FX Houdini Artist

CoSA VFX has immediate opportunities for California based FX Artists.  CoSA is a fully remote studio with locations across North America.

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 episodic, 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

· X concept art skills for pitches and look development

·Compositing experience in Nuke