At a Glance
- Tasks: Create high-performance facial rigs for stunning VFX and TV productions.
- Company: Join DNEG, a leader in visual effects with a collaborative spirit.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, creative environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team atmosphere with a focus on innovation and quality.
- Why this job: Be part of groundbreaking projects that bring digital characters to life.
- Qualifications: Experience in facial rigging and a passion for VFX.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
Facial Riggers at DNEG focus on developing high-performance facial rigs that enable expressive, believable performances for world-class VFX and TV productions. Working closely with modelling, animation, look development, and capture teams, you will design robust and efficient rig systems capable of supporting complex facial performances in extreme close-ups, LED volume environments, high-resolution formats, and next-generation real-time workflows. Your work will ensure that digital humans and creatures can achieve subtle and convincing facial performances, supporting both keyframe animation and performance-capture pipelines.
Responsibilities
- Develop high-quality facial rigs for digital humans and creatures that support a wide range of expressive performance.
- Build and maintain FACS-based facial rig systems that enable natural deformation and animation control.
- Work closely with facial modelling teams to ensure topology supports deformation requirements and efficient rig implementation.
- Integrate blendshape, joint-based, and procedural deformation systems to achieve high-fidelity facial motion.
- Support facial performance capture workflows including marker-based systems, HMC capture, and retargeting pipelines.
- Collaborate with animation teams to refine control systems and ensure rigs are intuitive, flexible, and animator-friendly.
- Work with pipeline and rigging teams to ensure facial rigs integrate seamlessly with body rigs and production workflows.
- Optimize rigs for performance and stability within production environments.
- Troubleshoot rigging and deformation issues during production and provide technical solutions to support shot work.
- Participate in asset and shot reviews, providing feedback on deformation quality, performance fidelity, and animation usability.
Must Haves
- Strong experience building facial rigs for high-end VFX projects.
- Excellent understanding of facial anatomy, expression mechanics, and muscle systems.
- Expert knowledge of rigging in Maya, including deformers, rigging tools and Python scripting.
- Experience implementing FACS-based facial systems and corrective deformation workflows.
- Strong understanding of how facial rigs support animation and performance capture pipelines.
- Ability to troubleshoot complex deformation issues and develop practical technical solutions.
- Experience working with proprietary pipelines and the ability to learn new tools quickly.
- Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
Nice to Have
- Experience with performance capture pipelines, including marker-based facial capture or HMC systems.
- Familiarity with wrap workflows, photogrammetry, or facial scan processing.
- Experience with real-time pipelines or game engines such as Unreal or Unity.
- Familiarity with machine learning-driven facial systems or facial retargeting tools.
- Experience working with USD pipelines.
- A passion for human and creature anatomy.
About You
- Meticulous, observant and committed to delivering photoreal results.
- Clear communicator and collaborative team player.
- Adaptable and eager to learn new tools and techniques, including in-house technologies.
- Calm under pressure with strong time-management skills and an accurate sense of task duration.
- Self-driven with a proactive, solution-focused mindset.
- Objective and self-critical eye with a strong sense of quality control.
Facial Rigging TD (DNEG VFX) in London employer: DNEG
At DNEG, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, particularly for those passionate about digital Creature technology. Our collaborative work culture fosters creativity and innovation, allowing Software Developers to thrive while working alongside talented artists and technologists in a dynamic environment. With a commitment to employee growth and development, we offer opportunities to influence cutting-edge VFX and animation technologies, making this an exciting place to advance your career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Facial Rigging TD (DNEG VFX) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to industry professionals on LinkedIn or attend VFX meetups. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio showcasing your best facial rigging work. We recommend including breakdowns of your projects to highlight your process and problem-solving abilities. This will make you stand out when applying through our website.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your technical knowledge. Be ready to discuss your experience with FACS-based systems and how you tackle complex rigging challenges. We want to see your passion and expertise shine through!
✨Tip Number 4
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in showing your enthusiasm for the role. We love seeing candidates who are proactive and genuinely interested in joining our team at DNEG.
We think you need these skills to ace Facial Rigging TD (DNEG VFX) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Skills:Make sure to highlight your experience with facial rigging and any high-end VFX projects you've worked on. We want to see how your skills align with the job description, so don’t hold back!
Tailor Your Application:Customise your CV and cover letter to reflect the specific requirements of the Facial Rigger role. Mention your expertise in Maya and FACS-based systems, as well as any relevant projects that showcase your abilities.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your passion for facial rigging and VFX shines through without unnecessary fluff.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at DNEG
✨Know Your Anatomy
Brush up on your understanding of facial anatomy and expression mechanics. Be ready to discuss how this knowledge influences your rigging work, especially in relation to high-end VFX projects.
✨Showcase Your Technical Skills
Prepare to demonstrate your expertise in Maya and any relevant scripting languages. Bring examples of your previous work that highlight your experience with FACS-based systems and corrective deformation workflows.
✨Collaborate and Communicate
Emphasise your ability to work closely with modelling and animation teams. Share examples of how you've collaborated in the past to refine control systems and ensure rigs are intuitive and animator-friendly.
✨Problem-Solving Mindset
Be ready to discuss specific challenges you've faced in rigging and how you resolved them. Highlight your troubleshooting skills and your approach to developing practical technical solutions during production.
