VFX “Day JOB”

The Art Director shapes the creative style and guides artists on the look/feel of a project.

A CG Rotoscope Artist uses splines to trace and isolate people or objects in footage frame by frame, creating masks so new backgrounds, effects, or CGI can be added seamlessly.

2D Paint Artists clean up shots by removing unwanted elements like wires, rigs, or blemishes and restoring backgrounds so the footage looks natural. Senior artists also do paint animation, beauty work and shot finishing.

A CG Animator (3D Animator) brings digital characters and objects to life.

The Compositor blends live action, CG, and effects into the final image.

A Flame Artist is a high-end visual effects compositor who works on Autodesk Flame, a powerful software used mainly in commercials, TV, and film finishing.

A Concept Artist designs the visual style of characters, environments, or props, providing reference art that guides the look of the project.

The Storyboard Artist creates a sequence of drawings that map out how scenes will look and flow before filming or animation begins.

A Generalist is a VFX artist skilled in multiple areas - such as modeling, texturing, lighting, animation, and compositing - rather than specializing in just one. They’re especially valuable on smaller teams or projects where one person may need to handle many parts of the pipeline.

A Matchmove Artist recreates the movement of the real camera in 3D so digital objects can be placed into live-action footage with correct motion and perspective.

The Layout Artist sets up the virtual camera, staging, and placement of 3D elements within a scene as the foundation for animation and rendering.

A Modeler builds 3D characters, props, or environments.

A Technical Director (TD) is a specialist role combining artistic skill with technical problem-solving.

• Lighting TD – Sets up and fine-tunes digital lights and renders so 3D scenes match the live-action footage.

• FX TD – Builds realistic simulations like fire, smoke, explosions, water, or destruction.

• Shader/Lookdev TD – Creates the materials and surface qualities (metal, skin, glass, etc.) that make 3D objects look real.

• Pipeline TD – Designs and maintains the tools and workflow that keep assets moving smoothly between departments.

• Rigging TD – Builds digital skeletons and controls so animators can move characters and objects believably.

• Crowd TD – Simulates and controls large groups of digital characters (armies, stadium audiences, etc.).

The Texture Painter / Artist creates the surface look of an object (skin, fabric, stone, etc.)

The Visual Effects Supervisor oversees all visual effects, ensures they match the director’s vision.