Rodeo FX - Animation Artist Freelance

Animator is needed in Montreal, Canada.

Client: Rodeo FX

Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Contract: undefined

Job Description

The Freelance Animation Artist at Rodeo FX is responsible for delivering high-end, hyper-realistic performances for creatures, characters, and animated objects. The artist must possess a sharp eye for timing, weight, and emotion, bringing life and credibility to animated assets, whether they are realistic or stylized. Working closely with the Animation Lead and Supervisor, the artist contributes creatively and technically to the success of each shot while adhering to artistic vision, technical specifications, and deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

Master your craft: Deliver polished animation work that aligns with both creative intent and production specifications, demonstrating a solid grasp of animation principles—timing, weight, arcs, and posing—across various performance styles. Adapt quickly to differing animation contexts, including realistic creatures, mechanical objects, and stylized characters.

Creative Quality: Interpret creative direction and reference materials to create nuanced and expressive performances. Propose original ideas and motion choices that enhance storytelling and overall impact. Seek and integrate feedback constructively.

Technical Quality: Ensure animations are clean, functional, and export-ready for downstream departments. Collaborate with technical teams to anticipate and troubleshoot rigging or scene-related issues. Maintain naming conventions, file structures, and technical requirements as per pipeline standards.

Communication: Provide realistic time estimates and communicate promptly about issues or delays. Collaborate with production to adjust priorities as needed, and maintain open communication with peers and leads. Address roadblocks proactively and provide solutions when issues arise; participate actively in dailies and reviews.

Teach, learn and grow: Share tools, tips, and approaches with peers to foster collective improvement. Engage in learning sessions and internal mentorship programs, and stay current with evolving trends, software, and methodologies in animation.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years of experience in a VFX or animation studio environment.

• Strong proficiency in Maya; experience with additional animation tools is a plus.

• Solid understanding of body mechanics and facial animation.

• Ability to animate from reference and create compelling acting performances.

• High attention to detail, autonomy, and effective deadline management.

• Positive, collaborative mindset with strong communication skills.

• Asset: Experience with ShotGrid or other production tracking tools.

• Asset: Knowledge of rigging fundamentals or custom tool development.

Additional Information

At Rodeo FX, diversity is a core value. We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable workplace that embraces different perspectives. Every team member brings unique insights that strengthen our creativity and help us deliver better work.

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. However, these tools never replace human decision-making; all final hiring decisions are made by our recruitment team and hiring managers.

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