule or any team requirements
Establish workflow templates, approach and methods documentation to provide to the team
Work closely with Pipeline Developers and ATD’s developing tools and testing the release of new and modified software systems
Ensure that department tools are available to the team and properly set up for each show
Inform HOD of any advances made on a project for integration into other shows
Work alongside the training team to follow through on learning and development needs for the Animation Team and assist with any related events as appropriate
Oversee, train and support the Technical Animation team to ensure ongoing individual development
Maintain good relations with all other departments and address issues promptly
Where necessary, provide regular Technical Animator assistance on shows in a delivery crunch and oversee more complex tasks :
Animating both primary and secondary characters and elements
Working closely with Leads of multiple departments including Rigging and FX to improve communication lines in and out of the Animation department.
Helping to maintain a wide array of existing workflows and tools
Providing front-line support to Animation Artists, troubleshooting assets and shots, and helping artists with general problem-solving
Working closely with Pipeline Developers in testing and releasing new and modified software systems
Acting as an on-call resource for show production staff, primarily for complex, animation related urgent problems
Providing front-line support, resolving complex user errors, and guiding Pipeline Developers with debugging technical issues
Updating documentation for the pipeline and tools to reflect any changes that are made
Meeting schedules and show deadlines
Ongoing communication with Production and Lead regarding schedules and deadlines
Essential Skills:
Strong communication and organizational skills
Effective time management skills to meet deadlines without sacrificing quality
A thorough knowledge of Maya
A working knowledge of Modelling, Rigging and Mel/Python scripting
An understanding of physical motion, weight, balance, texture, and form
An understanding of rigs and typical rigging set-ups, animation pipelines and transferring data between tools
Being open to direction and able to embrace change
Attention to detail
A demonstrable commitment to creative collaboration within a team and with other departments
Adaptability and the willingness to learn new processes and technical skills
A love of puzzles and problem solving
Desirable Skills:
Previous experience in a similar role
Experience as a CG Animator
A traditional animation and/or art background
Cloth or FX experience
Tracking experience
Framestore is proud to employ extraordinary talent across all genders, races, nationalities, religions, ages, abilities and sexual preferences. We aim to encourage and support all of our current and future employees to achieve their potential. No job applicant will receive less favourable treatment on any basis when applying for a career with us
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Thank you for your application! We will be in touch with you as soon as we can.
The requirements listed in our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. You don’t have to satisfy every requirement or meet every qualification listed. If your skills are transferable and you feel like the role is right for you then we encourage you to apply. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered for this role or for other roles that we might have coming up.
Framestore is proud to employ extraordinary talent across all genders, races, nationalities, religions, ages, abilities and sexual preferences. We aim to encourage and support all of our current and future employees to achieve their potential. No individual will receive less favourable treatment on any basis when applying for a career with us.
If you need any assistance during the application or recruitment process please let us know and we will support you every step of the way.
