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Senior Environment Surfacing Artist

Hybrid in Madrid·Full-time·Added 1 month ago

Skydance Animation Madrid

14 open roles

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Overview

Job details

Full-time hours
Per the ad.
Hybrid
Office and home days — the ad has the split.

Requirements

Have the right to work in Spain
Skydance Animation Madrid doesn't mention sponsorship in the ad.
Work in English
English is required, per the ad.
Be near Madrid for hybrid days
No relocation package mentioned.
Have 5+ years of experience
Senior-level role.

Requirements

What we're looking for

5+ years of experience in the VFX or animation industry.
3+ years in the animation industry is desirable.
Strong artistic sensibility and/or technical expertise related to 3D animation and VFX are required.
Experience in Renderman and/or Arnold.
Experience with Substance 3D Painter, Substance 3D Designer, and/or Mari.
Strong knowledge of UV creation and layout.
Understanding of related departments' workflows, including Modeling, Set Dressing, Lighting, FX, and Compositing.
Experience optimizing complex scenes and rendering workflows.
Experience managing large scenes, complex environments, and demanding sequences.
Knowledge of Houdini, Solaris or Katana is desirable.
USD and/or OSL knowledge is a plus.
Knowledge of vegetation workflows (instances and scatters) is a plus.
Understanding of displacement workflows (maps and geometry output).
High English level desirable

The role

As an Environment Senior Surfacing Artist, you will collaborate with the Production team, Production Designer, Art Director, and Environment Supervisor to develop the visual language and surface aesthetics of environments and props throughout the film. You will create and refine materials, textures, and surfacing solutions across a wide range of artistic styles while maintaining the creative vision of the project. You will work within modern production workflows using tools and technologies such as USD, Substance Painter/Designer, Houdini, RenderMan, and RizomUV.

What you'll do

Creates and develops stylized and realistic textures using photographic references, hand-painted techniques, procedural workflows, and existing texture assets, adapting approaches to different artistic styles and production requirements.
Researches visual references and develops surfacing solutions independently when concept art or direct visual guidance is unavailable.
Translates the Production Designer's vision into cohesive surfacing solutions that support the overall visual language of the film.
Ensures surfacing quality, consistency, and adherence to the established visual direction across assets, environments, and sequences.
Creates, refines, and maintains materials using standard and procedural shading workflows, balancing artistic requirements with appropriate physical properties and visual style.
Troubleshoots technical issues, tracks progress, and follows through to resolution.
Takes ownership of assigned assets, ensuring quality and timely delivery.
Collaborates with Supervisors, Leads, and upstream/downstream departments, including Modeling, Set Dressing, Rigging, Lighting, FX, and Compositing.
Shares knowledge and supports the growth of less experienced artists.
Proposes solutions to artistic and technical challenges, defining the best ways to proceed.
Demonstrates strong organizational skills, including task prioritization and effective time management across multiple assignments.
Maintains clear, proactive, and transparent communication.

Senior Environment Surfacing Artist

Madrid

Skydance Animation Madrid - Environment Surfacing /

Full Time /

Hybrid

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About Skydance Animation Madrid

Skydance Animation is the animation division of Skydance Media, a major American production company known for blockbuster films and series. The studio focuses on creating high-quality animated feature films and series, with a strong emphasis on storytelling and cutting-edge visual effects. Skydance Animation Madrid is one of its key production hubs, contributing to the creation of animated content for global audiences.

Skydance Animation Madrid is a significant presence in Spain's growing animation industry, offering roles in modeling, surfacing, rigging, animation, and pipeline engineering. The studio is known for its collaborative and creative work environment, attracting international talent to work on major animated projects. For international professionals, this is an opportunity to join a well-funded, globally recognized studio in a vibrant European capital, with a focus on innovation and artistic excellence.

Industry: Animation and Film Production
Founded: 2017
Employees: 500–1,000
Headquarters: Santa Monica, USA
In Spain: Madrid
Website: skydance.com

Good to know if you are moving

Skydance Animation Madrid is located in the heart of Madrid, offering a vibrant cultural and social environment.
The studio works on high-profile animated films and series for global streaming platforms like Apple TV+.
Madrid is a growing hub for animation and visual effects in Europe, with a strong community of international professionals.
The studio offers competitive salaries and benefits, and supports relocation for international hires.
English is commonly used in the workplace, making it accessible for international talent.

In their own words

About the company & team

Skydance offers a dynamic, inclusive, and ever-evolving culture where innovative ideas are welcomed, and growth fostered. The partnership between unique creativity and technological advancements are demonstrated within each pillar of the company. At the heart of it all is a commitment to boldly entertaining and relevant storytelling.

While all Animation studios look to hire people who are creative and hard-working, Skydance Animation is specifically looking for pioneers who seek to push the limits of what the world's most collaborative art form can achieve, and to give those pioneers the space and the resources to build a new studio that's doing something different.

Additional information

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#Animation #LI-Hybrid

Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across its feature film, television, interactive, and animation divisions.

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It has come to our attention that there may be fraudulent activity by individuals impersonating our Talent Acquisition team. Skydance will only contact you from an official "@skydance.com" email address. If you suspect that you are being contacted by an unauthorized person or believe that the correspondence you have received is suspicious, please do not click on any links or attachments in such emails and submit any questions or concerns to our information security team at https://skydance.com/report-suspected-fraud/.

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