Overview:
The Lead Layout Artist plays a pivotal role in the pre-visualization and staging of scenes in animation, film, and visual effects (VFX) productions. This role is responsible for overseeing the layout team and ensuring that the visual composition, camera work, and shot continuity align with the director's vision. The Lead Layout Artist bridges the gap between storyboards and final animation, ensuring that the staging, camera angles, and timing of each shot are effectively planned and executed.
Key Responsibilities:
- Translate storyboards into 3D previsualization scenes by setting up characters,
- environments, and camera moves to block out the action and ensure proper
- composition.
- Responsible for creating sequences of CG shots that convey the story-line, ensuring the vision of the director and layout supervisor.
- Ensure continuity in camera work, staging, and action flow between shots and
- sequences, adhering to the visual style and mood of the project.
- Collaborate with the director, art director, and animation supervisors to establish and
- maintain the visual tone of the project through layout.
- Accountable for meeting schedules and show deadlines; participates in dailies, rounds, and team reviews of work in progress.
- Interact with production, supervisors, and team / peers in order to problem solve and share information related to shows and assigned tasks.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Animation/Visual Effects, Computer Graphics, or a related field (or equivalent work experience).
- A minimum of 3-5 years’ layout experience in visual effects production. Strong Maya knowledge with excellent problem solving skills and a solid understanding of the visual effects pipeline.
- Extensive experience in determining camera composition, lens, angles and movement and a strong understanding of the principles of story-telling, cinematography, art and film.
- Experience working with storyboards / sketches / previs, and the ability to translate these into a 3D production-ready sequence of shots.
- Ensure the layouts are properly prepared for animation, lighting, and rendering teams, providing solutions for any scene complexity or technical issues.
- Train, share knowledge and take responsibility for the progression of more junior members of the team, Provide regular feedback and quality control for the work.
- Guide artists in the team on how best to present work, Give feedback to the team on submissions and help guide comments in daily sessions. Highlight any crewing issues to HOD and DM.
- Proven experience leading a team of layout artists or working in a senior layout position, with strong mentoring and leadership abilities.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work closely with other departments and relay feedback effectively.
- Assign appropriate tasks to Senior, Mid and Junior team members, showing a strong understanding of their abilities and the project workflow and timing.
This role is essential in creating the foundation for high-quality, visually engaging animations and VFX by ensuring that each scene is composed, staged, and timed to align with the director’s creative vision and the overall cinematic goals of the project.