Crowd Simulation Supervisor

Repeatedly voted one of Montreal’s Top Employers and Employer of the Year for the 2022 Mercuriades Awards, Rodeo FX is a high-end creative company offering services in visual effects, advertising, animation, and experiential.

Nominated for multiple Emmy® Awards for its work on the series Stranger Things season 4, The Witcher season 2, and The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power season 1, the independent, Oscar®-winning company boasts close to 900 artists crafting from studios in Montreal, Québec City, Toronto, Los Angeles and Paris.

Rodeo FX is a creative partner to the world’s best storytellers including Netflix, HBO, Disney, Marvel, Amazon Studios, Warner Bros., and Sony, and has collaborated on ads for YouTube, NBC, and Apple. Current projects include Blue Beetle, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon. Recently released projects include John Wick: Chapter 4, Black Adam, Disney's The Little Mermaid, and Love, Death and Robots Volume 3, for which the company won a 2023 VES award.

Job Description

The Crowd Simulation Supervisor is responsible for the artistic and technical quality of crowds generated on a project. They supervise Crowd artists, define work methods, ensure the visual consistency of simulations, and ensure their proper integration into the production pipeline. In collaboration with the CG, animation, layout, compositing, and production teams, they develop effective solutions to meet creative requirements while respecting time, budget, and performance constraints.

Key Responsibilities:

Creative Quality

• Translate narrative and visual intentions into credible and legible on-screen behaviors.
• Collaborate with CG, animation, and layout supervision to ensure fluid artistic continuity.
• Validate delivered simulations while maintaining a high standard of visual quality.
• Propose creative approaches to enrich the diversity, dynamics, and impact of crowds.

Technical Quality

• Define appropriate simulation methods (Houdini Crowd, Golaem, Maya) based on project needs.
• Quickly identify and resolve technical issues related to rigs, agents, cycles, or caches.
• Ensure the optimization and stability of crowd systems, while respecting pipeline constraints.
• Participate in the development, validation, and documentation of the tools used.

Leadership & Communication

• Supervise the Crowd artist team with clarity, kindness, and high standards.
• Lead Crowd dailies, briefings, and follow-ups with production.
• Act as a point of contact between artists, supervision, and other departments.
• Intervene quickly and calmly to resolve creative or human issues.

Project Management

• Evaluate Crowd resource needs at the start of the project.
• Contribute to planning, task estimation, and artist casting.
• Closely monitor progress, obstacles, and required adjustments.
• Ensure deadlines are met and Crowd deliverables are delivered smoothly.

Workflow Strategies

• Implement effective and replicable work methods at the project level.
• Optimize internal processes to reduce simulation times and back-and-forth.
• Propose technical or methodological innovations as per project needs.
• Contribute to the consistency of Crowd department practices across different shows.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a VFX environment, including significant experience in crowd simulation.
• Advanced proficiency in crowd simulation software (Houdini Crowd, Golaem) and Maya.
• Good understanding of rigging, procedural animation, and movement cycles.
• Knowledge of Flow Production Tracking and key steps of the CG/VFX pipeline.
• Ability to supervise, plan, and deliver in demanding contexts.
• Structured leadership, developed artistic sense, fluid communication.
• Assets: Python or MEL scripting, internal tool development, participation in industry conferences or panels.

Additional Information

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Rodeo FX, diversity is a core value. We’re committed to creating an inclusive, equitable workplace where different perspectives are embraced. Every team member brings unique insight that strengthens our creativity, challenges our thinking, and helps us deliver better work.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

Rodeo FX may use AI-based tools to support certain steps of the recruitment process, such as interview transcription or preliminary application analysis. These tools may be operated by third-party providers, and data may be processed outside Quebec. These tools never replace human decision-making: all final hiring decisions are made by our recruitment team and hiring managers. To learn more about how we protect your personal information and your rights, please consult our Privacy Policy.

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