Location
Chancery Lane, London, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
The multi-Oscar-winning creative Film & Episodic Studio at Framestore collaborates with some of the greatest storytellers in film today. We work closely with directors and producers throughout the filmmaking process to design, plan, and create stunning visual effects that support their vision and set new industry standards. Framestore combines talent and technology to bring life to everything we create, driven by creativity and inspired by the future.

As a Crowd Technical Director at Framestore, you will bring large-scale scenes to life by simulating and animating tens of thousands of characters for high-end visual effects films. Working closely with Supervisors and department Leads, you will craft dynamic motion and behaviour of digital crowds that populate the worlds of our most ambitious projects. Using both proprietary and off-the-shelf software, you will create visually rich simulations that balance realism and artistry.

Collaboration is central to this role, requiring close work with teams across Modelling, Rigging, Animation, Motion Capture, and Lighting to deliver seamless crowd work integrated perfectly into the final image. This position offers an exciting opportunity for those who thrive on creative problem-solving and technical innovation, with the chance to contribute to the development of new tools and techniques that push the boundaries of visual effects.

You will also:
- Create and run crowd simulations as briefed by the CG or VFX Supervisor
- Develop locomotion and motion behaviours to achieve varied and believable performances
- Support the development of new crowd tools and workflows
- Maintain strong communication with Production and Leads to meet deadlines and quality standards

Experience
- Strong working knowledge of Houdini, particularly Houdini Crowds and Agent Definitions (Maya experience a plus)
- Previous experience in a similar crowd or simulation role is desirable
- Programming or scripting experience (e.g. VEX, Python, C++) is advantageous
- Understanding of particle systems and procedural animation
- Experience developing tools, scripts, or plug-ins to streamline workflows
- Familiarity with motion capture data integration
- Experience working in Unix/Linux environments

About you
- Creative problem-solving skills with an understanding of both aesthetic and technical requirements
- Solid grasp of animation principles and an eye for motion
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and organisational skills
- Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- Adaptability and willingness to learn new tools and processes
- Familiarity with VFX pipelines and workflows across multiple software packages

Qualifications
No specific qualifications are required, but a strong technical background and relevant experience in crowd simulation and animation are highly valued.