Virtual Production Artist

Dept Number/Name: 0-4601-000 / Innovative Education

Salary Plan: Administrative

Job Code/Title: 1119 / Virtual Production Artist

Hiring Salary/Salary Range: $70,000 – $85,000

Position Number: 00054818

ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY:
Innovative Education (InEd) meets the needs of learners any time and any place through innovative distance learning, continuing education, degree completion, certificate, workforce development, lifelong learning, and pre-college programs. InEd contributes to student success by collaborating with faculty, teaching assistants and academic administrators to strengthen the quality and breadth of USF’s educational offerings, and by providing a variety of academic services, including online teaching workshops, consultations and instructional technology support. InEd aligns with the goals stated in the USF Strategic Plan, including the desire to increase enrollments, improve the university’s degree completion rate, and develop and nurture public-private partnerships designed to generate new revenue and ensure institutional financial security. InEd is committed to contributing to student success, supporting teaching, generating new revenue, and establishing a reputation for innovation and quality that distinguishes USF from its competition.

POSITION SUMMARY:
Innovative Education Studios at USF is seeking a talented Virtual Production (VP) Artist to join our team, creating environments for virtual production. Under the supervision of the Virtual Production Supervisor, you will be creating custom, high-quality, and visually stunning real-time content using Unreal Engine for virtual production. This role encompasses on-set and remote virtual production support, where you will play a crucial role in delivering and overseeing complex technical shoots. As a VP Artist, you will provide on-set support, including technical previsualization, tech visualization, virtual camera operation, and other technical assistance to clients and the production team. This is a unique opportunity with Innovative Education Studios to contribute to cutting-edge virtual production projects while also helping to shape the student engagement and interaction through innovative educational and marketing media. The VP Artist will have the opportunity to work in two different Virtual Production studios featuring state-of-the-art LED volume and live compositing technology.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Design and Development: Visualization and creation of assets, design, development and delivery of props, levels, environments, and content for virtual production under tight schedules.  Implementing virtual lighting setups and dynamic lighting effects to enhance the visual quality of virtual environments. Ensure assets and scenes are properly integrated into Unreal Engine, maintaining a high level of visual fidelity and performance.

Production Support: Supporting on-set virtual production operations of LED volumes and live compositing programs (i.e. Zero Density’s Reality Engine) Troubleshoot and debug technical issues related to asset integration, optimization, and performance. Optimization of virtual sets/rebuilding of assets for real-time rendering and production day problem-solving.

Collaboration: Collaborate with directors, designers, production team, and other stakeholders to translate artistic direction and vision into virtual environments.  Working with internal and external teams on mock-ups/concepts, blocking out sequences and animatics, look development and design of interactive experiences.

Professional Development: Staying updated with the latest developments and techniques in real-time rendering, virtual production, and Unreal Engine to contribute innovative ideas and approaches to the team.

Performs other duties as assigned.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

MINIMUM:
This position requires a Bachelors Degree in film, art, video game development, 3D animation or related field. 2 years of experience working in virtual production, game development, or 3D animation. Experience with Unreal Engine is required. 4 years of related professional experience may substitute for formal education.

PREFERRED:

• Proven experience as an Unreal Engine Artist or similar role, with a strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in real-time rendering and virtual production.
• Proficiency in using Unreal Engine, including its material editor, lighting system, Blueprints, and particle system.
• Solid understanding of real-time rendering principles, shading techniques, and optimization strategies for real-time environments.
• Strong understanding of pipelines and processes for virtual production and ICVFX.
• Familiarity with virtual production tools and workflows, such as virtual cameras, motion capture systems, and real-time compositing.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot technical issues related to asset integration, optimization, and performance.
• Strong artistic and design sensibilities, with an eye for detail and composition.

SPECIAL SKILLS/TRAINING:
Proficiency in using Unreal Engine, including its material editor, lighting system, Blueprints, and particle system. Familiarity with virtual production tools and workflows, such as virtual cameras, motion capture systems, and real-time compositing. Solid understanding of real-time rendering principles, shading techniques, and optimization strategies for real-time environments. Knowledge of nDisplay and the use of Switchboard for networked machine cluster node live rendering. Familiarity with programs such as Blender, maya, Zbrush, cinema4d are all bonuses. Also, photogrammetry software and apps (reality capture, pix4d, etc…) lidar scanning & tools/apps as well as NeRF (neural radiance fields) experience – Luma AI, MobileNeRF, polycam, etc.

USF Tampa

Information for Applicants 
This position is subject to a Level 1 criminal background check.

Job Opening Number: 35212

Posting Date:  09/22/2023

Posting End Date: 10/06/2023

How To Apply 
Click on https://gems.usf.edu:4440/psp/gemspro-tam/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=35212&PostingSeq=1. When applying to an opening you will have the opportunity to upload a cover letter and resume.

Apply online by completing the required information and attaching your cover letter and resume. Please include your experience as it relates to the qualifications stated above. YOUR COVER LETTER AND RESUME, PLUS ANY OTHER REQUESTED MATERIAL, MUST BE IN ONE ATTACHMENT. Only online applications are accepted for this position.

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Equal Employment Opportunity 
USF is an equal opportunity, equal access academic institution that embraces diversity in the workplace.

The University of South Florida does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sexual harassment. Any person may report sex discrimination, including sexual harassment (whether or not the person reporting is the person alleged to be the victim of conduct that could constitute sex discrimination or sexual harassment), in person, by mail, by telephone, or by electronic mail, using the contact information listed for the Title IX Coordinator. Reports may be made at any time either online or directly to the University’s Title IX Coordinator.

Federal Rights
Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA).

Work Location 
Campus map and location overview: USF – Tampa Campus

About USF 
The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News & World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.

Working at USF 
With more than 16,000 employees at USF, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay region. At USF you will find opportunities to excel in a rich academic environment that fosters the development and advancement of our employees. We believe in creating a talented, engaged and driven workforce through on-going development and career opportunities. We also offer a first class benefit package that includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, tuition program and generous leave programs and more.

To learn more about working at USF please visit: Work Here. Learn Here. Grow Here.