Flying Bark Productions is a globally renowned, independent animation studio dedicated to pushing the absolute boundaries of character animation, technical innovation, and immersive storytelling. For over 50 years, our premier 2D and 3D production facility has created award-winning feature films and television series that captivate audiences worldwide. We pride ourselves on cultivating a dynamic, highly collaborative, and trend-setting creative environment where world-class artists can thrive.
CG FX Artist Job Overview
| Employment Metadata | Job Specification |
| Company Name | Flying Bark Productions |
| Job Title | CG FX Artist |
| Location | Alexandria, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Job Type | Full-Time, Maximum Term (Max-Term) |
| Work Model | Hybrid (Flexible Work-From-Home days on offer) |
| Department | CG Effects (FX) Department |
| Reports To | CG FX Supervisor / CG Supervisor |
| Estimated Salary Range | $105,000 – $135,000 AUD per annum (Plus Superannuation; finalized based on technical proficiency, stylization portfolio, and AAA animation experience). |
| Studio Specialization | High-End Stylized 3D Animation & Premium Episodic Content |
About Flying Bark Productions
Flying Bark Productions incredibly proud to be working on some of the most anticipated and highly anticipated animated projects in the global entertainment ecosystem. Our current and upcoming production slate includes:
- The groundbreaking Avatar: The Last Airbender animated feature film.
- Netflix’s highly anticipated Ghostbusters animated series.
- The thrilling Stranger Things animated spin-off series.
- Our beautiful, artistically avant-garde proprietary production, Tales From Outer Suburbia, based on the acclaimed book by Shaun Tan.
At Flying Bark, we love what we do, we celebrate diverse perspectives, and we consistently rank as having one of the finest studio cultures in the animation industry.
The Role: CG FX Artist
Flying Bark Productions is seeking an exceptionally talented, vision-driven CG FX Artist to join our expanding team in Sydney. In this role, you will participate in the creation of the film or series’ various complex FX, working under the direct guidance of the CG FX Supervisor and the wider CG Supervisor team.
This position requires a rare harmony of robust technical software mastery and a highly developed aesthetic sense. You will not simply be simulating physical reality; you will be interpreting reality through a heavily stylized, artistic lens to produce high-quality, expressive effects that remain strictly true to the uniquely established visual language of each specific project.
The successful candidate will take charge of designing foundational setups and propagating complex simulations—such as fire, smoke, water, and specialized particle dynamics—directly into production shots. The manufacturing of these visual effects must seamlessly integrate with our established internal workflows while actively executing the creative vision mandated by project directors.
Core Responsibilities
1. High-End Stylized Simulation & Shot Execution
- Aesthetic Simulation: Efficiently author, simulate, and execute a full range of high-quality, customary 3D CG effects—including complex particle systems, fluid dynamics, soft/rigid body destruction, and environmental simulations.
- Look Development: Collaborate heavily on look development phases for effects, translating abstract, graphic concept artwork into dynamic, performant 3D assets.
- Shot Propagation: Rigorously propagate established FX setups across assigned production shots, maintaining strict consistency in style, timing, and framing.
2. Pipeline Integration & Preset Architecture
- Library Maintenance: Assist in setting up, optimizing, and maintaining our comprehensive internal library of effects presets. Ensure these assets are built adaptively so they can be smoothly loaded, modified, and applied across multiple shots by the broader team.
- Cache Generation: Generate stable, optimized, and fully compatible simulation caches for export across various internal software packages.
- Element Rendering: Render out high-fidelity effects elements in show-compatible image formats, ensuring proper layering, lighting integration, and pass-management for downstream departments.
- Workflow Optimization: Adhere strictly to the studio’s proprietary technical pipelines while proactively flagging potential pipeline bottlenecks or optimization opportunities to technical directors.
3. Collaboration, Communication, & Junior Mentorship
- Cross-Department Alignment: Work in close partnership with Lighting, Compositing, and Animation teams to guarantee that FX elements integrate flawlessly with character animation and environmental lighting.
