Job Overview
About DNEG
DNEG is one of the world’s leading visual effects and animation companies, renowned for creating award-winning feature film, television, and multiplatform content. We employ over 9,000 people with worldwide offices and studios across North America (Los Angeles, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver), Europe (London), Asia (Bangalore, Mohali, Chennai, Mumbai), and Australia (Sydney). We fundamentally believe that embracing our differences is a vital component of our collective success and are committed to creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment for our global teams.
DNEG Feature Animation
DNEG Feature Animation is a world-class studio dedicated to crafting captivating worlds and compelling characters through beautiful animation. We are fueled by the passion and talents of our global crew and are delivering an exciting slate of major new projects, including The Angry Birds Movie 3, The Cat in the Hat, and Bad Fairies. We thrive on diverse animation styles, and our previous work includes The Garfield Movie, Nimona, Under the Boardwalk, Entergalactic, and Ron’s Gone Wrong.
The Feature Animation division is expanding, and we are delighted to officially launch the new facility! We aim to compete with the best in the business by bringing the vision of major Hollywood studios and independent productions to life.
Key Purpose of the Job
We are seeking skilled Character TDs to create animation rigs for characters, creatures, props, and vehicles. You will be instrumental in the quality of our animated features.
- Create robust animation rigs for characters, creatures, props, and vehicles.
- Implement proprietary tools when necessary to aid in the creation of animation rigs.
- Collaborate closely with Rigging Supervisors and Animation Leads/Supervisors to develop the most suitable rigging solutions.
Required Qualifications (“Must Have”)
- Proven years of experience with significant creature/character projects.
- Thorough knowledge of your area of character specialization (e.g., body, face, mechanical rigs).
- Full working knowledge of Maya.
- Comfortable with the more technical aspects of character/creature work where appropriate, alongside strong visual and artistic skills.
- Familiarity with pipeline issues and a typical character/creature-heavy post-production environment.
- Extensive understanding of human and animal anatomy.
- Understanding of the fundamental laws of physics.
- Proficiency in mathematics (linear algebra).
- Fundamental animation knowledge.
Desirable Skills (“Nice to Have”)
- Programming or scripting skills (i.e., MEL, Python, C++) would be beneficial but are not essential.
About You (The Ideal Candidate)
- Good communication skills.
- Team-oriented, courteous, and helpful.
- Pro-active and adaptable.
- Able to take direction well.
- Good organizational and excellent time management skills.
Compensation and Union Status
- The base salary range for this full-time position is $90,000 to $120,000 CAD. DNEG salary ranges are determined by function, department, level, and location.
- Union Status: Please note that this is a unionized position and will be covered by a collective agreement between DNEG and IATSE in the coming months. As a unionized employee, you will be required to join the union and will benefit from the conditions set out in the collective agreement. Union dues will be required once the collective agreement is in place.