VFX Generalist / AI-Augmented Video & Motion Artist

THE ROLE

Agency 15 is looking for a VFX Generalist to own video editing, 2D/3D animation, and motion graphics across a client roster that ranges from tight-turnaround commercials for home-services and manufacturing clients to large, multi-channel campaigns and interactive display work. This role blends traditional post-production craft — editing, compositing, lighting, and animation — with fluency in today’s AI video generation tools, using them to extend capability, speed up iteration, and round out what a small in-house team can produce.

You won’t need to run camera on set, but you do need a genuine, technical understanding of lighting, motion, and composition — the kind of eye that knows why a shot works, whether it was captured on set or generated. This is a hands-on production role inside a fast-moving agency, not a specialist silo; you’ll move between quick-turn service-company spots and more ambitious campaign and interactive work in the same week.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Edit and finish video content across a range of formats — broadcast/OTT commercials, social cutdowns, campaign films, and interactive display content.
• Produce 2D and 3D animation and motion graphics, from lower-thirds and title work to full animated sequences and product visualizations.
• Apply AI video generation and editing tools (Seedance 2.0, Google Veo, Gemini, and similar/emerging platforms) to accelerate production, generate b-roll and supplemental footage, and extend the visual range of smaller-budget projects.
• Light, render, and composite 3D work in Cinema 4D (or comparable), managing render farm workflows for efficient turnaround on demanding jobs.
• Execute end-to-end post-production in Adobe Creative Cloud — Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, and Media Encoder — including color, sound sync, and delivery specs for broadcast, digital, and interactive/display formats.
• Collaborate with producers, creative directors, and account teams to translate creative briefs into finished assets on tight deadlines, flagging risk to timeline or quality early.
• Build and maintain efficient project pipelines and file/version management so work can move cleanly between team members and freelancers under deadline pressure.
• Support technology integration on interactive and display projects, working with developers and vendors as needed.

WHAT YOU BRING

• 3–6+ years in video editing, VFX, or motion design, ideally in an agency, studio, or in-house production environment handling multiple concurrent projects.
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud (Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop) and Cinema 4D or an equivalent 3D application.
• Real experience with AI video/image generation tools (Seedance 2.0, Veo, Gemini, Runway, Kling, Sora, or similar) and a point of view on when to use them versus traditional production.
• Deep practical understanding of lighting and composition principles — for 3D/CG work as well as evaluating and enhancing live-action footage — even without a camera-operation background.
• Comfort with render farm workflows and file/asset management on larger renders and campaigns.
• Process-minded: able to work efficiently under tight deadlines, manage multiple projects in flight, and communicate status clearly as part of a small, senior team.
• A reel demonstrating both animation/motion work and video editing — required to be considered.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with interactive or display technology integration (touchscreens, projection, real-time engines, or similar).
• Sound design or audio sweetening experience.
• Familiarity with brand and manufacturing-sector client work.

COMPENSATION

Base pay depends on experience level, scope (contract vs. full-time), and 3D/AI skill depth. As a market reference point, national compensation data for VFX Generalist roles centers in the low-to-mid $60,000s (25th–75th percentile roughly $52,000–$74,000/year), while Western New York-specific benchmarks for VFX/motion roles typically run somewhat lower given regional cost of living — generally $50,000–$65,000 base for generalist-level work.

Given the added AI-tool fluency this role requires, Agency 15 is targeting a Buffalo-adjusted range of approximately:

• Full-time: $65,000–$80,000/year base, commensurate with experience and 3D/AI depth.
• Contract: $35–$55/hour, depending on scope and project mix.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit a resume and a reel or portfolio link demonstrating both animation/motion work and video edi…