Technical Artist job description at your company

Professional
#41

Hi guys,

The company i work for still havent really nailed down the role of Tech Artist (me) as yet. I was wondering, do you guys report to the Lead Artist, work along-side them, or do they report to you? At the moment, all my tasks are given to me directly by the Lead artist and i report directly to them and all decisions pass through them. I feel this isnt quite right as it restricts by ability to do my job. I feel i should be working on a level playingfield with the Lead Artist and Lead Programmer. What’s your thoughts?

Cheers

#42

[QUOTE=anim8r_uk;6912]Hi guys,

The company i work for still havent really nailed down the role of Tech Artist (me) as yet. I was wondering, do you guys report to the Lead Artist, work along-side them, or do they report to you? At the moment, all my tasks are given to me directly by the Lead artist and i report directly to them and all decisions pass through them. I feel this isnt quite right as it restricts by ability to do my job. I feel i should be working on a level playingfield with the Lead Artist and Lead Programmer. What’s your thoughts?
Cheers[/QUOTE]
I reported to the Lead TA, until I was the Lead TA… then I reported to the producer most of the time and talked to CD or AD for creative input (worked alongside Lead Artist, Lead GP, Lead LD, Lead Animation and so on).

When I’ve worked in smaller companies without a Lead TA, I’ve been at the same level as the Lead Artist, reporting to the AD or CD depending on the task.

#43

Cheers for the reply. May be worth noting that i’m also the only Tech Artist at the company. So i guess i should be Lead TA? At the moment i’m kinda just another Artist who does Techy stuff and is given tasks from Lead Artist. Doesnt seem right to me.

#44

The prefix “Lead” carries with it other connotations like experience level, a management role, a higher salary level, etc.

If you’re the only TA at a company, and you don’t have years of experience nor management experience, it generally doesn’t make sense to call you a lead.

However it sounds like you’re having issues with your lead. Have you discussed these concerns directly with him/her? That’s the first step. If you feel like you’re getting nowhere, then bring it up with your lead’s lead (usually the AD).

At the root of the role issue though, it’s my feeling that a TA ultimately works for the Lead Artist or Art Director, just like any other artist in the company. You should state your case for specific solutions to problems, but ultimately it should the Lead’s decision whether a new tool or workflow is going to be instituted.

They generally have more information beyond your scope that may affect tool/workflow decisions. They may also suck at their jobs! But at the least you should give them the benefit of the doubt.

#45

As said, there doesn’t need to be a Lead TA. Lead is just a management role. But having a TA team usually breaks you out from under the Lead Artist and more in direct control of the CD and TD (the AD usually doesn’t have that much to do with any TA related stuff).

But even as a lone TA working in the art team under the Lead Artist, you usually act more as an advisor to your lead then just another artist in the team, due to your special skills. If you think that is being overlooked, then as said, start a discussion with your lead, CD or AD.

#46

Sweet. Thanks for your thoughts. Much appreciated. I actually get on with my Lead fairly well and i’m alomst equal in term for experience (time in industry). I’ve probably had more involvement with all aspects of art however (animation, VFX, environment, character, vehicle and technical). I dont really have an issue about job titles such as Lead, was just wondering where on the ‘ladder’ the Tech Artist usually sits. You seem to have answered these questions quite well, so thank you. The issue came from my AD and CD. One thought i should report to the Lead Artist, the other thought i should be seperate and report directly to him.

I’ll pass on the info and see what can be arranged. Thanks again

#47

CD = Character Director?

#48

Creative Director

#49

Saw this job posting today, last bullet made me chuckle…

• A high tolerance for stress and ambiguity.

Totally true when you’re on point!

#50

[QUOTE=Eric Chadwick;7246]Saw today, last bullet made me chuckle…

Totally true when you’re on point![/QUOTE]

Hi,

Thanks very much for this comment. It help me to think about my ideals.

We also find them more same at: Project job descriptions
Tks again and pls keep posting.

#51

:):The manager of the tech artists here is the lead animator for the technical animators and the art director for the straight tech artists. We also work together within the tech art group to share functions, etc:):

#52

Hi

Thank you for sharing such good thread with us, i came to know a lot of information by your thread.

Thank you.

#53

I had to write this the other day. It pretty much sums me up, although the C++ side of me is very weak.

Responsibilities:

Supporting & upgrading existing pipeline and automation tools
Anticipating and determining the needs of artists so as to streamline their productivity
Render & export wrangling with rendered textures & third party software
Documenting and explaining technical requirements
Creating high detail, hard surface, real time models and materials in 3Ds MAX

Requirements:

Scripting experience preferably with MaxScript & Javascript
Proficiency at producing assets in 3Ds MAX
Solid knowledge of 3Ds MAX render to texture processes for real time assets
Ability to work in a team environment and under a tight schedule
An understanding of time efficient asset creation and optimization

Bonus:

C++ programming experience
Familiarity with network rendering through Backburner
Experience with Topogun, 3D scanning
An understanding of real time shaders

Source; http://tech-artists.org/forum/showthread.php?4175-Maxscript-3D-artist-Required-Melbourne-Australia

#54

Kinda neat to see the requirements of tech artists at other companies and how they are structured.

In terms of Hierarchy at my company being the only TA I work on the same level as the Lead Artist and report to the Art Director.
I have a wide range of responsibilities and I am often treated as one of the frontend programmers as well as a TA.
My list of responsibilities include:

  • General optimizations and guidelines for optimizations on all things art related.
  • Frontend GUI programming C#
  • Gameplay programming C#
  • Shaders HLSL, Shaderlab
  • VFX
  • Environment Art
  • Tools for the artists C# + Maxscript
  • Anything related to art workflow(naming conventions, project structure)

One part I don’t really deal with is rigging our animator handles that, but it’s a skill I would like to learn more about.

My responsibilities as a TA are largely defined by what I’m skilled at, VFX and Unity Knowledge/Tools were the most desired of my skillset for this position here but the more areas I prove competence/have experience in the more I get asked to handle.