- Supervisory Directives: Interpret and execute feedback from the CG FX Supervisor and CG Supervisor with speed, precision, and a proactive problem-solving mindset.
- Team Support: Assist with training initiatives and provide ongoing technical and artistic support for junior crew members when required, fostering an ecosystem of shared knowledge.
Position Requirements
Technical Software Stack & Artistic Background
- Industry Tenure: A minimum requirement of 5+ years of active production experience creating visual effects specifically for high-end 3D animated feature films and/or premium animated episodic series.
- Stylization Focus (Crucial): We are seeking portfolios demonstrating a mature, highly graphic, and non-photorealistic stylization of reality. Your work should display an aesthetic sensibility in the vein of groundbreaking stylized projects such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Entergalactic, Arcane, or The Witness (Love, Death + Robots).
- Animation Reel: Your demo reel must be strictly focused on stylized FX built for CG animated films or series. Please note: Showreels focused entirely on standard, photorealistic live-action VFX will not be prioritized.
- Core Software Mastery: Expert-level production knowledge of Houdini, Katana, and Arnold is essential.
- Supplementary Software Knowledge: Professional familiarity with Maya and Nuke is considered a distinct operational advantage.
Professional Competencies & Soft Skills
- Artistic Adaptability: An exceptional eye for design, detail, scale, weight, and timing, allowing you to quickly pivot between diverse artistic styles (e.g., from the whimsical world of Shaun Tan to high-octane sci-fi/fantasy animation).
- Technical Problem Solving: The ability to handle complex node structures, write clean expressions, and optimize data-heavy simulations to fit within rigid rendering and scheduling limits.
- Deadline Driven: Capable of working efficiently under pressure, multi-tasking across sequences, and consistently meeting strict show milestone dates.
- Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical FX topics to supervisors and artistic partners alike.
Studio Benefits & Culture Overview
At Flying Bark Productions, we firmly believe our crew is our greatest asset. Our employees frequently cite our studio culture as the absolute best they have ever experienced. We provide an inclusive, welcoming, and vibrant workplace packed with industry-leading perks:
- World-Class Infrastructure: Our custom-designed studio space in Alexandria features state-of-the-art animation facilities, a private boutique cinema, a quiet decompression room, a lush internal Zen Garden, and an fully-equipped games room.
- Daily Catering: Start your mornings right with a fresh, complimentary breakfast served daily in the studio—completely on us!
- Thriving Social Calendar: We love to celebrate our wins. Enjoy regular cake days, curated studio movie nights, spectacular project wrap parties, and creative initiatives spearheaded by our dedicated internal Culture Club.
- Pet-Friendly Workplace: We are unashamedly dog lovers! You will regularly find well-behaved, fluffy companions roaming our office floor.
- Holistic Health & Wellbeing:
- Mental Health: Free, confidential professional counseling and comprehensive mental health resources accessible through our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP), Support Act.
- First Aid Coverage: Multiple on-site staff members certified in Mental Health First Aid.
- Health Insurance: Access to heavily discounted private health insurance policies through our healthcare partner, Bupa.
- Financial Wellness: Tailored financial planning and retirement initiatives provided via our specialized industry superannuation partner, Media Super.
- Paws for a Cause: Give back to the community via our dedicated fundraising arm, raising vital funds for essential charities like Beyond Blue, the RSPCA, and the Cancer Council.
- Continuous Learning: Deep commitment to your professional evolution, offering structured training, pipeline workshops, and career advancement tracks whenever possible.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are deeply committed to creating an inclusive, safe, and equitable environment for all employees. Every individual is welcome, protected, and celebrated regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, background, or identity. The universe of storytelling is vastly diverse, and we believe our studio should be too.
How to Apply
If you are an experienced FX artist looking to step away from predictable, photorealistic workflows and sink your teeth into some of the most stylistically innovative, high-profile animated projects on the planet, we want to see your work!
Submission Requirements:
Please submit your current resume, a detailed breakdown of your production experience, and a link to your current, stylized FX portfolio/demo reel directly through our careers portal. Ensure your reel clearly outlines your specific technical contributions for each shot shown.
