Lead 3D Tracking Artist

Swaybox Studios•New Orleans, LA

17h•Onsite

About The Position

Swaybox Studios is seeking an experienced Lead 3D Tracking / Matchmove Artist to guide the artistic and technical execution of our Tracking department while remaining hands-on throughout production. In addition to solving complex tracking challenges, you'll mentor artists, establish departmental best practices, review work for quality and consistency, and collaborate closely with the VFX Supervisor, Production, and Technical Directors to ensure successful delivery. This role will also provide leadership for distributed teams, helping coordinate work across both in-house artists and external vendors when applicable. You'll ensure consistent quality, clear communication, and adherence to production standards regardless of where the work is being completed. You'll help bridge the gap between live-action footage and CG integration by extracting precise camera, object, and performance data from filmed plates, ensuring that environments, puppets, and digital elements align seamlessly within our hybrid production pipeline. The ideal candidate combines exceptional tracking expertise with strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, thriving in an environment where collaboration, innovation, and creative excellence go hand in hand. This is a studio-based role working onsite in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Requirements

5+ years of experience as a Matchmove, Tracking, or Layout Artist in feature film, episodic, or high-end VFX productions.
Previous experience leading artists, supervising sequences, or serving as a departmental lead on a production.
Demonstrated experience coordinating work across in-house teams and remote or outsourced artists while maintaining consistent quality, communication, and production standards.
Expert understanding of matchmoving principles, including camera solving, lens distortion, focal lengths, rolling shutter, parallax, film back calculations, and real-world camera behavior.
Expert proficiency with 3DEqualizer and Autodesk Maya.
Strong experience tracking environments, props, and facial performances using KeenTools or comparable technologies.
Experience producing high-quality rotomation for character animation pipelines.
Working knowledge of Nuke to create slap comps and validate tracking solutions prior to downstream handoff.
Strong understanding of cinematic language, layout principles, camera operation, and on-set data acquisition workflows.
Exceptional troubleshooting skills with a proven ability to solve technically challenging shots under tight production deadlines.
Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to mentor artists, provide clear feedback, and collaborate effectively across multiple disciplines.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to balance hands-on production work alongside leadership responsibilities.
Ability to remain calm and solutions-focused while navigating shifting priorities and helping the team successfully manage the dynamic pace of feature production.

Nice To Haves

Experience with PFTrack, Syntheyes, MMSolver, or other industry-standard tracking software.
Familiarity with performance capture, photogrammetry, lidar processing, and witness camera workflows.
Working knowledge of animation, rigging, and stylized character performance pipelines.
Experience collaborating with Technical Directors to improve tracking tools and production workflows.
Scripting experience using Python, PySide, PyQT, or MEL for workflow automation and internal tool development.
Experience with ShotGrid (Flow Production Tracking) or similar production management software.
Experience supporting hybrid productions that combine live-action, puppetry, CG animation, and visual effects.

Responsibilities

Lead the Tracking / Matchmove department by providing artistic and technical direction, mentoring artists, reviewing work, and maintaining the department's quality standards.
Provide leadership, guidance, and constructive feedback to both in-house artists and remote or outsourced vendor teams, ensuring consistent artistic quality, technical accuracy, and adherence to production expectations.
Coordinate external vendor work when applicable by reviewing deliveries, communicating actionable feedback, and partnering with Production to ensure milestones and deadlines are met.
Perform complex 3D camera, object, and facial tracking using live-action plates with or without lidar scans, witness cameras, or on-set measurements.
Establish and maintain tracking best practices, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and efficiency across the department.
Solve highly challenging shots through a combination of automated and hand-keyed techniques when standard solutions are insufficient.
Deliver production-ready camera solves, object tracks, rotomation, STMaps, and other tracking deliverables for Layout, Animation, Lighting, and Compositing.
Create accurate rotomation of CG character rigs to match puppet and performer movement when required.
Review artist work, identify opportunities for improvement, and help troubleshoot difficult technical or creative challenges.
Partner closely with the VFX Supervisor, Technical Directors, and Production to prioritize work, identify risks, and keep the department aligned with production schedules.
Collaborate with Pipeline and Technical Directors to improve tracking workflows, develop new tools, and identify opportunities for greater efficiency.
Create and maintain departmental documentation, workflow standards, and onboarding materials that support consistent quality across the team.
Champion a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement by encouraging knowledge sharing, mentoring teammates, and leading by example.
Maintain momentum in a fast-paced production environment while balancing quality, efficiency, and evolving production priorities.