Facial Rigging TD (DNEG VFX)

Overview

As a Facial Rigger at DNEG, you will build high-performance facial rigs for digital humans and creatures to support expressive performances in top-tier VFX and TV productions. You will collaborate with modelling, animation, look development, and capture teams to create robust rig systems suitable for extreme close-ups, LED environments, and real-time workflows. Your work enables natural deformation and integrates with motion-capture pipelines to deliver convincing facial performances. This role offers the chance to shape facial rigging across cutting-edge productions, leveraging advanced tools and pipelines to achieve photoreal results.

Responsibilities

• Develop high-quality facial rigs for digital humans and creatures to support a wide range of expressive performance.
• Build and maintain FACS-based facial rig systems that enable natural deformation and animation control.
• Ensure topology supports deformation requirements and efficient rig implementation in collaboration with facial modelling teams.
• Integrate blendshape, joint-based, and procedural deformation systems for high-fidelity facial motion.
• Support facial performance capture workflows including marker-based systems, HMC capture, and retargeting pipelines.
• Collaborate with animation teams to refine control systems and ensure rigs are animator-friendly.
• Work with pipeline and rigging teams to ensure facial rigs integrate with body rigs and production workflows.
• Optimize rigs for performance and stability within production environments.
• Troubleshoot rigging and deformation issues during production and provide practical solutions.
• Participate in asset and shot reviews, providing feedback on deformation quality, performance fidelity, and animation usability.

Key requirements

• Strong experience building facial rigs for high-end VFX projects.
• Excellent understanding of facial anatomy, expression mechanics, and muscle systems.
• Expert knowledge of rigging in Maya, including deformers, rigging tools and Python scripting.
• Experience implementing FACS-based facial systems and corrective deformation workflows.
• Strong understanding of how facial rigs support animation and performance capture pipelines.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex deformation issues and develop practical technical solutions.
• Experience working with proprietary pipelines and the ability to learn new tools quickly.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

• Clear communicator
• Collaborative team player
• Adaptable and quick learner
• Maya rigging, deformers, and Python scripting
• FACS-based facial systems and corrective deformation workflows
• Experience with blendshape, joint-based, and procedural deformation

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