Crowd Technical Director (Contract)

About the role

Framestore is seeking a Crowd Technical Director on a contract basis to create and animate large‑scale digital crowds for high‑end visual effects films. Working closely with supervisors and department leads, you will help bring tens of thousands of characters to life, ensuring realistic motion and seamless integration with the final image.

Key responsibilities

• Create and run crowd simulations as directed by the CG or VFX Supervisor.
• Develop locomotion and motion behaviours for varied, believable performances.
• Support the development of new crowd tools, scripts and workflows.
• Collaborate with modelling, rigging, animation, motion‑capture and lighting teams.
• Maintain clear communication with production leads to meet deadlines and quality standards.

Required profile

• Strong working knowledge of Houdini, especially Houdini Crowds and Agent Definitions (Maya experience a plus).
• Creative problem‑solving with an eye for both aesthetic and technical requirements.
• Solid grasp of animation principles and ability to work under pressure in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment.
• Excellent communication, collaboration and organisational skills.
• Familiarity with VFX pipelines, Unix/Linux environments and a willingness to learn new tools.

Required skills

• Houdini
• Houdini Crowds
• Maya
• VEX
• Python
• C++
• Unix/Linux
• Particle systems
• Procedural animation
• Motion‑capture data integration

What we offer

• Opportunity to work on award‑winning feature films and series.
• Collaborative environment with leading artists and technologists.
• Access to cutting‑edge proprietary and off‑the‑shelf tools.