Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the world’s premier visual effects facility and a cornerstone of The Walt Disney Company, is currently seeking a highly skilled Creature TD to join our San Francisco studio. Since George Lucas founded ILM in 1975, the studio has redefined the boundaries of cinema, and the Creature TD role remains at the very heart of that innovation.
In this position, you are the architect of life. You bridge the gap between static geometry and a performance that can move an audience to tears or thrill them with terror. As a Creature TD, your work ensures that every hero character, background creature, and mechanical vehicle moves with a level of physical and anatomical fidelity that sets the global industry standard.
Job Overview: Creature TD
| Category | Details |
| Position Title | Creature TD (Technical Director) |
| Company Name | Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) |
| Location | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Job Type | Project Hire |
| Salary Range | $90,400 – $118,700 (Base Pay) |
| Core Software | Autodesk Maya, Python, Linux |
| Primary Industry | Feature Film, VFX, and Immersive Cinema |
The Creature TD at ILM is a multidisciplinary artist who balances deep technical proficiency with an artist’s intuition for motion. This is a “Project Hire” role, meaning you will be integrated into specific high-profile productions, working alongside the industry’s most talented supervisors to deliver cinematic excellence.
Your primary mission is to rig and envelop a diverse range of assets. Whether it is a “hero” character that requires thousands of controls for a nuanced performance or complex vehicles and background props, the Creature TD ensures the technical foundation is unbreakable.
Key Responsibilities and Workflow
- Rigging and Enveloping: You will utilize Autodesk Maya to construct robust rigs and perform meticulous enveloping (skinning). You are responsible for ensuring that character deformations are anatomically correct and preserve volume during complex movements.
- Simulation Mastery: A significant portion of a Creature TD‘s day involves running advanced simulations. This includes cloth, hair, rigid body dynamics, muscle systems, and even crowd simulations. You must ensure these elements react naturally within the shot’s physics.
- Pipeline Troubleshooting: As a Creature TD, you are a primary problem-solver. You will assist artists in other departments—such as Animation or Lighting—to resolve technical bottlenecks within the creature pipeline.
- Technical Innovation: You aren’t just using tools; you are perfecting them. You will be expected to script new utilities and plugins in Python or C++ to optimize the Maya workflow and increase department-wide efficiency.
- Collaborative Dailies: You will participate in reviews and dailies, taking creative direction from supervisors and providing technical feedback to ensure the project stays on schedule and meets ILM’s quality bar.
Compensation, Benefits, and Professional Growth
Joining ILM as a Creature TD means becoming part of The Walt Disney Company ecosystem, which provides world-class support for its employees.
| Compensation Component | Annual Details / Provisions |
| Base Salary | $90,400 – $118,700 (Determined by experience & equity) |
| Incentives | Potential for bonuses and long-term incentive units |
| Health & Wellness | Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance |
| Financial Future | 401(k) retirement plans and employee stock options |
| Vacation & Leave | Generous paid time off and parental leave policies |
Note
Base pay may vary depending on geographic region, job-related knowledge, and internal equity.
The ideal Creature TD candidate is someone who views technical challenges as creative opportunities. We require a blend of education and hands-on professional experience.
1. Education and Experience
We look for candidates with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience and a diploma in computer graphics, fine arts, design, or a related field. Alternatively, we welcome applicants with 5 years of relevant industry experience in lieu of a formal degree.
2. Technical Requirements
- Maya Expertise: You must be a power user of Autodesk Maya, specifically in the context of rigging and creature setup.
- Anatomy Knowledge: A deep understanding of skeletal structures, muscle groups, and how they interact is essential for a Creature TD.
- Simulation Proficiency: Experience running shot-work simulations (cloth, hair, etc.) and performing corrective sculpting to fix deformation issues.
- Scripting Skills: Proficiency in Python is vital for modernizing the pipeline. Knowledge of C++ is considered a major plus.
- Platform Awareness: Since ILM operates on a Linux backbone, basic to expert proficiency in a Linux environment is highly desired.
3. Professional Soft Skills
- Mentorship: As a Mid-to-Senior level Creature TD, you will help guide and support entry-level artists, sharing technical knowledge and fostering a collaborative environment.
- Communication: You must be able to articulate complex technical issues to non-technical team members and directors clearly and assertively.
- Team Player Mentality: A positive attitude and the ability to work within a large, diverse team are fundamental to our studio culture.
ILM is more than a studio; it is a legacy. Over the last 50 years, we have contributed to over 325 feature films and earned 15 Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects. By joining us as a Creature TD, you are stepping into a facility that has played a key role in the top-grossing films of all time.
We are currently at the forefront of the digital revolution, expanding our horizons into Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Immersive Cinema. As a Creature TD, you will have the opportunity to work on projects that are not just films, but cultural milestones.
The Disney Advantage
As part of The Walt Disney Company, ILM employees belong to a global entertainment leader. Disney is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment where every voice is heard. We believe that the best stories come from a team that reflects the world we live in. As an equal opportunity employer, we provide a space where a Creature TD can innovate, grow, and build a career that lasts a lifetime.
How to Apply
If you are a dedicated Creature TD who dreams of bringing the next generation of cinema icons to life, we want to hear from you.
Application Requirements:
1. Demo Reel: Please submit a reel showcasing your best rigging, simulation, and tool-building work.
2. Breakdown Sheet: Detail exactly what your contribution was for each shot shown in your reel.
3. Resume: Focus on your experience with Maya, Python, and Linux.
Apply today and become the next Creature TD to make history at ILM.
Creature TD (Project Hire) – Industrial Light & Magic, 2026
