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Vfx Jobs (NOW HIRING)

2K

Senior VFX Artist

Frisco, TX · Remote

What We Are Looking For The Senior VFX Artist works across all our titles and interacts directly with the VFX Director, Art Directors, and Designers to create world-class special effects that push ...

Scattermesh

VFX Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

Job Summary Scattermesh is expanding its team and we are looking to hire experienced VFX Artists to work across client projects on a full time basis in Herndon, VA. This role requires a skilled ...

2K

Senior VFX Artist

Frisco, TX · On-site

What We Are Looking For The Senior VFX Artist works across all our titles and interacts directly with the VFX Director, Art Directors, and Designers to create world-class special effects that push ...

Komodo Co., Ltd.

VFX Artist (Bellevue)

Bellevue, WA · On-site

The Opportunity KOMODO is seeking a VFX Artist to define the visual identity of Nanos, the codename for a competitive PvP game built in Unreal Engine. You will create high-quality, stylized real-time ...

Komodo Co., Ltd.

VFX Artist (Bellevue)

Bellevue, WA · On-site

The Opportunity KOMODO is seeking a VFX Artist to define the visual identity of Nanos, the codename for a competitive PvP game built in Unreal Engine. You will create high-quality, stylized real-time ...

Ember Lab

Lead VFX Artist

Orange, CA · On-site

As Lead VFX Artist, you will guide and elevate our visual effects, owning both technical and creative direction while mentoring other team members and contributing directly to production. You'll ...

Ember Lab

Lead VFX Artist

Orange, CA · On-site

As Lead VFX Artist, you will guide and elevate our visual effects, owning both technical and creative direction while mentoring other team members and contributing directly to production. Youll ...

Swaybox Studios

VFX Data Wrangler

New Orleans, LA

Swaybox Studios is seeking a VFX Data Wrangler to maintain records of information on set.. This role is central to maintaining the data flow from the production stages to the VFX team. You would be ...

Ember Lab

Lead VFX Artist

Orange, CA

As Lead VFX Artist, you will guide and elevate our visual effects, owning both technical and creative direction while mentoring other team members and contributing directly to production. You'll ...

Adobe

Staff AI VFX Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Build andvalidateAI-driven VFX workflows: Design end-to-end pipelines that integrate Firefly Foundry's custom-trained diffusion and video models into compositing, look-dev,previs, and virtual ...

Swaybox Studios

VFX Data Wrangler

New Orleans, LA · On-site

Swaybox Studios is seeking a VFX Data Wranglerto maintain records of information on set.. This role is central to maintaining the data flow from the production stages to the VFX team.You would be ...

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Vfx information

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How much do vfx jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for vfx in the United States is $105,989.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $84,500.00 and $121,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Does VFX pay well?

VFX artists and professionals can earn competitive salaries, especially with experience, strong portfolios, and proficiency in industry-standard tools like Maya or Nuke. Entry-level positions typically pay less, but senior roles or specialized skills can lead to higher compensation, often supplemented by freelance work or project-based contracts.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a VFX (Visual Effects) Artist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a VFX Artist, you need strong artistic abilities, a solid understanding of computer graphics, and a relevant degree or portfolio showcasing your work. Proficiency with industry-standard software such as Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Maya, Houdini, or Nuke is typically required. Creativity, attention to detail, teamwork, and effective communication are essential soft skills in this role. These skills ensure the creation of visually compelling effects that meet project requirements and foster successful collaboration within production teams.

Will VFX be replaced by AI?

VFX artists use specialized software and creative skills to produce visual effects for media. While AI tools can assist with tasks like rotoscoping and image enhancement, they are unlikely to fully replace the creative and technical expertise of VFX professionals, who adapt and integrate new technologies into their workflows.

What are some common challenges faced by VFX artists when collaborating with other departments on a film or television project?

VFX artists often work closely with directors, cinematographers, editors, and other creative departments, which can present challenges such as aligning artistic vision, meeting tight production deadlines, and adapting to last-minute changes. Communication is key—misunderstandings or incomplete briefs can lead to rework. Additionally, VFX artists must ensure their digital effects integrate seamlessly with practical footage, requiring flexibility and strong problem-solving skills. Successful collaboration relies on clear feedback loops and a willingness to iterate quickly in a fast-paced environment.

What is VFX vs CGI?

