CG FX Lead

Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic and innovative animation studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of character animation and storytelling. We are working on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series and Stranger Things animated series as well as upcoming feature film, Zac Power.

About the role:

• Work closely with the creative Supervisors to establish and drive the look and animation of the visual FX for the series;
• Lead and produce scene specific and/or reusable 3D effects for the Program/s that fulfils the creative standards of the project as advised by the creative Supervisor/s;
• Direct, inspire and mentor all crew assigned to the effects department;
• Carry out regular performance management with effects crew, guided by the Producer;
• Review work daily and provide clear feedback to the crew to ensure that the creative and technical requirements for the Program is maintained;
• Direct and maintain an effects library in order to set the style and benchmark of the series as well as aid in reusing as much as possible to maintain efficiency;
• Clearly understand the creative requirements of the Program and help develop workflows and techniques that will ensure that these requirements are met;
• Work to deadlines as briefed by the Production crew, ensuring that any pressure points in the schedule are planned for;
• Work with relevant Production Coordinator/s to inform and establish shots ready for Animation Supervisor/s review and to ensure that the status of each shot is known, allowing them to track the progression of shots;
• Lookdev of effects to explore and establish new effects.
• Generation of compatible caches to export into various software including Katana, Maya, Houdini and Nuke;
• Rendering effects as show compatible image format elements to insert into comp;
• Effects to include the full range of customary CG effects including particles, fluids, destruction and also particle systems to drive crowd cycle paths;
• Establishment of successful working relationships with key members of production and crew.

About you:

• Be able to work within a team and maintain good team dynamics;

• Ability to problem solve and predict potential problems with assigned tasks;

• Ability to self manage and complete tasks within production deadlines;

• Communicate and seek information when necessary;

• Be adaptable, flexible and responsive to changes;

• Experience producing effects using Maya;

• Proficient in Houdini;

• Ability to comp in Nuke;

• Experience using Katana for rendering.

What do we do?
Flying Bark Productions is a renowned independent producer of family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our 2D and 3D production facility has created award-winning feature films and TV series.

Why work with us?

• We work on some pretty cool projects - check out our website: https://www.flyingbark.com.au/
• We have an industry leading studio space in Alexandria, complete with a cinema, quiet room, Zen Garden, games room, and state of the art animation facilities.
• We have cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a culture club dedicated to coordinating our busy social calendar!
• The Barkers have big hearts too, with our Paws for a Cause fundraising arm raising much needed funds for charities such as Beyond Blue, RSPCA and the Cancer Council.
• We love dogs and you will often see some of our regular fluffy companions in the studio.
• Career development is important to us so we offer training and support opportunities whenever possible.
• Our employees say our culture is the best they've ever experienced - everyone is welcome and celebrated!
• You'll have access to mental health resources and free counselling via our Employee Assistance Provider, Support Act.

Perks & Benefits:

• We have a hybrid approach to work with flexible work from home days on offer.
• Enjoy holistic wellbeing support through discounted health insurance with Bupa, financial wellbeing initiatives from our superannuation partner Media Super, and access to staff qualified in Mental Health First Aid.
  Breakfast is served daily - on us!
• Flare Benefits Platform: Access to exclusive discounts, cashback, and premium deals at hundreds of major Australian retailers to help your pay go further.
• Health Insurance Discounts: Compare and save on private health cover with potential savings of up to $300.
• Novated Leasing (Flare Cars): Eligible employees can save an average of $10,000/year on car ownership through novated leasing.
• Available to permanent employees and fixed-term contractors on contracts of 12 months or more.

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Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer._

- Work closely with creative Supervisors to establish and drive visual FX look and animation. - Lead and produce scene-specific and reusable 3D effects. - Direct, inspire, and mentor effects department crew. - Review work daily and provide clear feedback. - Direct and maintain an effects library for style and efficiency. - Develop workflows and techniques to meet creative requirements. - Work to production deadlines and manage schedule pressure points. - Collaborate with Production Coordinator/s for shot tracking and review. - Lookdev effects and generate compatible caches for Katana, Maya, Houdini, and Nuke. - Render effects as show-compatible image format elements. - Experience producing effects using Maya and proficient in Houdini. - Ability to comp in Nuke and experience using Katana for rendering. - Ability to work within a team, problem-solve, self-manage, and communicate effectively. - Adaptable, flexible, and responsive to changes.