Senior Facial Character TD at Insomniac Games
Company: Insomniac Games
Location: United States (Remote)
Job Type: Contract
Salary: $75 – $90 USD per hour
About the Role
Insomniac Games is hiring a Senior Facial Character TD (Technical Director) to create advanced, photorealistic facial rigs for high-quality game characters. This role focuses on pushing the boundaries of facial animation, combining technical expertise with artistic precision to deliver industry-leading results.
Job Overview
The Senior Facial Character TD will design and implement facial rigging systems using FACS-based methodologies, blendshapes, and advanced scanning data. You will collaborate closely with Character Art, Animation, and Engineering teams while contributing to tools, workflows, and research & development in facial animation technologies.
Key Responsibilities
- Create high-quality, photorealistic facial rigs using FACS-based blendshapes.
- Develop rigging systems to support and enhance blendshape workflows.
- Integrate head and body rigs through robust systems and pipelines.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver animator-friendly rigs that perform well in-engine.
- Contribute to tools for facial rig creation and editing using Python, PyQt, or PySide.
- Develop automated workflows and tools for runtime optimization.
- Build systems for ingesting third-party facial rigs and assets.
- Participate in facial animation R&D, including solvers and machine learning approaches.
- Sculpt FACS shapes using deformers or sculpting tools when required.
- Process and clean 3D/4D scan data from facial capture sessions.
- Implement facial shape transfer techniques and pipelines.
- Collaborate with external vendors and provide feedback on delivered assets.
- Stay up to date with the latest advancements in facial rigging and animation.
Required Qualifications
- Expert-level experience with Autodesk Maya.
- Strong experience with sculpting tools such as ZBrush or Mudbox.
- Experience processing scan data using tools like Wrap3D/4D or similar.
- Knowledge of deformation transfer workflows and facial rig pipelines.
- Experience with real-time engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity is preferred.
- Deep understanding of FACS and facial anatomy.
- Strong knowledge of facial performance capture and solving techniques.
- Understanding of modern scanning technologies, including lightstage and 4D scanning.
- Proficiency in Python and/or C++ for tool and system development.
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to optimize performance.
- Collaborative mindset with excellent communication skills.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Graphics, Animation, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Benefits
- Competitive hourly compensation based on experience and expertise.
- Access to medical, dental, and vision benefits.
- Opportunity to work on cutting-edge facial animation technologies.
- Collaborative and innovative remote work environment.