VFX (Visual Effects) refers to the integration of generated imagery with live-action footage to create realistic environments or effects, often used in film and television. CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) is a subset of VFX that involves creating digital images, characters, or environments entirely with computer software. VFX artists often use tools like Maya or Nuke and need strong skills in compositing and 3D modeling.

Is VFX replaced by AI?

VFX artists use AI tools to assist with tasks like image enhancement and automation, but AI has not replaced the need for skilled VFX professionals. Creativity, technical expertise, and understanding of software like Adobe After Effects or Nuke remain essential in the industry.

What is a VFX job?

A VFX (Visual Effects) job involves creating or manipulating imagery to enhance or alter visual content in film, television, or video productions. VFX artists use software like Adobe After Effects, Nuke, or Maya to produce effects such as explosions, weather, or fantastical elements, often working closely with directors and production teams. The role requires technical skills, creativity, and knowledge of compositing, 3D modeling, and animation.

Is VFX a good career?

VFX (visual effects) is a growing field within the entertainment industry, requiring skills in software such as Adobe After Effects and Nuke. It offers opportunities in film, television, and gaming, often involving project-based work with variable schedules. Success typically depends on technical proficiency, creativity, and building a strong portfolio.

What are VFX artists and what do they do?

VFX artists, or visual effects artists, are professionals who create digital imagery to enhance or complete scenes in movies, television, advertising, and video games. They use computer software to generate effects that are either impossible or too expensive to achieve with practical effects, such as explosions, magical creatures, or realistic environments. VFX artists often work closely with directors, animators, and editors to seamlessly integrate visual effects with live-action footage, ensuring the final product looks believable and visually compelling.

What is the difference between Vfx vs Motion Graphics Designer?

AspectVfxMotion Graphics Designer
Required CredentialsPortfolio, sometimes a degree in film, animation, or related fieldPortfolio, degree in graphic design, animation, or related field
Work EnvironmentFilm, TV, advertising, post-production studiosAdvertising agencies, media companies, digital content studios
Industry UsageVisual effects for live-action footageAnimated graphics for videos, presentations, and digital media

Vfx specialists focus on creating visual effects that integrate seamlessly with live-action footage, often requiring advanced compositing and 3D skills. Motion Graphics Designers primarily craft animated graphics and visual elements for digital media, emphasizing design and animation skills. Both roles share similar credentials and work environments but serve different creative purposes within the media industry.

What Are the Qualifications to Get a VFX Job?

The qualifications and skills needed to start a career in visual effects (VFX) depend on your career plans and the exact duties and responsibilities of your chosen VFX specialty. You may decide to pursue a degree in animation, computer-aided design, video game design, visual effects, or 3D modeling. VFX animators typically need skills in software such as AutoDesk Maya, After Effects, or Fusion 9. While you may want to obtain a degree and certification in relevant software, you should also build a portfolio of work to show prospective clients and employers.

What does VFX stand for?

VFX stands for Visual Effects, which involve creating or manipulating imagery outside of live-action footage, often using software like Adobe After Effects or Nuke. VFX artists work to enhance or create scenes in film, television, and video games, requiring skills in compositing, 3D modeling, and animation.

Is VFX hard to learn?

VFX (visual effects) is a complex field that requires learning software such as Adobe After Effects or Nuke, as well as understanding principles of compositing, animation, and timing. It often involves a steep learning curve initially, but consistent practice and training can lead to proficiency over time.
More about Vfx jobs
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What states have the most Vfx jobs? States with the most job openings for Vfx jobs include:
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Vfx jobs near you
VFX Artist - GameSim - Talent Pipeline

