VFX Artist

Why Goose Byte

Do you wish that you could spend your work hours actually making games? We're offering that low-overhead-indie-team-productivity along with all of the stability and I-can-sleep-at-night big studio perks.

We're cultivating an inclusive, high performance, talent dense team where collaboration is key and we won't be tolerating talented jerks. High integrity is important and we nurture an environment built around the concepts of freedom, inclusivity, respect, sustainability, and trust.

As a VFX Artist, you will be responsible for delivering a high standard in visual quality, emphasizing a sense of drama, visual narrative, and tone that reflects the Art Directors' vision. Through the use of your artistic and technical skills, you will be creating a pipeline for all VFX embellishing the game’s look and experience. You will be developing various VFX to enhance biomes for a Sci-Fi open-world game using Unreal Engine 5. 

What is key in this position is the capacity to work closely with all directors and team members. From Design, Programming, and Art, you will be responsible for seeking out and building a close working relationship with all team members. As a member, you will need to be proactive and independent to be successful at Goose Byte.

Our First Project

For our first project we’re making an open world survival crafting game that focuses on exploration and creativity over violence and combat, finding a unique space in a crowded genre to bring something exciting and different to players.

We’re creating our own IP, building on our love of science fiction, worldbuilding, and unconventional games, and as an indie studio we have full creative freedom and control.

Using our experience from leading AAA open world and action adventure games we’re thinking practically and pragmatically about our choices, from technology, to scope of features, and where to place our bets for quality and innovation.

There are lots of challenges ahead but we are setting our own ambitions and expectations, leveraging our scale to be decisive, move quickly, and make the game better every day.

Your Opportunities

You are definitely a match if you are excited by these opportunities…

• Focus on game dev, first and foremost. Always know the next three tasks you want to tackle
• Think like an artist, a programmer, a designer, and a player all in one. Close off more tasks each week and assure the quality of your own work.
• Work closely with the Art Director to define the look and feel of all in game VFX
• Is able to work with or without references and concepts to achieve industry-leading VFX. 
• Able to manage your own time and schedule. 
• Work closely with Design to block out concepts. 
• Create all needed VFX that enhance the biomes' experience. 
• Can work closely with the programming team to debug any issue that arises with VFX. 
• Adhere to strict performance targets. 
• Troubleshoot technical and artistic issues. 
• Has experience with Unreal Engine - Is aware of what the engine can or can not do. 
• Has keen interest in all upcoming Unreal tools and any third-party tools that could speed up production. 
• Has a strong understanding of Unreal material editor and Niagara. 
• Communicates effectively with team members to ensure that project goals and milestones are met.
• Has some Houdini experience or a willingness to learn.

Values

Each colleague that joins our studio is equally important to its success. As such, all of our benefits are available to everyone, effective from their first day with us. Being transparent about this equality and how we value our employees is a key part of who we are.  

Freedom

• Hybrid Remote work - we primarily work from home with provided high-end hardware and collaboration tools. We meet once a week in our Montreal office for collaborative work and socializing.
• Flexible schedule
• $1,000 yearly employee lifestyle fund - use this to stay healthy, social, comfortable or productive

Inclusivity 

• Equal opportunity and equal pay employer
• Team building and social events in Montreal
• Zero tolerance policy on harassment, bullying and discrimination
• No talented jerks

Respect

• Competitive base salaries for all jobs
• Low admin and manager overhead - No boring recurring meetings
• An uncapped profitability bonus scheme that shares studio profits with everyone
• We offer everyone dedicated high end hardware to maximise productivity

Sustainability

• Commitment to a Crunch-free environment
• Competitive Group Insurance Plan (Healthcare, Vision, Dental, Life Insurance)
• Virtual Health Care (Telemedicine)
• Retirement fund - We match 50% of all employee RRSP contributions
• Studio shuts down one week for Winter Holidays

Trust

• Unlimited paid vacation for all employees - this means 5 weeks minimum
• Unlimited sick days / Family days / Flexi days
• All benefits start day one, for all employees

Get On Our Radar

We value diverse backgrounds and fresh perspectives. We hire based on future potential, not only your past experiences.

As a VFX Artist, you’ve shipped at least 1 PC or Console games. We expect you to be independent and able to manage your time accomplishing tasks. You are able to take direction and incorporate the direction into your work. You are proactive and communicate well with the rest of the team.

The main technologies we use at the moment are:

• Unreal Engine 5
• GitHub
• Google Workspace

If you already have skills here it's a great bonus! 

So...

If you made it here and this sounds like a great fit for you, then what are you waiting for!