Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic and innovative animation studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of character animation and storytelling. We are working on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series and Stranger Things animated series, as well as our production Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan.
* Not open for remote work, this position must be based in Madrid, Spain.*
The 3D Character Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the creation and delivery of high-quality character assets for the project, ensuring they meet the artistic and technical standards set by the Production Company. Working closely with department leads, they will guide the asset team in delivering top-tier models, textures, shading, grooming and character FX, while maintaining consistency across all character assets in the show. This role requires a holistic understanding of the full character creation pipeline — including Modelling, Texturing, Rigging, CFX (hair, fur, cloth) and Character Performance needs.
Key Responsibilities:
* Supervise and guide the modelling, texturing, shading, grooming and character FX teams to ensure all character assets meet the required quality, style, and technical specifications.
* Provide feedback and mentorship to asset artists, ensuring that their work is consistent and meets the show’s creative vision.
* Oversee hair, fur and cloth simulation needs, ensuring grooming and CFX setups support the artistic goals, technical requirements and performance capabilities of the characters.
* Collaborate with the Rigging Supervisor to ensure that character and creature models (including groom and cloth components) are optimized for animation, deformation and performance requirements.
* Support and maintain dialogue with other crew members, including Technical Directors, downstream department supervisors, and CG and VFX Supervisors, to ensure assets work efficiently within the pipeline.
* Assist the Pipeline and Technical teams in developing asset workflows and best practices to improve efficiency across the full character pipeline (Modelling → Texturing → Groom/CFX → Rigging → Animation).
* Identify and solve technical challenges related to asset creation, including topology, UV mapping, grooming, cloth, texturing and shading complexities.
* Participate in review sessions with the Art Director, CG Supervisor, and other department leads to maintain quality control and ensure all feedback is implemented.
* Coordinate with Production Coordinators and Producers to track asset progress, ensuring timely delivery while maintaining quality.
* Maintain documentation on workflows, best practices, and tools to ensure consistency and efficiency in character asset production.
* Work closely with the client or external vendors when necessary to ensure that outsourced assets meet the project’s technical and artistic requirements.
ABOUT YOU:
* Between 3–5 years of experience in a similar supervisory or lead-level position.
* Strong artistic sense and understanding of form, shape, structure, silhouette and performance requirements in character creation.
* Excellent knowledge of topology, UV mapping and efficient geometry creation for animation and rendering.
* Extensive experience in texturing, shading and material creation for photorealistic and stylised character assets.
* Strong experience in hair/fur grooming and cloth simulation workflows (CFX), and an understanding of how these integrate with rigging and animation.
* Strong understanding of physically based rendering (PBR) workflows and implementation in production environments.
* Experience working in Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Katana, Houdini, XGen, Yeti and other industry-standard tools.
* Familiarity with rigging requirements to ensure smooth deformation and articulation in characters, including how groom and cloth elements impact rig behaviour.
* Experience with render engines such as Arnold, Redshift and/or RenderMan, with a solid understanding of asset optimisation techniques for efficient rendering and pipeline performance.
* Ability to troubleshoot technical issues related to character assets and implement efficient solutions.
* Strong leadership skills with experience mentoring and guiding artists across multiple sub-disciplines (model, texture, groom, CFX).
* Excellent communication and organisational skills to effectively coordinate with multiple departments.
* Ability to develop, document and refine character asset workflows and best practices, contributing to ongoing pipeline improvements and production efficiency.
* Ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced production environment.
* Fluent in English and/or Spanish language, both written and verbal.
* Eligible to work in Spain/Europe. Spanish locals & Europeans open to relocation will be given priority.
What do we do?
Flying Bark Productions is a renowned independent producer of family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our 2D and 3D production facility has created award-winning feature films and TV series.
Why work with us?
* We work on some pretty cool projects - check out our website: https://www.flyingbark.com.au/
* We have cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a Kulture Klub dedicated to coordinating our busy social calendar!
* We work in hybrid mode, with two days a week remotely and two extra days per month.
* If you love dogs as much as we do, you can bring them to work!
* Career development is important to us so we offer training and support opportunities whenever possible.
* We have a full slate and plans for international expansion so there is always plenty of opportunity for career development.
* Our employees say our culture is the best they've ever experienced - everyone is welcome and celebrated!
Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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