Senior VFX Artist
$145K - $180K/yr
Description * Full-time job with benefits. * Role is on-site in San Rafael, CA. * Office is in ... interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.
1 Substrate Full Time Jobs Hiring Near You
Senior VFX Artist
$145K - $180K/yr
Description * Full-time job with benefits. * Role is on-site in San Rafael, CA. * Office is in ... interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.
Substrate Interactive Jobs Information
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To thrive as a full-time employee, you need a strong work ethic, time management skills, and relevant job-specific qualifications or education. Familiarity with industry-standard tools, productivity software, or certifications related to your role is often expected. Reliability, adaptability, and effective communication are critical soft skills that help you excel in team environments. These skills and qualities are important for consistently meeting job expectations, contributing to organizational goals, and advancing your career.
What are some common challenges professionals face when transitioning to a full-time role from part-time or contract work?
Transitioning to a full-time position often involves adapting to a more structured schedule, increased workload, and higher expectations for long-term commitment and team collaboration. Full-time roles typically require deeper integration into company culture and more involvement in ongoing projects, which can be a significant adjustment for those used to flexible or project-based work. Additionally, full-time employees may encounter new responsibilities such as regular meetings, performance reviews, and opportunities for professional development within the organization.
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A full-time job typically refers to a position where an employee works a standard number of hours set by their employer, usually around 35 to 40 hours per week. Full-time employees often receive benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plan options, which may not be available to part-time workers. The exact definition of full-time can vary by company and country, but it generally signifies a long-term, regular commitment to the employer.
What is the difference between Full Time vs Part Time?
| Aspect | Full Time | Part Time |
|---|---|---|
| Work Hours | Typically 35-40 hours per week | Less than 30 hours per week |
| Benefits | Usually includes health insurance, paid leave, retirement plans | Limited or no benefits |
| Job Security | Generally higher | Less job security |
| Work Environment | Consistent schedule, full integration into company | Flexible schedule, often separate from full-time staff |
Full Time jobs involve working standard hours with benefits and greater job security, while Part Time roles offer more flexibility with fewer benefits. The choice depends on your work-life balance needs and career goals.
$145K - $180K/yr
Other
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO
Posted 11 days ago
Job description
Summary
We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Real-Time VFX Artist to craft stunning visual effects for our ambitious open-world project. As a core member of the VFX team, you will be relied upon to execute complex effects from block-out to final polish with minimal supervision. We highly value senior-level artistic fundamentals and technical problem-solving above specific software constraints; whether your previous AAA experience is rooted in proprietary engines or other commercial software, your core VFX capabilities are what matter most. With a foundational understanding of Unreal Engine, you will work within established pipelines and collaborate with art, design, and engineering to deliver awe-inspiring visuals that bring our expansive world to life, consistently hitting a AAA quality bar.
Core Responsibilities
- Create and implement real-time, high-quality visual effects for an open-world environment, including environmental effects, character abilities, destruction, and cinematic sequences.
- Take ownership of complex VFX features from concept to final integration, driving high-quality results and proactively solving technical challenges.
- Work closely with the VFX Director to perfectly execute the established visual style and tone of the project.
- Craft dynamic and visually dramatic effects that enhance gameplay and cinematics while strictly adhering to performance budgets.
- Proactively troubleshoot your own effects, ensuring they are highly optimized for memory and runtime performance across any engine environment.
- Stay current on real-time visual effects techniques and efficiently apply them to your daily workflow.
- Collaborate with Engineering and Tech Art to test new toolsets and clearly communicate the technical needs required to complete your tasks.
Core Qualifications
- Strong portfolio showcasing a high-quality, diverse range of real-time VFX work, demonstrating mastery of visual effects principles regardless of the engine used.
- 5+ years of proven experience as a VFX artist in the games industry.
- Shipped at least one AAA title as a VFX artist.
- Deep proficiency in real-time VFX authoring within a major game engine (e.g., proprietary AAA engines, Unity, etc.).
- Foundational experience with Unreal Engine (Niagara, materials, sequencing) and a strong aptitude for translating your senior-level skills into a UE5 pipeline.
- Expert understanding of particle systems, shaders, lighting, and real-time rendering pipelines.
- Proven track record of balancing high-fidelity visual quality with strict technical optimization.
- Ability to collaborate seamlessly with other departments (design, lighting, environment, cinematics), providing polished elements for seamless integration.
- Exceptional eye for the timing, animation, weight, and motion of real-world phenomena and visual FX.
- Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to overcoming day-to-day development challenges.
- Excellent communication skills, taking and implementing feedback effectively.
- Familiarity with physically based lighting (PBR) concepts and physics-based effects.
- Experience with third-party packages and workflows (Houdini, 3ds Max, Maya, or EmberGen).
- Passion for creating immersive and visually compelling game worlds.
Plus if...
- Hands-on experience implementing dynamic weather systems, large-scale destruction effects (e.g., using Chaos physics), or systemic open-world VFX.
- Advanced experience with specific UE5 rendering and simulation features, such as Dataflow or Substrate material systems.
- Familiarity with scripting languages (Python, Blueprint) to assist in your own VFX implementation.
Description
- Full-time job with benefits.
- Role is on-site in San Rafael, CA.
- Office is in downtown San Rafael - near freeways, bus and train stations.
Join our talented team and play a crucial role in defining the visual identity of our games. Together, we will create memorable characters that resonate with players worldwide. Apply now and lead our character art team as the Lead Character Artist with Absurd Ventures.
The base pay range for this position is $145,000 to $180,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including paid time off, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.
About Absurd Ventures
Absurd Ventures is a media company creating new IP across all platforms and for all formats.Absurd Ventures is building narrative worlds, creating characters, and writing stories for a variety of genres, without regard to medium, to be produced for live-action and animation; video games and other interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.