Environment & Set Dressing Artist (Houdini/Solaris) – CG Animated Feature Film – NL/SA/BE

Language: Dutch and/or English
Location: Netherlands, Belgium or South-Africa – remote-friendly position
Level: Medior or Senior
Software: Houdini & Solaris
Preferred period: End of July 2026 till End of March 2027
Contact: studiotalent@submarine.nl

About Submarine:
Submarine’s animation slate features a multitude of award-winning films and series, which
are as varied in style as in their target demographic. Submarine Animation prides itself in its
ability not to be confined to just one look or technique – putting the needs of each individual
project front-and-center. As such, we work with 2D as well as 3D animation, digital as well as
traditional crafts, and live-action/animation hybrids.

About the Production
We are currently producing a high-end, fully CG animated family feature film with a
distinctive stylised cinematic look. Created by a passionate, international team of artists and
technicians, the project is a South African co-production with Diprente and directed by Wip
Vernooij.

The film, Spike, follows a proud and powerful rhinoceros who loses his horn and is forced to
journey across the South African savanna alongside his estranged teenage son, Enzo. As
they search for their way home, Spike must confront a new reality, learning that true strength
lies not in power, but in vulnerability, connection, and growth.

About the Role
We are on the lookout for an experienced Environment & Set Dressing Artist to help bring to
life the rich and diverse landscapes of South Africa. Working closely with the Art,
Environment Modelling, Surfacing, Lighting, and FX teams, you will play a key role in
creating the natural environments that form the backdrop to our story.

Using Houdini, Solaris, and a USD-based pipeline, you will build, dress, and refine
large-scale environments through terrain creation, material development, procedural
scattering, and environment assembly. You will contribute to the creation of visually
compelling worlds that support both the artistic vision and technical requirements of the
production.

Responsibilities
– Build and dress large-scale natural environments including savannahs, forests,
wetlands, mountains, and river systems.
– Create and refine terrain using procedural workflows.
– Develop terrain textures, materials, and surface treatments that support the visual
style of the film.
– Populate environments through the scattering and placement of vegetation, rocks,
ground cover, and other environmental assets.
– Create believable ecosystems with strong attention to scale, variation, composition,
and visual storytelling.
– Assemble production-ready environments within Solaris and USD workflows.
– Collaborate closely with the Art Director and Environment team to translate concept
art into finished environments.
– Optimize scenes for downstream departments including Lighting, FX, and Rendering.

Skills & Requirements
– Strong proficiency in Houdini.
– Experience working with Solaris and USD-based workflows.
– Demonstrated experience creating large-scale environments for animated features,
VFX productions, games, or equivalent high-end CG projects.
– Experience creating terrains, ecosystems, and procedurally assembled natural
environments.
– Strong understanding of landscape composition, vegetation distribution, and
environmental storytelling.
– Excellent artistic eye for scale, detail, and naturalistic world building.
– Strong communication and problem-solving skills.

Nice to Have
– Experience developing procedural world-building tools in Houdini.
– Knowledge of vegetation workflows, biome creation, and ecosystem generation.
– Experience using Substance Painter and Substance Designer to create terrain,
ground cover, and environment materials.
– Familiarity with physically based shading (PBR) workflows.
– Python scripting experience.
– Experience working on stylized animated productions.

If creating beautiful natural worlds excites you and you enjoy crafting large-scale
environments through procedural workflows, we would love to hear from you.

Please apply with your CV, portfolio, reel, and a brief introduction outlining your relevant
experience