Santa Monica Studio · 3 weeks ago
Sr Staff VFX Artist
LA Metro Area
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$144K/yr - $216K/yr
8+ years expSanta Monica Studio is a renowned team under PlayStation, known for creating acclaimed games like God of War. They are seeking a Senior Staff VFX Artist to lead the development of innovative visual effects systems and collaborate with various teams to enhance the artistic and technical quality of their upcoming title.
Digital Entertainment
Responsibilities
Create world-class visual effects that set new industry standards, spanning from intricate environmental effects to large-scale cinematic sequences, while establishing quality benchmarks and maintaining artistic vision through all phases of development
Lead the development of advanced VFX workflows and pipeline tools using Maya, Houdini, Python, MEL, and other industry-standard technologies, creating robust, reusable systems that empower the entire VFX team to achieve higher quality results
Pioneer cutting-edge simulation techniques, including real-time 3D fluids, advanced smoke and fluid simulation, and interactive character space effects such as leaves, snow, mud, pebbles, and environmental immersion systems that create unprecedented levels of reactive realism
Drive technical evolution initiatives focused on real-time simulation architectures, voxel-based systems, and Houdini-to-engine integration workflows that push the boundaries of interactive entertainment
Develop innovative solutions for visual fidelity challenges, including approaches to combat upscaling-induced VFX degradation, drape and clustering systems, and high-resolution effect preservation across multiple display technologies
Model, texture, animate, and optimize visual effects using Maya within our proprietary engine pipeline, ensuring seamless integration with existing art pipelines while collaborating closely with Engineering and Technical Art teams to balance cutting-edge visual fidelity with performance requirements
Lead strategic technical conversations with cross-disciplinary teams, driving innovation in interactive VFX systems and establishing technical roadmaps for achieving ambitious visual aspirations while maintaining production feasibility
Partner with Design, Narrative, and Cinematics teams to ensure visual effects serve both storytelling and mechanical purposes, creating compelling visual narratives that enhance gameplay experiences
Serve as a thought leader in the development of artistic techniques and technical processes, while mentoring VFX artists and technical artists to foster knowledge sharing and establish best practices
Possess exceptional time management and prioritization skills, collaborating with Production to develop comprehensive task frameworks and clearly communicate technical concepts while representing the studio professionally in all interactions
Take ownership of specialized VFX domains and R&D efforts, researching and prototyping cutting-edge techniques to maintain Santa Monica Studio's position as an industry leader
Qualification
Required
8+ years of professional experience in visual effects creation for interactive media, with demonstrated leadership in developing VFX systems, tools, and workflows for AAA game development
Expert proficiency in Maya for all aspects of VFX creation, including modeling, texturing, animation, rigging, and pipeline integration within Maya-based proprietary engine workflows
Advanced Houdini expertise with proven experience in real-time simulation development, 3D fluid systems, and creating production-ready HDAs that integrate seamlessly with game engine pipelines
Advanced programming and scripting capabilities in Python, MEL, VEX, and other relevant languages for tool development, pipeline automation, and workflow optimization
Deep understanding of real-time simulation architectures, including smoke and fluid simulation systems, interactive particle dynamics, and character space data integration for reactive environmental effects
Comprehensive knowledge of real-time rendering principles, shader development, and game engine integration with proven ability to optimize complex VFX while addressing upscaling and resolution challenges
Exceptional artistic vision and technical problem-solving skills with the ability to create visually stunning effects while developing technical infrastructure, particularly in drape and clustering systems
Proven leadership and mentorship experience with demonstrated success in guiding teams, establishing workflows, driving technical conversations, and leading innovation initiatives
Outstanding communication and organizational abilities with experience coordinating complex technical challenges across multiple departments
Self-motivated with the ability to shift between hands-on creative work and technical leadership while managing multiple priorities
Preferred
Shipped AAA game(s) with significant contribution to award-winning VFX systems, real-time simulation implementation, or technical innovation
Specialized experience in interactive environmental systems such as reactive snow, mud, foliage, debris, and other immersive character space effects that respond dynamically to player interaction
Advanced knowledge of voxel-based rendering techniques, volumetric simulation systems, and modern approaches to real-time 3D fluid dynamics
Experience with graphics programming and optimization, including HLSL/GLSL shader development, GPU compute shaders, and modern rendering pipeline integration
Proven track record in technical leadership roles with experience mentoring senior team members and establishing technical vision for VFX innovation initiatives
Experience with version control systems, build systems, and collaborative development tools is essential for large-scale AAA production environments
Understanding of engine integration, keyframe animation principles, and cinematographic techniques that enhance VFX storytelling capabilities
Background in film/TV VFX or research environments with transferable skills in high-end simulation techniques or cutting-edge visual effects technologies
Experience with emerging rendering technologies such as ray tracing, machine learning applications in VFX, or neural upscaling solutions that address modern display challenges
Benefits
Medical
Dental
Vision
Matching 401(k)
Paid time off
Wellness program
Coveted employee discounts for Sony products
Bonus package
Company
Santa Monica Studio
Santa Monica Studio (SMS) is the PlayStation® video game development team owned by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is a sub-organization of Sony.
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageRecent News
Company data provided by crunchbase