VFX Artist - GameSim - Talent Pipeline

Keywords Studios

Orlando, FL • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 5 days ago

Job description

GameSim is a game development studio that partners with clients to build games across PC/console and a range of art styles. We care about craftsmanship, collaboration, and shipping work we're proud to put our names on. If you love building environments and believable spaces we'd like to meet you. Our headquarters is based in Orlando, FL!
Talent Pipeline Posting Notice
Please note that this posting is not tied to an immediate vacancy. We are proactively building a pipeline of qualified candidates in anticipation of potential hiring needs over the coming months. Applications will be reviewed and retained for future consideration as opportunities arise.
We are looking for a VFX Artist with strong real-time effects skills, solid technical judgment, and the potential to grow into broader lead responsibilities over time.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys creating high-quality visual effects while also helping teams stay aligned, organized, and efficient. Depending on the project, this person may contribute directly to hands-on VFX production, in-engine implementation, feedback, task breakdowns, optimization, workflow documentation, and cross-discipline collaboration.
Because our projects can vary widely in style, scope, platform, and client needs, we are looking for an adaptable VFX artist with strong fundamentals, a practical production mindset, and the ability to translate creative or design direction into clear, executable effects work.
This is a hands-on production role with opportunities to support small pods or strike teams, guide VFX quality, mentor other artists, and grow toward lead-level responsibilities.
This role offers flexible work options, including remote, hybrid or in-office arrangements.
Responsibilities
  • Create custom real-time visual effects and implement them in-engine using Unreal Engine 5, Unity, or proprietary tools.
  • Build high-quality effects for gameplay, environments, cinematics, atmosphere, combat, interaction, destruction, UI/game feedback, and other project needs.
  • Create all necessary textures, flipbooks, materials, meshes, simulations, and supporting assets for real-time VFX.
  • Maintain clean, readable, well-structured material graphs, Niagara systems, parameters, naming conventions, and reusable effect setups.
  • Use tools such as Photoshop, Substance Designer, Blender, Houdini, Maya, EmberGen, or other software as needed to support effect creation.
  • Work with complex material setups, Blueprints, scripting hooks, animation events, gameplay triggers, or engine-specific implementation needs.
  • Troubleshoot VFX issues in partnership with Technical Art, Engineering, Design, Animation, Audio, and other disciplines.
  • Own VFX optimization fundamentals, including particle counts, overdraw, shader cost, texture memory, spawn rates, scalability settings, and platform performance constraints.
  • Help ensure effects are readable, performant, and aligned with gameplay needs, art direction, timing, mood, and player feedback.
  • Review work from internal artists, partner studios, or external vendors and provide clear, constructive, actionable feedback.
  • Help maintain a consistent quality bar across a set of effects, a feature, a level, or a small team pod.
  • Support short-term planning by helping break down VFX requests into clear tasks, priorities, dependencies, risks, and definitions of done.
  • Proactively identify production risks, including missing gameplay hooks, performance spikes, unclear direction, pipeline gaps, dependency issues, or inconsistent style execution.
  • Collaborate closely with Designers, Concept Artists, Art Directors, Technical Artists, Engineers, Animators, Audio Designers, and Producers.
  • Support client-facing communication when needed by clarifying requirements, sharing WIP, explaining constraints, and aligning on expected outcomes.
  • Contribute to VFX workflow improvements, reusable templates, documentation, libraries, naming standards, or scalability rules when appropriate.

Requirements
  • 5+ years of professional game industry experience as a real-time VFX Artist or similar role.
  • At least one shipped game title.
  • Proven end-to-end real-time VFX workflow experience, from concept and asset creation through in-engine implementation and polish.
  • Strong experience implementing effects in Unreal Engine 4 or 5, with strong working knowledge of Niagara.
  • Strong particle animation fundamentals, including timing, rhythm, shape language, motion, impact, anticipation, dissipation, and readability.
  • Strong understanding of natural energies and materials such as fire, smoke, water, electricity, magic, dust, debris, explosions, atmospherics, and environmental effects.
  • Strong material and texture creation skills using tools such as Photoshop, Substance Designer, or similar software.
  • Ability to create clean, readable, and well-constructed material graphs and VFX systems.
  • Demonstrated understanding of real-time VFX optimization, including particle counts, overdraw, memory usage, material cost, scalability, and performance constraints.
  • Ability to balance visual impact, gameplay clarity, technical cost, and production schedule.
  • Strong communication skills, including clear written updates, verbal communication, documentation, and actionable feedback.
  • Ability to interpret vague creative, design, or client direction and turn it into clear VFX tasks or implementation plans.
  • Experience mentoring, reviewing, or guiding other artists. A formal Lead title is not required, but leadership behaviors are important.
  • Comfortable collaborating across disciplines and working with design, engineering, technical art, production, and art direction.
  • Strong ownership, follow-through, organization, and problem-solving ability.
  • Interest in growing into broader leadership responsibilities over time.

