BG Prep Artist

Position: BG Prep Artist - Mid

Hiring Range: $57,000 to $70,000/year for a 40 hour work week

Project Contract: February to September 2026

Company Benefits: Extended healthcare from day 1, premiums 100% covered by Image Engine, up to 8 paid Health and Wellness days per year.

*Candidates are required to be based in British Columbia and eligible to work in Canada*

ABOUT IMAGE ENGINE

Image Engine is a world-class VFX studio based in Vancouver, BC, that has built a reputation for excellence in the visual effects industry since 1995. We specialize in crafting stunning visual effects for feature films and television with an award-winning portfolio that includes The Book of Boba Fett, The Mandalorian, Game Of Thrones, Lost in Space, Jurassic World, and District 9.

We offer a full range of visual effects services, from concept designs and pre-visualization to CG animation, compositing, and explosive volumetric digital effects. Our crew is passionate about storytelling and pushing the artistic and technical boundaries to deliver the highest quality work on every project. R&D is central to our philosophy of driving creativity through innovation and we're committed to continually evolving our robust production pipelines.

At Image Engine, we value diversity and teamwork, and we're proud to foster a workplace culture that is supportive, respectful, and empowering. We believe that our success is a reflection of our exceptionally talented team, and we're always looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join us on our mission to create unforgettable visual experiences. Join our team and be part of something extraordinary.

Our BG Prep Team is a very tight-knit group of specialists that shares a common passion for Roto and Paint, always trying to go the extra mile to provide the best possible quality and also to allow the crew to have fun while experiencing a well designed career path and a very well balanced work environment and lifestyle.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE

The primary focus of any BG Prep Artist can be divided in two main areas:

• Creating articulated mattes through precise Rotoscopy, matching the photography for both temporal motion blur or spacial lens defocus. The execution of this task involves the correct identification of the best spline breakdown that accounts for any kind of parallax between elements and the precise placement and keyframing of those splines to achieve the required consistency throughout the shot.
• Removing unwanted elements from the live action footage like objects, safety wires and rigs, camera crew and crash mattes or any kind of cosmetic touches on the set or talent. This can be achieved through a traditional rasterized frame by frame paint or a more procedural patching and tracking approach.

POSITION EXPECTATIONS

For a Mid role, the BG Prep Artist is expected:

• To complete any medium to difficult complexity shot within the given time frame and with minimal guidance and advice from a more Senior Artist on an occasional level. 
• To be very curious, to ask questions and to be very open about any difficulties encountered, being the main goal to establish the current areas of expertise but also to work on the remaining areas that are least comfortable in order to increase the versatility of the artist.
• To address several rounds of QC notes given by a Lead or Supervisor in a timely manner and to clarify them if there is any ambiguity.
• To welcome and help Junior or other Mid Artists to establish themselves within the department.
• To collaborate with Supervisors and Head of Department on the testing of new workflow solutions with an open minded mentality.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• 2 – 4 years of feature film/TV production experience
• Proficient in Silhouette
• Proficient in Nuke
• Proficiency in Mocha Pro
• Proficiency in Shotgrid
• Basic Linux knowledge
• Degree/Diploma in Digital/Traditional Arts is appreciated
• Specialization in VFX Compositing is appreciated
• Experience in Photoshop/Lightroom/After Effects is appreciated
• Experience in photography is appreciated

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Technical Skills

• Rotoscoping in Silhouette
• Efficient Spline Breakdown and Keyframing
• Matching Plate Motion Blur
• 2D Point & Mocha Planar Tracking
• Extracting Tracking information from Matchmove Camera
• Painting Frame by Frame in Silhouette
• Dust bust and cosmetic touches
• Retime Artifacts Painting
• Procedural plate cleanup in Nuke
• Marker removals
• Camera, Crew, Rigs and Wire removals
• Proficiency with Nuke's 3D environment, UV and Camera Projections

Soft Skills

• Good Communication skills
• Excellent time management
• Eye for detail and precision
• Curiosity in Photography & Film
• Understanding Color Theory
• Responsibility & Dedication