Python Job: Research Engineer

Position Summary

We are looking for engineers for our Virtual Production R&D team, to help us advance the state of the art in real-time virtual production technology for major motion pictures and television.

We’re looking for engineers with experience in-camera VFX, performance capture, real-time visualization, retargeting and/or complex systems integration. We need people with a keen interest in making production-worthy tools for artists, and with the drive to put them into action on our upcoming slate of exciting shows.

Leveraging our decades-long experience in production and effects, we have focused our R&D team on building StageCraft, a powerful end-to-end solution supporting all aspects of virtual production.

StageCraft represents a new paradigm of filmmaking that combines traditional filmmaking tools with cutting-edge technology to allow filmmakers to achieve their vision with speed and flexibility. StageCraft allows filmmakers to explore new ideas, communicate concepts, and execute shots in a collaborative and flexible production environment.

StageCraft offers filmmakers the ability to:

• Shoot in-camera VFX on state-of-the-art LED stages
• Design shots in an immersive VR Environment
• Scout locations and shots virtually
• Previsualize and block shots and performance capture
• Capture multiple live performances and review in real-time on monitors, mobile devices, and large LED or projection displays.

ILM’s R&D and Core Pipeline groups develop the ground-breaking technology that our artists use to create dazzling visuals. ILM’s innovations have won 33 Scientific and Technical Academy Awards®. Today, we are 80+ visually-minded software engineers, working side-by-side with over a thousand digital artists in a fast-paced, intensely collaborative, creatively-driven film production environment, across studios in San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver, London, and Sydney.

What you’ll do:

• Work in a collaborative, distributed team of full-time software engineers, and work directly with highly specialized and supremely talented artists, in ILM’s studios in San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver, London, and Sydney.

• Develop innovative algorithms and techniques, based on the latest in virtual production technology.

• Design artist-friendly user interfaces and automated batch processes that scale to high volume visual effects production.

• Integrate commercial and open-source systems into the ILM production pipeline; collaborate with external organizations such as Disney Research, and with commercial software and hardware vendors.

• Work within and extend and support ILM’s proprietary software systems.

• Split time between long-term software development projects and day-to-day production support.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.

• Previous experience in VFX or a similar digital production facility.

• Proficiency with real-time workflows and virtual production technology is desirable.

• Onset experience is desirable.

• An intuitive understanding of the demands of a fast-paced, creatively-driven visual effects production environment.

• Collaboration: a readiness to trust others, be trustworthy and play nice.

• Communication: An ability to express yourself concisely, a willingness to speak up, and a conviction to keep everyone informed of progress and issues.

• Empathy: an ability to listen intently and understand artists’ needs.

• Creativity: an insightful and analytical thinker, and a creative problem solver.

• Expert knowledge of programming in C++ and Python on Linux.

• Thorough knowledge of technology related to animation and performance capture: character rigging, geometric deformations, dynamic simulation, computer vision, etc.

• Experience designing interfaces using GUI toolkits: Qt, PyQt/PySide, etc.

• Thorough knowledge of software design/development principles: design patterns, object-oriented design, agile development, etc.

• Experience working with a large, complex, mature, and dynamic codebase.