Digital System Specialist, CalArts

Description

This is a full-time staff position in an animation mixed platform-computing environment.  The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) School of Film/Video encourages highly motivated students with an independent and experimental approach towards their discipline.  Facilities are used for teaching purposes, as well as the creation of innovative, non-conventional forms of film and video making.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide advanced and specialized facility and workflow technical expertise to support faculty, students and staff at the School of Film/Video, under direction of the Associate Director of Technology and Digital Media and Associate Dean, Finance and Operations.
• Analyze, diagnose and resolve hardware, software and network performance challenges within computer animation labs, classrooms, stop motion production facility, multi media lab, digital imaging/compositing lab and other animation facilities.
• Consult with Experimental Animation faculty, staff and students to ensure that digital workflows, facility management plans, schedules and policies are meeting the technical and administrative needs of the program.
• Maintain local file systems on Mac and Windows systems, optimizing disks, backing up essential files, identifying and notifying over-quota users and deleting files as needed.
• Administer and maintain a render farm.
• Assist students in using digital animation systems, workflows and software, including input and output to film projection and video display devices.
• Supervise, train and schedule student workers who assist in maintaining the labs and animation equipment.
• Assist in the creation, testing and deployment of animation laboratory client computer images, including preparation of application–specific system image deployment packages.
• Plan and coordinate with the School of Film/Video Video Engineer and Equipment Supervisor to provide technical support for still frame/video acquisition, video display, film and print hardware in and out devices.
• Develop, analyze and update digital workflows to assist in preparing year-end screenings, including preparation of technical guidelines and procedures for student’s digital submissions.
• Maintain School of Film/Video archive and serve as Web Contact with the Office of Public Affairs.
• Develop, maintain, and update relevant web information on the School of Film/Video technical resource website.
• Analyze and implement security related procedures including regular animation application patches and updates.
• Maintain compliance with CalArts IT and the School of Film/Video’s lab and safety policies and promote standards for security conscious awareness and behavior. 
• Attend regular technical meetings within the School of Film/Video and the Institute.
• Attend sponsored classes and maintain relationships with company representatives in order to keep abreast of technological advances in the field.
• Advise management on future growth of the digital animation labs and facilities and provide consultation on the design, development and maintenance of digital animation areas used by the School. 
• Perform other duties as directed.