Houdini Crowd Artist – VFX

Cinesite

Houdini Crowd Artist at Cinesite collaborating on crowd simulations and animations for films. Engaging with animation teams to enhance creative options and improve quality in visual projects.

Posted 7/5/2026full-timeMontreal • 🇨🇦 CanadaMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Break down individual shots and plan the best methodology to approach them, taking into account the options of our Crowd tool (based on the Atoms system), Houdini, cached character tools in Maya, and hero animation
Execute shots using the tools listed above
Work in Box to create shots, as well as debug or add shots created by the team
Work closely with animators on cycles, hero animation, and character performance to achieve the most creative options within a sequence
Work with animation and the rest of the creature team (CFX, Rigging) to organize crowd shots and ensure they are feasible throughout the pipeline
Assist in designing generic characters to ensure the film's style remains consistent and to maximize variations within budget
Work closely with all crowd artists across the Cinesite group as well as with development and pipeline teams to improve our crowd process
Be proficient with performance capture techniques — motion editing skills are a plus
Continuously advance our crowd process to improve the quality of shots in our films.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Excellent knowledge of Houdini crowd systems and familiarity with Atoms, Golaem, or Massive
Good understanding of motion capture techniques; motion editing skills are an asset
Experience creating crowds for VFX films and/or animated features
Ability to work independently and to mentor a team of multidisciplinary artists
Strong technical problem-solving skills, including the ability to troubleshoot pipeline issues and independently resolve shot-specific technical problems
Strong creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to find solutions that achieve the highest-quality results within budget
Solid understanding of the full CG pipeline, from assets to lighting
Highly organized with the ability to work independently.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Flexibility: We have fully adopted hybrid working, offering employees the flexibility to work from home, in the studio, or alternate between the two (except in rare cases)
Employee support program
Telemedicine platform (Dialogue)
Inflow program (ADHD support)
Personal days
One floating celebration day to celebrate what makes you unique
Equipment and hardware for working in the office and at home
Access to cultural and wellbeing activities (yoga, massage)
Discounts with various partners
And more…

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Crowd Creation for VFX FilmsMotion Capture TechniquesMotion Editing SkillsShot-Specific Technical Problem ResolutionCharacter Performance Optimization

Soft Skills

Ability to Work IndependentlyMentoring Multidisciplinary ArtistsHighly Organized