Technical Artist Job in Orlando, Florida Us
Background:
Creating visually stunning, immersive games is an art that takes a tremendous amount of skill and talent. EA artists are responsible for creating the visual elements of a game, such as characters, scenery, objects, vehicles, surface textures, clothing, and even user interface components. Other Artists bring the game to life with Animation, Lighting and Visual effects and draw the gamer into an immersive experience where they can suspend disbelief and emotionally connect with the game and enjoy the ride. Some games go for a look that’s as realistic as possible, while others aim for a more stylized or fantastical look. In the end, the look of a game is one of the most significant factors contributing to the overall success of the game.
Role Overview:
The Technical Artist (TA) acts as a bridge between the artists and programmers working on a game. They ensure art assets can be easily integrated into a game without sacrificing the overall artistic vision or exceeding the technical limits of the chosen platform. The role is a relatively new one for the games industry, but it is becoming increasingly important as game systems become more complex. The Technical Artist works part of the art team, and coordinates closely with the lead artists and the art director, as well as with the lead programmers.
Main responsibility:
Setting up and maintaining the art production workflow and making decisions about which art packages and tools a studio should use. Technical Artists are also charged with investigating new techniques and implementing them within the team. The job often includes an instructional element, with the Technical Artist sharing their knowledge with other artists via training and mentoring sessions.
The Technical Artist typically works one step removed from the direct creation of game art assets. Instead, they act in more of an advisory position, setting up the systems of production as well as solving problems as they arise. It’s crucial for the Technical Artist to keep up-to-date in changes in technology, both in terms of console hardware, art packages, and new techniques. The Technical Artist is expected to be able to create custom tools to improve the efficiency of their team. This is usually carried out using the scripting languages included in the main modeling and animation packages.
Technical Artists will play a key role in providing feedback or debugging complex assets such as character skeleton rigs and skinning systems. They will also research and oversee the implementation of rendering techniques such as normal and specular maps, particle systems, and pixel shaders as well.
Other Responsibilities include:
•Working with the Art Directors and artists on visual development, including lighting, rendering, and post effects for real-time.
•Staying familiar with competitive technologies in the industry for real-time rendering, including modern game engines and rendering middleware.
• Designing and developing artist workflows in conjunction with the art staff and the engineers
• Design, Implement, and support tools and technologies used by artists in the creation of art assets
• Visual development of computer graphics to support the art director’s vision
• Research and implement the latest in cutting edge techniques in real-time computer graphics
• Assist with the management of large volumes of art and game data
• Creative and technical problem solving to achieve top quality and efficiency for art assets
• Acting as the first line of defense for art technical support
• Participating in the planning and development of AAA sports titles
Requirements:
• Working knowledge of major graphics applications such as Maya, Motion Builder, ZBrush, Photoshop, etc.
• Understanding of the fundamentals of computer graphics, including modeling, lighting, rendering, animation, production processes, and data management
• Experience developing tools and graphics in any of the following languages: Mel, Python, C# (plus), C++ (Must), Lua, HLSL, etc.
Pluses include:
• Experience working with Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii
• History of shipping AAA games on any platform
• Visual effects experience in film or commercials
•Experience with HDR photography, writing shaders in CG, HLSL, Renderman, or Mental Ray, and a working understanding of the mechanics of raytracing, global illumination, image based lighting, etc.