DMP Senior Artist - Feature Animation (Short contract)

For more than 35 years, Bardel Entertainment has been growing and evolving, yet at our core, we remain grounded in the creative roots of the craft of animation.  Our pursuit of fresh ideas, techniques, and technologies is driven by the belief that together, through creativity and collaboration, we can accomplish anything!  If you want to be part of an environment that empowers you to experiment, learn, and contribute to exciting projects, come and join us.

As the Matte Painting Artist, you will be responsible for overseeing and executing the creation of stunning digital matte paintings that seamlessly blend with computer-generated environments. Your creative vision and technical expertise will be vital in shaping the visual direction of our project. You will work closely with the CG Supervisor, Art Director, and the Matte Painting Lead to ensure the highest quality and artistic integrity of our work. A portfolio demonstrating strong painting skills is essential

What you’ll be doing: 

• Core Responsibilities 
• Create high-quality digital matte paintings in a variety of different art styles (classic fully painted backgrounds, stylized, 3D renders overpaint) to match the show look. 
• Ensure the paintings meet the technical requirements for each show, with special attention to color space management and conversion. 
• Produce full Comp scripts in Nuke, assembling multiple projections and 2.5D setups that will be pre-rendered and handed off to Lighting/Comp. 
• Proactively communicate and collaborate across teams. 
• Ensure alignment with project leads for technical and aesthetic goals. 
• Meet and maintain project deadlines consistently. 
• [Senior] Assist less experienced artists on the team if/where needed. 
• Collaboration & Workflow 
• Collaborate with leadership, production, and team members to solve problems and share insights. 
• Engage in dailies, rounds, and team discussions to contribute to creative and technical improvements. 
• Adhere to pipeline workflows and technical requirements for seamless integration into the production process. 
• For senior artists, actively mentor junior team members by providing constructive feedback, guidance, and support. 
• Time Management & Communication 
• Maintain consistency in quality while meeting production needs. 
• Manage time effectively, working with production to stay on schedule. 
• Keep the team and production staff informed about progress, challenges, and solutions. 

What you’ll bring: 

• Experience 
• Excellent knowledge of Photoshop, Nuke, and Maya. Katana, Houdini, and Zbrush are a big plus. 
• Experience/interest in developing procedural environments workflows. 
• Strong artistic skills in digital matte paintings. 
• Understanding of a 2.5D workflow and an overall knowledge of an animation pipeline from assets to comp. 
• Art background with an emphasis on environments is desirable. 
• Skills & Communication 
• Good problem-solving and optimization abilities, able to work independently on a sequence. 
• Excellent communication and collaborative skills. 
• Excellent visual skills and attention to detail. 
• Ability to receive creative direction and feedback. 
• Be willing to share knowledge and experience with others.

Location: Candidates based in BC or QC will be prioritized.

Start: ASAP

Length: 2 months

Pay Range: CAD $1700 - $2,100 per week   

This salary range provided reflects our current expectations for these roles as of this posting’s date. Your final salary offer will consider various key factors, including your education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographical location, as well as the needs and requirements of the business. 

Flexible work environment, Extended Health and Wellness from day 1, RRSP matching are just some of the benefits. For more details, check out our website. 

If this seems like a good fit, what are you waiting for, get your application in!