Freelance Senior FX Artist

Rodeo FX is hiring a Freelance Senior FX Artist to work remotely, with preference given to candidates based in North America or Europe. This role sits inside the 3D pipeline and is responsible for delivering photorealistic simulations, including fire, smoke, fluids, destruction, and abstract effects, across high-end film and television productions. It suits an experienced FX artist who can work with strong autonomy from initial setup through final render and who knows how to translate a director’s visual intentions into technically solid, production-ready shots.

About the Role

The Freelance Senior FX Artist operates within the FX department at Rodeo FX, working alongside CG supervision and other production departments in a fully remote VFX pipeline. The contract is expected to run through the end of March 2027, with an anticipated start within the next few weeks. Day to day, this person is building and refining complex simulations, attending dailies, integrating notes, and ensuring their caches and workfiles meet the studio’s technical standards before submission.

Key Responsibilities

• Produce complex simulations including smoke, fire, explosions, liquids, destruction, and magical or abstract effects in accordance with the project’s artistic and technical guidelines.
• Work in Houdini across Pyro, Flip, RBD, Vellum, and SOPs to generate optimized, adaptable effects that hold up through the full post-production workflow.
• Own assigned FX tasks from initial setup through final rendering, maintaining a high level of independence at each stage.
• Perform rigorous quality control on all files, caches, and workfiles prior to any submission to the broader VFX pipeline.
• Identify technical problems quickly and deliver functional solutions, including collaborating with the Pipeline team to integrate or test new tools when the project requires it.
• Communicate realistic estimates to production, flag risks of delay early, and adjust priorities in coordination with leads and other departments.

What You Bring

• Senior-level experience producing high-end photorealistic effects for feature film production or episodic television.
• Deep working knowledge of Houdini, specifically Pyro, Flip, RBD, Vellum, and SOPs.
• A track record of delivering optimized, technically stable simulations that are compatible with lighting, layout, and compositing departments.
• The ability to work remotely within North American or European time zones and integrate smoothly into an established VFX pipeline.
• Experience participating in dailies and incorporating creative feedback without losing technical momentum.

Why This Role

Rodeo FX has a strong reputation for high-end visual effects work across major studio productions, and this Freelance Senior FX Artist position offers access to that caliber of project in a fully remote capacity. The contract runs through March 2027, giving real runway to do substantial, credit-worthy work inside a structured and experienced FX department. Artists who want to be challenged technically while also contributing creatively to how shots read on screen will find this a serious engagement.

Apply now for the Freelance Senior FX Artist role at Rodeo FX and bring your simulation work to a production that demands the best.