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Digital Frontier FX, Inc. · 3 days ago

Houdini Crowd Artist

Los Angeles, CA

Contract

Hybrid

Entry, Mid Level

1+ years exp

Digital Frontier FX (DFFX) is looking for a Houdini FX Artist with a strong focus on fluid simulations for a freelance project. The role involves creating and delivering high-quality fluid and FX simulations in Houdini, collaborating with team members to solve creative challenges, and maintaining visual continuity across shots.

3D TechnologyAnimationMedia and Entertainment

Hiring Manager

Jaimie Lee Finnerty

Responsibilities

Create and deliver high-quality fluid and FX simulations in Houdini, including water, dust, and particles

Build, refine, and optimize Houdini FX setups and reusable tools for production

Execute realistic simulations such as FLIP fluids and RBDs

Work closely with supervisors, animators, and fellow artists to solve complex creative and technical challenges

Maintain visual and technical continuity across shots and sequences

Troubleshoot FX scenes and deliver clean, efficient files that integrate smoothly into the pipeline

Participate in dailies and review sessions, incorporating feedback through final delivery

Qualification

HoudiniFluid simulationsVFX productionFLIP fluidsParticle systemsShader creationPython scriptingArnold2D/3D VFX tools

Required

1–3+ years of experience in VFX, film, or episodic production

Strong, hands-on experience creating fluid simulations in Houdini for production

Solid understanding of real-world physics and how it translates to believable FX work

Demonstrated ability to balance artistic quality with technical efficiency

Experience ingesting upstream assets and applying materials and layouts within Houdini

Comfortable working within episodic or feature-style VFX pipelines

This role requires artists who are comfortable working in Houdini for FX and fluids on a daily basis, including: FLIP fluids, Particle systems and collisions, Scene organization, node graph optimization, and performance tuning, Shader creation, lighting, and rendering as they relate to FX elements, Look development and lighting for FX within Houdini

Preferred

Experience with Arnold

VEX and/or Python scripting

Familiarity with additional 2D/3D VFX tools

Feature film experience

Company

Digital Frontier FX, Inc.

Life partners Chad and Jaimie Finnerty, formed Digital Frontier FX in 2013 with the goal to find a solution to the ever shrinking visual effects job market in Los Angeles.

Founded in 2013

Marina Del Rey, California, USA

11-50 employees