Prop / Technical Artist (Temporary Assignment)

This position is for a temporary engagement through our staffing partner Yoh Services.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position.

Summary:

The prop (or foreground) team is responsible for the creation, rigging, and support of all non-character animating objects in the game. This includes weapons, props, vehicles, and dynamic simulations and interactions with level (background) geometry.
Most foreground artists are versatile Maya generalists, but also have specializations in different areas that fall under the team’s realm of responsibilities. Some foreground artists are technical or rigging specialists, others are modelers and texture artists, and some specialize in dynamic set-ups. Through this diversity of specializations, the team supports each other in different ways, actively distributing and sharing the overall workload.

Responsibilities:

• Work with geometry provided from another source (such as the background, character team, or outsource), but also have the proficiency to create or correct it as needed. Substance Painter and Photoshop are the primary texturing tools of choice, with an increased reliance on Painter for outputting maps appropriate for a physical-shader based material pipeline
• Set-up of real-time destructibles and bumpables using Havok, including breaking up the mesh, creation of an appropriate rig and collision, generating/repairing UVs, and implementation in-game
• For pre-simulated effects - breaking up provided geometry, rigging, and running a dynamic simulation in Maya or Houdini
• Cloth and rope animations - using real-time dynamics in-game, Maya, or Marvelous Designer, depending on the situation
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

Requirements & Skills:

• Solid foundation of Maya modeling and texturing tools and pipeline
• Ability to create a high quality, game resolution, texture-mapped, PBR-shaded 3D model from concept art or photo-reference
• Good communication skills and a great customer-service attitude to interface and collaborate effectively with all other disciplines
• Ability to stay organized and prioritize tasks according to their urgency
• Work efficiently and be proactive in seeking out new tasks and ways to help the team and the production
• Must be able to provide a demo reel or examples of professional work (Online Preferred), a breakdown of your contributions to the shots, and an accompanying resume
• Experience texturing in Substance Painter

Bonus Skills:

• Substance Painter proficiency
• ZBrush proficiency
• Maya advanced rigging or Character Rigging
• Experience writing Maya Mel or Python tools
• Experience working with remote artists or Outsourcing
• Prior shipped games or team projects

As part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates should expect to be given a technical interview and may be asked to complete an art test.