Artistes en animation

About the Role

The Animation Artist is a pivotal creative role focused on generating high-fidelity motion for a diverse range of subjects, including creatures, characters, and inanimate objects. The primary mission is to ensure all animated elements meet the studio's stringent standards for realism and quality. Success in this position requires a blend of artistic performance and technical execution. The artist will work in concert with animation leads and supervisors to fulfill project objectives without compromising on schedule or artistic integrity. A significant portion of the role involves mentoring junior talent and contributing to the refinement of departmental animation methodologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Creative Performance: The core duty is to craft believable and compelling performances through animation. This involves breathing life into fantasy entities and inanimate props, ensuring their movements align with the director's vision and the project's narrative goals.
• Technical Execution: All animation must be structurally sound and compatible with production pipelines. The artist is responsible for applying various animation styles, such as realistic or cartoony techniques, as dictated by creative direction.
• Quality Assurance: A continuous focus on improvement is required. This includes refining performances, analyzing physical reactions, and testing creative boundaries to enhance the final output.
• Technical Collaboration: Close cooperation with technical artists and rigging specialists is mandatory. This partnership is essential for overcoming production hurdles and optimizing the animation workflow.
• Team Leadership: The position involves guiding less experienced animators. This is achieved through formal reviews and constructive feedback, all while upholding shot quality and deadlines.
• Project Management: The artist must proactively manage their workload, anticipate potential delays, and communicate project status effectively to supervisors and producers.
• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to the department's collective expertise is expected. This involves sharing new techniques and best practices during team learning opportunities.

Professional Requirements

• Experience: A minimum of six years of professional experience within a visual effects or animation studio environment is mandatory to demonstrate consistency and a professional work ethic.
• Software Proficiency: Mastery of Autodesk Maya is a fundamental requirement. Experience with additional animation tools is considered a significant advantage.
• Animation Fundamentals: A deep and practical understanding of body mechanics and facial animation is essential for creating weight, emotion, and convincing timing.
• Performance Building: The ability to work from reference material and construct performances that mimic authentic human acting is a critical skill.
• Work Ethic: The candidate must possess strong attention to detail and operate with a high degree of autonomy to manage multiple assignments and meet strict deadlines.
• Communication Skills: Success depends on the ability to communicate clearly and positively as part of a collaborative team dedicated to achieving optimal results.

Additional Desirable Skills

• Familiarity with production tracking systems like ShotGrid is beneficial for organizing workflow and assets.
• A basic comprehension of rigging principles or custom tool development can aid in improving personal and team workflows.

Compensation and Engagement Details

• The role is offered as a temporary contract with a duration of three and a half months.
• The planned commencement date for the position is in August 2026.
• The compensation rate is $62.91 per hour.

Location and Eligibility

• The position requires the successful candidate to be based in the province of Quebec.
• The candidate must possess legal authorization to work in Canada, such as Canadian citizenship, permanent residency, or a valid open work permit.

About Rodeo FX

Rodeo FX operates as a high-end creative company with a history spanning over 15 years. The studio specializes in visual effects, animation, and advertising. It has been recognized multiple times as one of the best employers in Montreal and received the Mercuriades Award in 2022. The company boasts a team of nearly 900 artists and has contributed to numerous acclaimed projects for major clients including Netflix, HBO, Disney, and Sony.