FX Houdini Artist

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborate with VFX, CG, and department supervisors to deliver FX that meet creative vision, technical requirements, and production deadlines.
• Create a wide range of FX in Houdini, including fire, smoke, fluids, electricity, explosions, supernatural/magical effects, and large-scale destruction.
• Develop and refine procedural FX setups that are efficient, scalable, and adaptable by other artists
• Work from scratch or enhance existing setups, optimizing for performance, caching, and rendering
• Maintain consistency with established art styles while adapting to the creative needs of individual projects
• Participate in reviews and critiques, providing solutions to enhance quality and efficiency
• Research and collect reference material to guide look development
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical and artistic challenges, collaborating across departments for seamless integration of FX into shots

REQUIREMENTS:

• 4+ years of professional experience in film, streaming episodics, cinematics, or high-end commercials
• Proven experience producing FX such as smoke, fire, clouds, water, steam, magical effects, and destruction
• Strong understanding of simulation techniques, procedural workflows, and FX optimization
• Proficiency with one or more industry-standard renderers (e.g., Karma XPU, Redshift, V-Ray, Mantra)
• Working knowledge of production tracking tools such as Ftrack, ShotGrid, or equivalent
• Ability to adapt to various art styles and quickly learn new tools and pipelines
• Excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines

PREFERRED SKILLS:

• Python and HOM scripting; VEX experience a plus
• Procedural shader creation and USD-based FX workflows
• FX concept art skills for pitches and look development
• Compositing experience in Nuke