Nice to Have
  • Proficiency with common production tools such as Perforce, Jira, Miro, and Confluence.
  • Houdini experience.
  • EmberGen experience.
  • Unity experience.
  • Substance Designer experience.
  • Experience with proprietary engines or custom VFX tools.
  • Scripting or coding skills, such as C#, Python, Blueprint, or similar.
  • 2D animation or traditional animation experience.
  • 3D animation, simulation, or procedural content creation experience.
  • Experience creating both stylized and realistic effects.
  • Experience with foliage, atmospherics, environmental effects, weather, destruction, or ambient world VFX.
  • Experience working with outsourcing, co-development teams, partner studios, or external vendors.
  • Experience collaborating with teams across different countries, cultures, and time zones.
  • Experience establishing VFX standards, templates, naming conventions, libraries, scalability rules, or pipeline documentation.
  • Experience supporting client reviews, milestone deliveries, or cross-studio feedback loops.
  • Experience leading a small pod, strike team, feature group, or informal group of artists.

Portfolio Requirements
  • Please include a portfolio that clearly demonstrates your real-time VFX capabilities.
  • Your portfolio must include:
    • Real-time VFX assets with strong readability, timing, shape language, and clearly understandable visual elements.
    • At least one example shown in a real-time gameplay context, preferably a video of the effect happening in-game or during interactive gameplay.
    • Examples of strong material definition and texture work, with clean, readable, well-constructed setups.
    • Effects that demonstrate fundamentals such as composition, mood, color choices, timing, motion, impact, readability, and understanding of natural energies.
    • Examples of effects implemented in-engine, preferably in Unreal Engine 4 or 5 / Niagara.
    • Breakdowns showing your process, including textures, materials, emitters, timing, implementation, optimization, or technical setup where applicable.
    • Clear explanations of what you personally created, especially for any team-created work.
  • Strongly preferred portfolio examples include:
    • Before/after examples showing how you improved an effect through feedback, mentorship, optimization, or art direction.
    • A small set of effects that demonstrate consistent style, quality bar, or gameplay readability across a feature or content set.
    • Examples of templates, libraries, material systems, naming conventions, scalability setups, or pipeline improvements you helped create.
    • Examples that show how you balanced visual quality with performance constraints.

Please note: if your portfolio is mostly isolated effects in presentation scenes without runtime gameplay context, this may not be the right fit. We are looking for artists who understand how VFX function inside real-time gameplay, not just how they look in isolation.
How to apply
  • Resume + portfolio link required.
  • An art test may be required as part of the process.

This position is currently open to candidates residing in the following U.S. states only:
Arizona (AZ), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), lowa (IA), Illinois (IL), Massachusetts (MA), Maine (ME), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), New Hampshire (NH), Nevada (NV), Ohio (OH), Oregon (OR), South Carolina (SC), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Virginia (VA), Wisconsin (WI), Montana (MT), Alabama (AL), Georgia (GA), Indiana (IN), Louisiana (LA), North Carolina (NC), New Jersey (NJ), Oklahoma (OK), and Utah (UT).
While applicants from all listed states will be considered, the ideal candidate will be located in Orlando (FL) Austin (TX) or New Orleans (LA). Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and reside in one of the eligible states listed above.
Salary Range: $70,000 USD to $75,000 USD
Benefits
What's in it for you?
  • Opportunity to work on different projects
  • 3 weeks of accrued paid time off
  • Benefits package including medical, dental and vision
  • Sick Leave
  • Disability Coverage
  • Corporate holidays
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan with company matching
  • Professional Development
  • Snacks, drinks, ping pong, and more!

GameSim is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and identities and evaluate candidates based on skills, experience, and alignment with the role.
Keywords Studios is dedicated to following a well-established Equal Opportunities Policy. We endeavor to create a workplace which provides for equal opportunities for all employees and potential employees.
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY
By providing your information in this application, you understand that we will collect and process your information in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. For more information, please see our Applicant Privacy Notice at https://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/applicant-privacy-notice.
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About Keywords Studios

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Whatever the scale of your project, whatever the time frame, whatever your location: Keywords is here for you, bringing our network of 13,000+ people and 70+ studios together to deliver the unified solutions you need. We offer everything necessary to ensure your project achieves its full potential and that strategic opportunities are turned into long-term growth. The games industry is complex and fast-moving. Working with Keywords allows you to remain lean and agile, and to remain focused on creating the world’s most immersive playing experiences. Our network of studios brings best-in-class experience, expertise, technology and capacity across the full development, release and player-support lifecycle.

Industry

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Burbank, CA, US

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