About the role
Overview
WildBrain is looking for a Rigging Supervisor, CG (Feature) to join our team. Reporting to the Producer and Rigging HOD, the Rigging Supervisor oversees the rigging team to deliver high-quality, production-ready rigs that meet creative and performance requirements, while collaborating across departments and staying current with evolving rigging technologies.
The project is Little Santa, a new CG-animated feature for Apple Original Films based on the children's book by Jon Agee. The film is directed by Peter Baynton, written by Martin Hynes, produced by Julia Pistor, and features songs by Bret McKenzie.
Responsibilities
- Oversee the rigging team’s day-to-day work, providing creative and technical direction through regular reviews, feedback, and deliverable approvals.
- Serve as the primary liaison between production, the Rigging HOD, and the rigging team to communicate priorities, risks, schedules, and milestone updates.
- Review scripts, animatics, and model topology to identify rigging needs, production requirements, and performance considerations.
- Rig, troubleshoot, maintain, and improve CG assets to ensure stable, production-ready rigs that meet animation performance requirements.
- Research, recommend, and develop rigging techniques, modules, and workflows that improve production efficiency and expand in-house tool capabilities.
- Collaborate with animation, modeling, shading, and production teams to support performance and delivery requirements.
- Partner with production to assign tasks and provide bid times for required rigs based on script, animatic, and production breakdowns.
- Train artists on rigging workflows, tools, and techniques.
- Represent the rigging team professionally and constructively in all project interactions.
- Participate in processes such as hiring, casting, evaluating and coaching.
Qualifications
- 2+ years of experience as within Rigging Leadership on a feature production.
- Experience building high-quality, feature-level facial rigs and deformation systems.
- Advanced proficiency in Maya, including a strong understanding of parallel evaluation and rig performance.
- Advanced knowledge of Python and object-oriented programming.
- Strong understanding of anatomy and articulation.
- Strong understanding of animation workflows and production needs.
- Demonstrated technical expertise in character rigging for animation.
- Strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills.
- Openness to feedback, direction, and evolving production needs.
- Clear communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts across disciplines.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with multiple departments.
Nice to Have
- Experience working with crowd rigs.
- Knowledge of PySide/Qt.
- Experience developing and debugging C++ plug-ins for Maya.
- Experience working with pipeline APIs.
- Knowledge of nHair or other simulation systems.
Compensation and Benefits
- Pay Range: $2,345-$3,500 CAD per week based on a 40-hour work week. Exact pay varies based on level, responsibilities, expectations, experience, skills, and internal equity.
- Comprehensive benefits package.
- RRSP matching.
- Multi-tiered benefits.
- Free mental health resources.
- Regular virtual and in-person team events.
Employment Terms
- Location: Hybrid/Flexible, Vancouver.
- Contract Type: This is a Union position and the terms and conditions of employment are covered by a collective agreement.
- Culture: The studio values an artist-centric culture, providing training and growth opportunities, a healthy work-life balance, and an atmosphere free from barriers to promote inclusion, equity, and diversity.