Salary Range
€k - €k
Job Zone

In Brief...

A Rigging Artist is in charge of creating, maintaining, and expanding rigs for a variety of props, vehicles, characters, and other CG objects that need to be animated.

Knowledge

  • Computers and Electronics Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Design Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Communications and Media Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  • Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Knowledge areas are ranked by their importance to this career

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Learning Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Skills are ranked by their importance to this career

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Most commonly reported Work Activities

  • Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Processing Information Compiling, coding, categorising, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

 

 

The Work

The Rigging Artist is in charge of creating, maintaining, and expanding rigs for a variety of props, vehicles, characters, and other CG objects that need to be animated.

Role and Responsibilities 

  • Work in collaboration with the animation team to create intuitive and responsive rigs that meet animator’s needs.
  • Extend rigs for any performance requirement for specific shots.
  • Communicate with the modelling department to ensure that models are suitable for rigging.
  • Adhere to technical standards of the rigging department and ensure that rigs are pipeline friendly.
  • Interprets the animation director's notes and delivers a variety of rigging options to gain final rig approval as efficiently as possible.
  • Is familiar with pipeline issues and technical problem solving and will build tools to ensure smooth delivery to animation.

Works with

  • Animation Director
  • CG Supervisor
  • VFX Supervisor
  • Animation team
  • Modeling team
  • Effects Team
  • Production Manager
  • Production Coordinator

 

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

  • Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
  • Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
  • Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
  • Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
  • Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
  • Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.
  • Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
  • Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
  • Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.
  • Create and install special effects as required by the script, mixing chemicals and fabricating needed parts from wood, metal, plaster, and clay.

Qualities - Rigging Artist

You

  have excellent technical skills and an in-depth knowledge of CG software such as Maya, Houdini, 3DsMax etc.

  are a creative problem solver who likes technical challenges and creating complex systems. 

  are emphatic to animator's needs and understand that rigs should enable artistic performance. 

  are meticulous, have an eye for details, and have an excellent understanding of anatomy and musculatrue, movement and timing.

  understand animation pipelines and are comfortable with scripting (Python, Mel,  etc.)

  are highly motivated.

  can work with little supervision to solve technical problems and under pressure to meet set deadlines.

  have strong communication skills to ensure important information is clearly conveyed within the rigging department and to other departments, particularly modeling and animation. 

Interests - Rigging Artist

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.

Entry - Rigging Artist

Last Updated: April, 2025

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