Technical Director / Lead Artist

Description

The Technical Director/Lead Artist (TD/Lead Artist) is a team leader within the LAIKA/house CG department who is responsible for all aspects of taking a job from inception to completion. The TD/Lead Artist is a generalist in every sense of the word, someone who can brainstorm production approaches and solutions and also set up shots and provide technical support for other artists working on the production. The TD/Lead Artist leads a team of artists helping to achieve the directorial vision of a production(s).

The TD/Lead Artist bridges the gap between art and technology and is an experienced technical problem-solver, exemplary communicator and has a keen eye for creative aesthetics and application. The TD/Lead Artist is expected to participate directly in production projects as a TD/Lead Artist, Compositor, Generalist, as well as develop new workflows, tools and techniques and improve existing ones.

The TD/Lead Artist’s primary objectives are to successfully oversee and complete each project they are assigned, and to achieve the creative and aesthetic goals of the production as set forth by the Director. The TD/Lead Artist’s, primary responsibilities include oversight of the day-to-day operations of the projects he/she is assigned, oversight, support and leadership for the projects CG crew, development of the production process for the project and addressing overall technical issues as they arise.

The TD/Lead Artist embraces and clearly communicates LAIKA/house core values by leading by example, and demonstrating creative and technical excellence. The TD/Lead Artist learns and adheres to LAIKA/house CG department Research & Development pipeline practices, and provides constructive input to increase the capabilities of the CG department through R&D, training, as well as in partnering with Operations Manager in developing standards and best practices for the group as a whole.

The TD/Lead Artist is a true professional. He/She possesses exceptional communication and interpersonal skills and quickly addresses issues with enthusiasm. He/she communicates directly with a strong variety of approaches required to communicate to our diverse team’s personalities. The TD/Lead Artist partners with the Producer, Director and VFX Supervisor to get the best results for the job, and strives for zero error during production and flawless execution. Their work ethic is beyond repute and he/she is both productive and efficient.

The TD/Lead Artist is expected to take additional training as provided or recommended to further his/her knowledge of technical and creative skills.

Essential Technical Director Job Functions
• Responsible for the overall coordination of every element of the spot, including and leading the team of artists, and managing their assets.
• Helps determine appropriate technical approaches based on aesthetic, technical and budgetary parameters.
• Troubleshoots production problems and proactively work to minimize their impact.
• Troubleshoots problems between various disciplines: modeling and texturing changes throughout production, character setup adjustments, animation issues, lighting and rendering problems.
• Addresses changes in production, schedules and their ramifications to the pipeline.
• Solves and monitors render issues and optimizes rendering times.
• Troubleshoots renders and composites scenes in production so as to deliver visual style required by Client, Director and/or Producer.
• Maintains a high level of quality and professionalism while working on multiple projects under aggressive deadlines.
• Must be able to troubleshoot technical and aesthetic challenges.
• The TD/Lead Artist is responsible for job set up, including creating the job directory, shots, and ensuring proper frame rate is being used.
• Responsible for setting up scenes using the models, textures and rigs created by the other artists, and preparing the scene for animation.
• The TD/Lead Artist is responsible for breaking up renders into distinct passes to allow for more control in the final compositing process.
• The Lead TD/Lead Artist is responsible for making sure shot renders are delivered on time, and accurate and presentable for dailies.
• Constantly maintains the philosophy of dedication to excellence and client satisfaction.
• Support Laika/house’s mission, goals and policies.