FX Artist (On-Site)

Company Overview

     ICON Creative Studio is Canada’s largest independently owned animation entertainment company, located in the historic Gastown district of Vancouver, BC. Our talented team includes specialists across the entire animation pipeline, working alongside creative and management professionals to deliver outstanding animated content.

Known for our commitment to quality, efficiency, and timely deliveries, ICON has partnered with distributors, broadcasters, and leading streaming platforms worldwide to create and produce noteworthy, impactful projects.

We operate from a holistic philosophy, leveraging the unique skill sets of our team members to maximize production efficiency while maintaining an optimal balance of creativity and quality on-screen.

Why work at ICON?

• Collaborate on top-tier feature and episodic CG franchises for major streaming platforms, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon, Peacock, and Paramount+.
• Be part of a diverse team of artists from around the globe who have joined us here in British Columbia.
• Work with the latest tools and software, ensuring you're always equipped to do your best work.
• Be part of a studio that upholds a premium standard of quality across all productions, putting every resource into what’s on-screen.
• Enjoy flexibility, autonomy, and a supportive workplace culture.
• Access direct deposit and a generous benefits package.
• Grow with us through continuous learning opportunities, mentorship, and empowering you to achieve your professional goals.

Junior FX Artist

Job Overview

    As a Junior FX Artist, you will play a pivotal role in our dynamic visual effects team, refining your skills in basic FX tasks like dust, smoke, sparks, and small secondary debris. Your primary focus will be on delivering effects consistently and efficiently, contributing to the overall visual cohesion of episodes or projects. You'll become an integral part of our pipeline, learning and adhering to the conventions while actively seeking feedback from peers, seniors, and supervisors. We value your eagerness to grow, collaborative spirit, and commitment to minimizing iterations through effective communication and time management.

Responsibilities: 

• Actively engage in perfecting skills related to basic Visual Effects tasks, including but not limited to dust, smoke, sparks, and small debris.
• Demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and a proactive approach to learning from experienced artists.
• Focus on delivering effects in a consistent and timely manner, meeting the project's requirements and specifications.
• Strive to create effects that align accurately with the task's description or callout.
• Work towards achieving a unified look across an entire episode or project, especially for repeating effects.
• Become familiar with and adhere to the conventions of the show's pipeline, specifically in terms of file management and naming conventions for data delivery.
• Collaborate effectively with other team members to ensure seamless integration within the production pipeline.
• Minimize the number of iterations required to address specific kickback notes, demonstrating an ability to learn from feedback and apply corrections efficiently.
• Actively seek feedback from peers, seniors, leads, and supervisors to foster a collaborative and constructive work environment.
• Develop the ability to manage personal time effectively to meet project deadlines.
• Exercise good judgment in determining when to seek technical advice from senior artists and when to seek art direction from other departments.
• Foster open communication and actively participate in discussions regarding improvements to personal work and the overall project.
• Actively seek out feedback on work and be open to discussions on how to improve skills for future projects.
• Collaborate with team members to identify areas of growth and actively work towards enhancing artistic capabilities.

Qualifications:

• A strong reel showing FX fundamentals and creativity.
• Some experience with Houdini, experience with other industry-standard FX software (e.g., Houdini, Maya, After Effects, or similar).
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and willingness to learn.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Prior internship, training program, or relevant coursework is a plus.
  

Intermediate FX Artist

Job Overview

   As an Intermediate FX Artist, you'll showcase your proficiency by efficiently crafting a diverse array of effects that seamlessly integrate with the unique artistic style of the show. Your adaptability shines as you comfortably navigate multiple projects on different pipelines, demonstrating a keen interest in exploring new tools and techniques. Adept in troubleshooting and managing time effectively, you will excel in revising effects based on feedback, ensuring minimal iterations. Taking charge of collaborative efforts, you'll liaise with various departments to see tasks through to completion, showcasing not only your technical prowess but also your leadership and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute a wide range of visual effects in a timely manner, meeting the artistic style of the project with minimal guidance.
• Showcase adaptability and proficiency in working with various tools and techniques.
• Comfortably navigate and contribute to multiple projects on different pipelines, each presenting unique visual demands.
• Demonstrate flexibility and eagerness to embrace new tools and techniques, either through personal research and development or under the guidance of a Senior or Supervisor.
• Fluency in relevant software packages to troubleshoot setups and effectively manage time.
• Capable of seeking assistance when faced with challenging problems, ensuring efficient problem resolution.
• Excel at revising effects based on feedback or notes, minimizing the number of iterations required for finalization.
• Demonstrate an ability to adapt quickly to evolving creative direction.
• Take charge of following up on collaborative effects that involve other departments, ensuring the seamless integration of assigned tasks into the overall project.
• Proactively communicate and coordinate with team members to ensure the completion of collaborative tasks.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in visual effects for animation, television, or film.
• Proficiency in Houdini, Maya, Nuke, or other industry-standard FX tools.
• Solid understanding of FX principles and visual storytelling.
• Experience working in a production pipeline and using asset management tools.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills.
• Ability to take initiative and work both independently and collaboratively.
  

Senior FX Artist

Job Overview

As a Senior FX Artist, you'll lead the charge in executing intricate effects with precision. Collaborating directly with show and art directors, you'll tackle the most challenging shots, ensuring the highest quality standards. Your extensive competency in various FX software packages will be key, and you'll contribute to a collaborative environment by mentoring and troubleshooting for junior artists. Your innovative mindset will shine through R&D work, creating reusable FX rigs and templates, and pushing the boundaries of visual excellence..

Key Responsibilities

• Demonstrate the ability to complete complex Visual Effects accurately and efficiently.
• Tackle challenging and technically complex shots that demand the highest level of quality.
• Excel in solving both technical and artistic problems, showcasing expertise in the field.
• Work directly with the lead and supervisor to deliver key effects that align with the creative vision of the project.
• Exhibit a wide range of competency in various FX software packages.
• Share expertise by assisting and mentoring other artists, guiding both technical and artistic challenges.
• Create a collaborative environment by fostering knowledge-sharing within the team.
• Develop and implement reusable FX rigs or templates, enabling other artists to efficiently complete the entire series of shots with a consistent look.
• Engage in R&D work for complex effects ahead of schedule, conducting proof-of-concept tests or providing extra iteration time.
• Comfortably mentor and troubleshoot for more junior artists, contributing to their professional growth and development.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in visual effects for animation, film, or television.
• Expert-level skills in Houdini and/or Maya, and solid experience with Nuke or similar comp tools.
• Strong artistic eye and deep understanding of timing, motion, and physics.
• Proven experience mentoring other artists and leading complex effects work.
• Ability to innovate, problem-solve, and optimize FX for performance and render efficiency.
• Experience developing templates, tools, or procedural FX rigs.

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The wage range for this role reflects compensation across all of ICON’s projects. The final salary will be determined based on the specific position, the current show assignment, and the applicant’s experience and portfolio. This range accounts for varying levels of experience and responsibilities.

In compliance with British Columbia provincial mandates, we are posting this broad wage range to meet wage transparency requirements.

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ICON Creative Studio is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.