Freelance FX Artist

Rodeo FX is hiring a Freelance FX Artist to join their Montreal studio immediately. This role sits inside the 3D pipeline, where the FX Artist is responsible for generating photorealistic simulations, including fire, smoke, fluid, destruction, and abstract effects, that hold up through lighting and comp on final delivered shots. It suits a seasoned Houdini artist who works with a high degree of autonomy and has the production credits to back it up.

About the Role

The FX department at Rodeo FX works closely with CG supervision, lighting, and compositing to ensure effects integrate cleanly across the VFX pipeline from initial brief through final render. Day-to-day, this artist is building and iterating simulations, managing caches and workfiles, attending dailies, and turning around notes quickly without sacrificing technical quality. The studio is looking for someone available to start as soon as possible, with strong photorealistic FX work already on their reel.

Key Responsibilities

• Produce complex Houdini simulations using Pyro, FLIP, RBD, and Vellum, covering smoke, fire, explosions, liquids, destruction, and magical or abstract effects, all within established artistic and technical guidelines.
• Manage FX tasks independently from initial setup through cache delivery and final rendering, maintaining clean and well-organized workfiles throughout.
• Perform rigorous quality control on all caches, setups, and submissions before they move downstream to lighting or compositing.
• Identify technical issues inside the VFX pipeline early and provide working solutions without waiting for direction.
• Participate actively in dailies, absorb feedback constructively, and adapt simulations to serve the narrative pace and visual style of each shot.
• Communicate clearly with production, leads, and other departments about timelines, technical limitations, and any risks to schedule.

What You Bring

• Senior-level experience as an FX Artist on feature film, episodic television, or high-end commercial VFX productions.
• Deep working knowledge of Houdini, specifically Pyro, FLIP, RBD, Vellum, and SOPs, with an emphasis on optimization and scalability.
• A reel that demonstrates photorealistic effects work across multiple simulation types.
• Familiarity with cross-department workflows, including how FX caches interact with layout, lighting, and compositing.
• Ability to give realistic estimates and flag problems early without needing to be asked.

Why This Role

Rodeo FX has built a strong reputation across feature film and episodic television VFX, with a track record of delivering effects-heavy work at a high standard. This freelance position places you inside a production pipeline with experienced supervision and a team that treats craft seriously. For an FX Artist looking for substantive simulation work in a professional studio environment in Montreal, this is a direct path to that.

Apply now for the Freelance FX Artist position at Rodeo FX and put your Houdini work in front of a team that will know exactly what they’re looking at.