The Pipeline Technical Director develops and maintains software tools, provides support to artists, and troubleshoots CG pipeline issues in a visual effects production environment. Responsibilities include developing tools, validating techniques, collaborating with teams, guiding junior staff, and keeping documentation updated.
Position Summary
The Pipeline TD is responsible for developing and maintaining software tools, providing front-line support to artists, and general troubleshooting of the CG pipeline in a fast-paced, feature film visual effects production environment. The primary focus is ensuring artist efficiency. Receives day-to-day direction and priorities from show CG Supervisor; reports to R&D supervisor for technical and career guidance.
Primary Responsibilities and Accountabilities
- Develop pipeline and asset management tools to meet immediate, show-directed production demands, ensuring facility-wide consistency as directed by show and technical supervisors. Help maintain a wide array of existing workflows and scripts.
- Provide front-line production support across a wide range of disciplines, troubleshoot assets and shots, and help artists with general problem-solving. Monitor email requests, package up problems and redirect to the appropriate engineering team.
- Test and validate tools and techniques in production. Work closely with engineering teams in testing, and releasing new and modified software systems.
- Act as an on-call resource for show production staff.
- Collaborate effectively with artists, production supervisors, and technical staff across ILM studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, Singapore, and London.
- When not crewed to shows, serve on software teams working on projects that improve the efficiency of asset setup, caching, and shot-data handoff between artists across the entire pipeline.
- Identify day-to-day priorities in conjunction with show supervisors; act autonomously.
- Work primarily on tools of a high degree of complexity, requiring broad understanding of the larger pipeline.
- Assist junior Pipeline TDs in providing front-line support; resolve complex user errors; guide Pipeline Engineers and R&D with debugging technical issues.
- Develop comprehensive knowledge of software and systems; contribute to evolving standards and conventions used in production.
- Update documentation for the pipeline and tools to reflect any changes that are made.
Education/Experience
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Computer Science or a related technical field.
- Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining tools for use in a computer graphics environment.
- At least 5 years production experience in visual effects for film, commercials or television.
Required Skills/Competencies
- Proficiency in Linux
- Advanced Python scripting required
- Experience in one or more of Maya, Nuke, Houdini, Mari, Katana, RenderMan or similar
- Ability to communicate cross-discipline and provide innovative solutions to pipeline issues.
- Detail oriented and strong self-sufficient troubleshooter.
- Thorough understanding of the entire visual effects process, from shooting to modeling and texturing, animation, rendering and compositing
Preferred Skills/Competencies
- Experience with production database systems
- Experience with C, C++
- Experience with Windows development and applications such as 3ds max a plus.
JoinILM
Note: The title and level will be determined commensurate to experience.
Top Skills
C
C++
Python
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Be an Early Applicant
As a Senior Pipeline Technical Director, you will develop and maintain pipeline and asset management tools for production demands, provide production support, troubleshoot assets, and work closely with engineering teams on software testing and validation. You will drive pipeline priorities, assist in complex problem-solving, and develop knowledge of software systems while ensuring documentation reflects any changes made.
Be an Early Applicant
The Associate Pipeline Technical Director develops and maintains software tools for artist support and pipeline troubleshooting in visual effects production, ensuring efficiency and resolving user issues. They test new systems, assist production staff, and update documentation.
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