Character FX / Character Rigging Artist

This contract position focuses on character FX and character rigging for character, creature, and other assets. Depending on experience and suitability, the artist may specialize in either FX or rigging, or work across both areas; practical experience in both is not required. Work is organized across body, facial, cloth, hair, and muscle stages, with each asset developed in collaboration with team members.

Character FX responsibilities include designing and building clothing and hair simulation setups and performing simulation shot work with Houdini or Maya. The role also covers designing and building muscle simulation setups and carrying out related simulation shot work. Character rigging responsibilities include designing and building Maya rigs for humanoid, creature, and mechanical characters, creating facial rigs, and adjusting skinning with animation requirements in mind.

The artist coordinates specifications with animators, modelers, FX artists, lighting teams, and other relevant departments. Other responsibilities include proposing improvements to production workflows and quality, coordinating technical matters with external staff, and checking the quality of character FX work produced with those staff members.

Applicants must have at least one year of practical experience and at least one of the following areas: cloth or hair setup and simulation shot work using Houdini or Maya; muscle setup and simulation shot work using Houdini or Maya; character body rigging using Maya; or character facial rigging using Maya.

Preferred experience includes serving as a lead or in an equivalent role; coordinating specifications and technical exchanges with external staff; and managing quality. Additional relevant experience includes setting the visual approach and managing simulation quality by shot or cut, adjusting and optimizing simulations based on direction, creating wrinkle expressions while considering material characteristics, and adjusting grooming with Maya, Houdini, or Unreal Engine, including tools such as Ornatrix and Yeti. For rigging, preferred experience includes defining rig specifications and quality standards, designing deformations and adjusting skinning based on animation requirements, improving rigs, and developing rig-related tools or improving workflows with Python or similar technologies.

The role is part of Square Enix’s Image Studio Division, which produces pre-rendered movies and in-game cinematic movies for the company’s titles. The division works on combining pre-rendered and real-time graphics technologies, and collaborates with game development departments on research, development, testing, and implementation of visual technologies. Applicants are asked to submit work they created themselves together with supplementary material identifying their contribution and the points they want to demonstrate. The work location is Shibuya, Tokyo.