Rigger Job Description
Rigger Duties & Responsibilities
To write an effective rigger job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included rigger job description templates that you can modify and use.
Sample responsibilities for this position include:
Rigger Qualifications
Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.
Licensing or Certifications for Rigger
List any licenses or certifications required by the position: FAA, OSHA, OPITO, N2, Q2, SQ, K3, HERTM, HDA, NCCO
Education for Rigger
Typically a job would require a certain level of education.
Employers hiring for the rigger job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as High School and Bachelor's Degree in Animation, General Education, Education, Construction, Department of Education, Technical, 3D Animation, Computer Science, Theater, Filmmaking
Skills for Rigger
Desired skills for rigger include:
Desired experience for rigger includes:
Rigger Examples
Rigger Job Description
- Through periodic training, maintain forklift and crane certifications, per OSHA Regulations and Standards
- Construct 3D character rigs and animation interfaces and controls for assigned characters
- Create and maintains motion controls including skeleton and body animation, body deformations, tight clothing and wrinkles, facial animation, facial deformations, skin and hair set up and dynamics
- Support characters throughout all phases of production to ensure animators have tools to meet the Director’s vision
- Work within the defined pipeline Work with Rigging team, as required, to maintain continuity
- Provide input regarding existing tools and interfaces for Rigging pipeline and provide solutions for technical problems that may arise in an asset/ shot
- Produce the highest quality work possible within a given amount of time
- Work closely with the other departments in the asset team
- Mentor and help train Jr Riggers
- Participate in meetings and asset reviews
- Experience with Massive crowd software is a plus
- Passion for the work
- In-depth knowledge of Character Studio/biped
- MotionBuilder is a MUST
- Good knowledge of game engines would be a big plus
- Deep knowledge of Python
Rigger Job Description
- Identify solutions and approaches to solve difficult assets
- Build and maintain animation rigs of varying complexity (creature rigs, props, hero and background assets, motion capture rigs, face rigs etc) with minimal supervision and within the studio pipeline
- Responsible for the integration of rigs into the show pipeline
- Process requests from other departments
- Write utility scripts to help other riggers, animators and pipeline developers when necessary
- Provide daily, reviews and team meetings as required
- May need to participate in bidding new projects
- Ensure all email correspondence and scheduling is up to date
- Work within a team of artists in a hands-on capacity to ensure technically and artistically proper implementation or rigged assets
- Design, implement, and support a mixture of proprietary, open-source, and third-party software for several areas of VFX Production
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent degree in Computer Science, Computer Visualisation, or Computer Animation is a plus
- Ability to create and support tools and interfaces
- Awareness of technical hurdles related to real-time, 3D engines and level editors
- An understanding of Animation principles and anatomy
- Proficient with standard industry tools like Motion Builder, 3ds Max, Photoshop
- Ability to work well with a team in a dynamic, cross-discipline, iterative setting
Rigger Job Description
- Write clear documentation for libraries, scripts, plugins, and workflows
- Secures lifting devices and attachments to materials
- Signals Crane Operator in moving loads up, down, to balance and destination
- Performs lift securing for depot mission , ship load/unload, rail load/unload, truck load/unload, and placement on location
- May operate Caterpillar Heavy Equipment movers, Hysters, Cherry Pickers and Container Handlers in performance of collateral duties
- Supports lifting operations for boats, engines, tracked vehicles, aircraft, rolling stock, components, reduction gears, shafts, and the like determined by depot mission assignment
- Knowledge of load testing required within 30 days of selection
- Keeps logs, records of slings, straps, cables, used in lifts including fabrication and load test data
- Knowledge of lifting sling, strap and cable fabrication required within 60 days of selection
- Must be able to provide collateral support to Material Handlers, Blockers and Bracers, and Packers as assigned
- Sense of aesthetics
- Knowledge of controllers and/or Max Script and/or Python and/or Motion Builder
- Knowledge of IK, and optimal pivot point emplacements
- Extensive knowledge of Character Studio/biped
- Basic knowledge of animation and modelling
- 2-3 years of CG feature film and/or Visual Effects or equivalent rigging experience
Rigger Job Description
- Receive data from and input data to EMACS and coordinates data with EMACS data input operator
- Make preventive maintenance adjustments to equipment
- Assisting Rigger Foreman in supervising project work operations via deck crew
- Assisting in supervising the daily tasks of rigging crew
- Set up and inspect equipment, performs minor repairs and maintenance as needed
- Assemble rigging to lift and move equipment/materials in worksite
- Perform deck maintenance/cleanup as needed
- Ensure taglines are attached for all necessary lifts
- Use pennant, and cab operated bridge cranes of 30-ton capacity or smaller
- Provide general rigging support including, but not limited to, concrete blocks, magnets, high value and delicate research equipment, temporary buildings, containers, computer and building equipment
- Experience working on a fully animated theatrically released CG feature film a plus
- Experience rigging a variety of facial animation systems, including experience with body and prop rigs
- Strong knowledge of character kinematics, deformation and biomechanics
- Basic modeling skills and ability to understand polygonal mesh flow
- Background in visual arts/design with a strong understanding of form, geometry and movement
- Ability to provide feedback to team members on work under development and mentor lesser experienced team members
Rigger Job Description
- Participate in troubleshooting and testing new equipment, shielding, installation problems, and research apparatus as it specifically relates to accelerator operations
- Operate machine tools such as drill press, band saw, and hand tools
- Build and maintain character animation rigs of varying complexity (Biped and quadruped rigs, hero and background characters, motion capture rigs, face rigs etc) with minimal supervision and within the studio pipeline
- Process requests from other departments within the pipeline
- Use time management skills to attend meetings and tasks effectively
- Ability to efficiently manage tasks across multiple shows within the facility
- Work with our production team to most effectively schedule the work, including casting the work to the strengths of the individuals in the Rigging team
- Receive creative feedback from the VFX Supervisor and Director, and translate those into more specific and technical notes for the Rigging team
- Communicate well with all members of the Rigging, Production and Supervision teams
- Promote teamwork interdepartmental collaboration
- Experience in MEL / Python / C++/PERL scripting (python preferred)
- Ability to complete quality control on individual work
- Work with animators to design and revise motion controls
- Apply knowledge of character pipeline and workflow techniques to assigned tasks
- Design and script utilities/tools/plugins (advantageous)
- Review and give feedback on topology of the 3D models