Senior FX Artist (Freelance)

Company Description

Remote candidates within Montreal or Vancouver may also be considered.

We don’t just build worlds. We build the teams that build better worlds.

From Montreal to Mumbai, London to Los Angeles, we unite diverse talent and experience across 10 global studios, delivering stronger, simpler, smarter VFX for episodic television and feature films.

For well over a decade, FOLKS artists have come together to create ambitious work with human-focused collaboration. As part of the Pitch Black network, our teams contribute their distinct creative strengths to a broader community of talent, technology, and expertise around the world.

Join us and find your FOLKS.

Job Description

The team at FOLKS is looking for a Senior FX Artist to join our global FX team working on high-end episodic and feature film projects.

This role is focused on complex simulation work, technical leadership, workflow development, and mentorship. You’ll collaborate closely with FX, Lighting, CFX, Animation, Compositing, and Production teams across multiple studios to help deliver large-scale cinematic visual effects.

What You'll Be Doing

• Create advanced FX simulations including fire, explosions, destruction, volumetrics, fluids, oceans, lava, and environmental effects
• Deliver hero-level FX work across complex multi-element sequences
• Develop reusable Houdini templates and procedural workflows for production teams
• Build and maintain tools that improve simulation efficiency and artist workflows
• Collaborate with Supervisors, HoDs, and global teams to solve technical and creative challenges
• Help establish quality benchmarks and maintain consistency across sequences
• Support workflow improvements through scripting and technical problem-solving
• Participate in dailies, communicate progress clearly, and respond constructively to feedback
• Mentor and support other artists through knowledge sharing and technical guidance

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a professional VFX production environment with a strong focus on FX
• Expert-level Houdini experience
• Strong understanding of particle systems, destruction, volumetrics, and fluid simulations
• Strong scripting skills in VEX, Python, and MEL
• Advanced Maya knowledge
• Experience working within fast-paced production environments
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across disciplines and time zones

Nice to Have

• Experience leading sequences or small teams
• Experience contributing to pipeline, R&D, or tool development initiatives
• Working knowledge of Vellum
• Familiarity with Katana or Unreal Engine
• Nuke experience

What We're Looking For

We’re looking for artists who combine strong technical problem-solving with a collaborative mindset. The ideal candidate is proactive, detail-oriented, and comfortable taking ownership of complex work while helping elevate the wider team around them.

Additional Information

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Pitch Black is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Pitch Black, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, skills, experience, and business needs. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, colour, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital or family status, pregnancy, veteran or military status, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, provincial, or local law.