Required Skills & Experience
• Strong understanding of 3D character rigging principles, including skeleton hierarchy, skinning, controls, constraints, and blendshapes/correctives.
• Proficiency in rigging software (Maya, Blender, Houdini, etc.) and scripting languages (Python, MEL, etc.).
• Experience with game engines (Unity, Unreal) and animation pipelines.
• Ability to develop and maintain tools for automating rigging and asset integration.
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
Job Description
A Technical Artist specializing in Character Rigging acts as a bridge between artists and engineers, focusing on the creation, maintenance, and automation of character rigs for 3D models. This role is crucial in enabling animators to bring characters to life, ensuring that rigs are robust, efficient, and capable of supporting complex animation and deformation needs.
Key Responsibilities:
• Rig Creation: Design, build, and maintain skeletons (armatures), blend shapes, and rigging rules/constraints for 3D characters, enabling realistic movement and expression. Collaborate closely with modelers and animators to ensure rigs meet artistic and technical requirements.
• Automation: Develop scripts and tools to automate rigging processes, reducing manual work and increasing efficiency for the team.
• Pipeline Integration: Work with engineering teams to integrate rigs into the content pipeline, ensuring compatibility with game engines (Unity, Unreal) and animation systems.
• Technical Support: Provide expertise in industry-standard digital content tools (e.g., Maya, Blender, Houdini, ZBrush) and troubleshoot rigging issues.
• Quality Assurance: Test rigs for stability, performance, and usability, making iterative improvements based on feedback from animators and other stakeholders.
• Collaboration: Partner with cross-functional teams (art, engineering, research) to deliver high-quality character assets for user studies, demos, and production.
Typical Outputs:
• Rigged 3D character models ready for animation
• Custom rigging tools and scripts
• Documentation and templates for rigging workflows
• Automated pipelines for asset ingestion and rig assembly
Example Tasks:
• Creating facial and body rigs for avatars and digital humans
• Setting up constraints and controls for realistic movement
• Automating the rigging process for diverse character types
• Supporting animators with troubleshooting and workflow improvements
Compensation:
$50/hr to $55/hr.
Exact compensation may vary based on several factors, including skills, experience, and education.
Benefit packages for this role will start on the 31st day of employment and include medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as HSA, FSA, and DCFSA account options, and 401k retirement account access with employer matching. Employees in this role are also entitled to paid sick leave and/or other paid time off as provided by applicable law.