[BangPypers] [JOB] DreamWorks Dedicated Unit, Technicolor India: Pipeline Technical Director (TD)

[Venkatraman Sneha]

Openings at DreamWorks Dedicated Unit Technicolor, India (Bangalore) 

About the company: 

DreamWorks Animation is a leading producer of high-quality entertainment including CG animated feature films, television series and specials, that have included franchises such as Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda. In mid-2008, DreamWorks Animation partnered with Technicolor India to create DreamWorks Dedicated Unit (DDU), Technicolor India, the first studio for DreamWorks Animation outside of the US, with the goal of creating a fully functioning studio for DreamWorks Animation in India.

“...We have transformed over the years from hand-drawn animation to computer-generated films to being a leader in 3D entertainment. Our strategy has remained the same: to produce great stories that are creatively driven and technologically state-of-the-art. In pursuit of this goal I’m proud to say that what defines DreamWorks Animation more than anything else is the dedication and the expertise of our people.”

- Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO, DreamWorks Animation SKG


The Studio - Life at DDU

While DDU operates under the HR umbrella of Technicolor India, the employees are provided the same world class facilities and work culture that has propelled DreamWorks Animation among the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by FORTUNE(r) Magazine for four consecutive years and currently ranked at #12 in 2013. DDU integrates seamlessly with DreamWorks Animation’s other campuses through proprietary tools and technology including state-of-the-art video conferencing facilities and review rooms.

The employees of DDU, led by world class leadership, share a passion to tell stories and make movies and bring your most beloved DreamWorks characters to life, with an unflinching commitment to delivering the highest level of quality that has become the hallmark of DreamWorks Animation. It is hence not surprising that DDU attracts a diverse collection of artists, technologists, production and corporate staff including a sizeable number of international talent from countries such as Australia, Belgium, France, Spain, Singapore, Thailand and USA.

The artists at DDU are currently working on their first full-length feature film - ‘Penguins of Madagascar’, after having successfully delivered highly rated TV specials such as Merry Madagascar, Scared Shrekless, Madly Madagascar, beside adding valuable contributions to full-feature animated films such as “Puss In Boots”, “Madagascar 3 - Europe’s Most Wanted” and “Rise of the Guardians”.

In addition to getting to work on the most prized entertainment properties, every day DreamWorkers enjoy free breakfast at the studio, fitness classes such yoga and pilates, art galleries and more. The training department at DDU provides a wide range of artistic and technical training to enhance the ongoing development of our employees. To celebrate our films and company milestones, DDU has premiere screenings of all of DreamWorks Animation’s movies to all employees and their families. At its core, DDU celebrates the unique personalities of our employees. We support a diverse group of employee interests at work including the DDU Photography group, DDU Badminton club, GreenWorks (with Eco friendly members), volunteer groups, film club and more.

At the heart of DDU is the desire to tell great stories and inspire audiences. Our company culture encourages our employees to not only create but also innovate and, ultimately, have fun while at it!

Follow these links to see and hear what our employees have to say about work and life at the DDU:

DDU Sizzle reel (life at DDU): http://vimeo.com/32071503

DDU 2011 Studio reel: http://vimeo.com/20462459

DDU 2012 Studio reel: http://vimeo.com/50970882

 

How is python is used in the company: 

DreamWorks Animation's day to day technical production operations are executed using its complex scalable proprietary pipeline, which is almost all python based. In addition, almost all the proprietary and third party software tools provide a python extension language through pyrex, boost.python and pyQt. The NxG pipeline for the studio is a highly scalable distributed system with complex taskflow mgmt systems and analytics all built on python.

 

Pipeline TD Job Description: 

A Technical Director (TD) provides pipeline support for production artists and department heads, and enables artist to work more self-sufficiently. A TD will design, develop, and implement new tools and processes for a particular show or department, as well as triage and debug technical issues. A TD is the first line of defense for their department for technical issues and is the liaisons with R&D and other technology departments.

 


Responsibilities:


●     Work closely with assigned production department to aid them in meeting their creative goals.

●     Provide support when there are technical issues.

●     Develop tools and enhance the pipeline to reduce complexity.

●     Teach classes and write documentation to educate artists and establish best practices.

●     Implement solutions for inefficiencies in the production pipeline.

●     Anticipate problems and proactively resolve them.

●     Aid in designing and implementing tools and workflows in line with studio goals and standards.

●     Assist in the training and mentoring of Entry Level Technical Directors.

 

Requirements:

●     3-5 years of feature level production experience preferable.

●     B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Engineering or equivalent recommended.

●     Strong fundamental Computer Graphics knowledge. (transform matrices, vector mathematics, shading models)

●     Strong computer science and programming skills. (OOP, systems design, Python, C++, tcsh, Mel)

●     Experience with the Unix/Linux environment.

●     Excellent problem-solving skills.

●     Competent at supporting third party applications (Maya, Massive, Houdini, Nuke)

●     Ability to take direction and establish priorities, work independently or with a group, and perform with minimal supervision.

●     Ability to proactively identify issues and resolve them.

●     “Customer first” mentality and willingness to provide direct support to individuals.

●     Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

 

To apply:

Please email your applications to: careers.ddu at technicolor.com