Senior VFX Artist

Welcome to Striking Distance Studios!

Driven by people. Inspired by challenges. Relentless to deliver creative excellence.

At the intersection of art, design and technology lies Striking Distance Studios.  Led by Dead Space and Call of Duty franchise veteran Glen Schofield, a new AAA development studio has risen within the San Ramon Hills of the San Francisco Bay Area. We have planted roots in beautiful Bishop Ranch and are now building our flagship state-of-the-art development studio establishing the East Bay as the new up and coming creative and technological hub we know it to be.  

LED BY DEAD SPACE AND CALL OF DUTY FRANCHISE VETERAN GLEN SCHOFIELD, the development team at Striking Distance Studios is hard at work on its first game, The Callisto Protocol, a single player and story-driven survival horror game set in a prison colony on Jupiter’s moon Callisto. Here at Striking Distance Studios it is amazing people, an immersive experience and a passion for excellence that drives us each day.  We are looking for people who push themselves creatively and learn with every new challenge.  We give you the setting and the opportunity to do work you are proud of.  We’re looking for the best to come join us and become part of a world-class team.

To us excellence is not a skill, but an attitude!

Responsibilities: 

• Create, design and implement real-time particle effects using both static and animating 2D/3D elements 
• Place effects throughout levels and cinematics 
• Paint particle and decal textures 
• Create simulations for gameplay elements 
• Create FX shaders with node-based shader networks 
• Create FX textures (color, normal, specular, ambient occlusion, height, and incandescent maps.) 
• Create simple geometry and assign UV's 
• Optimize FX for framerate and memory 
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure that FX are implemented appropriately in the game engine 
• Work with Art Director to maintain FX art direction for game. 
• Ability to work independently and with minimal oversight: Understands and adds to the overall art style of game 
• Orchestrates FX events involving layering and timing of different FX to create a believable scene.

Qualifications: 

• 5+ years of production experience using game engines to create real-time VFX with a supporting demo reel
• Served as a Senior artist on a published AAA title and shipped multiple game titles
• Good people skills, collaborative attitude, and good observation skills and ability to use reference materials 
• Experience in VFX particle and volume effects such as smoke, fire, clouds, water, steam, and explosions
• Experience in shader and material development
• Ability to work independently
• Proficient Animation and timing skills 
• Excellent composition/framing skills and sense of scale, timing, detail, form, texture and color
• Experience with in engine lighting, post effects, and Physically Based shading models
• Experience working in visual scripting environments such as Unreal Engine’s Niagara & Blueprints, Unity’s VFX Graph, and supporting DCC apps like Houdini, Maya, FumeFX, Nuke, and Substance Designer
• Experience in game development for PC or next-gen console (XB1/PS4) platforms
• Solid traditional arts background a plus

Due to recent scams, our recruiters will only reach out to you via @sds.com, @krafton.com or @pubg.com. If you received an email and are unsure you can always email [email protected]