Shumka Centre is seeking two qualified students for research assistant (RA) positions with the Shumka x Buffalo Buffalo research project ASAP to October 2025. This project will be delivered in a hybrid format, with some work being done in person at the Buffalo Buffalo studio in Vancouver and some remotely. 

This research project is in collaboration with Vancouver-based games studio Buffalo Buffalo to support the development of one of their virtual reality (VR) games. RAs will form an innovative design research team led by faculty members Daniel Wildberger and Siddhant Singh and explore how the design of animated bird behaviours can enhance the sense of presence in VR environments. This is an exciting opportunity to connect with an independent games studio in BC and to gain unique experience with stylized animation for immersive, nature-based VR experiences within real-world game production pipelines. 

RAs will work directly with Buffalo Buffalo’s technical and business leads on-site and remotely and will be supported through weekly internal meetings with ECU faculty and Shumka Centre leads. RAs will conduct preliminary research for creative direction, prototype development of stylized 3D bird models, test and validate the production pipeline, and develop art assets optimized for Meta Quest hardware, ensuring smooth performance and minimal latency. Please note that RAs will be asked to work with Buffalo Buffalo in person once a week.

View the full call on The Leeway
Deadline to apply: 5PM on May 30, 2025

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, RAs should be able to:

• Apply iterative design methods, from sketching and pre-visualization to modeling, animating, and testing assets in a VR context. 
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct secondary research on visual styles, animation references, and species-specific behaviours to inform design decisions.
• Practice collaborative problem-solving in the context of production workflows, optimization, and technical troubleshooting.  
• Communicate research findings, creative rationale, and technical processes through both written documentation and visual presentation.
• Build confidence in navigating real-world design challenges through applied research and studio collaboration.  
• Engage with an external partner (Buffalo Buffalo) as part of a creative ecosystem beyond the university. 
• Understand Unity pipelines and production workflows in game design. 
• Manage time efficiently and work effectively in teams or individually, as required.

Role

• Meet regularly with the Research team to establish project deliverables and working processes, and work collaboratively with faculty leads and technicians to solve creative and technical challenges; 
• Meet regularly with the business and technical team at Buffalo Buffalo to ensure that the work aligns with creative and technical goals (once a week on-site at their studio and/or virtually); 
• Work in phased sprints that reflect pre-visualization, modeling, animation, and refinement cycles; 
• Engage in rapid prototyping to produce low-fidelity 3D models, simple animations, and VR scene mockups to test ideas related to presence, responsiveness, and visual cohesion; 
• Evaluate how different stylization and motion strategies impact perceived liveliness and emotional engagement in VR; 
• Produce optimized 3D bird models with species-specific texture variations and animate a range of generic bird behaviours using a provided rig; 
• Develop a series of reports summarizing findings and proposals, including a concluding report;  
• Develop and produce a public presentation for the broader design and Research partners and other project stakeholders.

Qualifications

To be considered for this position, candidates must

• Be enrolled at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (MDes program, 3rd or 4th year ANIM/INTD major) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher 
• Be an experienced 3D animator/modeler with flexible technical and creative skills across Autodesk Maya, Unity 3D and/or Adobe Substance 3D Painter+ 
• Possess excellent teamwork skills and a flexible, creative attitude  
• Have strong organizational, research, communication, and presentation skills  
• Can work independently and adapt responsively to changing conditions  
• Have use of your own laptop*
• Must be available to meet in-person and/or remotely with company teams and the internal research group as needed. Final Presentation will be on Friday, October 24, 2025.

* A high-performance laptop (Alienware M15) may be available on loan if required. 

+ Commercial software licenses for Maya (2x) and Substance Painter (1x) will be provided for the duration of the project.

Positions Available

3D Animator (1 position) 

• Proficiency in Autodesk Maya (primary software)
• Experience animating stylized or semi-realistic creatures 
• Comfort working with rigged 3D models 
• Familiarity with Unity 3D or interest in learning how animation integrates into real-time engines 
• Ability to research real-world bird behaviors and translate them to animation 
• Good sense of animation flow and principles 

3D Animator/Modeler (1 position) 

• Proficiency in Autodesk Maya (primary software) 
• Have knowledge of/experience with using Adobe Substance 3D Painter (secondary software)
• Experience with modelling stylized birds or creatures
• Experience creating optimized 3D models with clean topology
• Familiarity with Unity 3D or interest in learning how animation integrates into real-time engines
• Experience with UV mapping and baking
• Ability to research and interpret real-world bird species into stylized forms 

For information on compensation and how to apply, visit The Leeway.

Please note that this opportunity is funded through external sources (e.g., research grants and/or partner contributions). Hiring may be delayed, modified, or withdrawn in the event of changes to grant availability or partner commitments.