Principal Lighting Artist

Job Description:

We are on the lookout for a seasoned Lighting Artist with a specialized focus on gameplay and environmental lighting to join our passionate team. In this role, you'll be instrumental in illuminating the diverse and captivating environments of our games, enhancing mood, guiding player focus, and contributing significantly to the overall aesthetic quality. Your expertise in environmental lighting will shape the visual narrative of our worlds, playing a crucial role in the immersion and emotional impact of our game. Ideal candidates are those who possess a blend of artistic flair and technical proficiency, coupled with a deep understanding of lighting's role in environmental storytelling.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and implement diverse lighting schemes in various game environments, ensuring consistency with artistic vision and gameplay objectives.

• Work in close collaboration with the Art Director, Artists, Narrative, Design and Technical Teams to drive and create a cohesive, compelling visual style, through innovative lighting techniques.

• Develop and maintain lighting setups, utilizing dynamic and static techniques, to achieve aesthetically pleasing visuals, while ensuring adherence to technical specifications and optimization requirements for real-time rendering engines. 

• Optimize lighting setups for efficiency without compromising visual quality.

• Work in collaboration with the Production team to define and improve lighting pipelines, priorities and streamline workflows.

• Offer guidance and mentorship to junior lighting artists as needed, while fostering a culture that is both creatively curious and continuous learning. 

• Stay up-to-date with the latest trends, techniques, and technologies in cinematic lighting.

• Troubleshoot and solve technical challenges related to environmental lighting.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Art, Design, Computer Graphics, or a relevant field.

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in lighting within the gaming industry, specifically focusing on environment lighting.

• Strong portfolio showcasing a wide range of lighting styles and techniques, highlighting both artistic and technical proficiency.

• Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Unreal Engine, Maya, or similar 3D software.

• Comprehensive knowledge of lighting performance, optimization, and memory budget management.

• Solid understanding of color theory, composition, light, and shadow in relation to Environment storytelling.

• Fundamental understanding of photography principles, including the interplay of aperture, shutter speed, and focal length.

• Proficiency in display calibration and expertise in HDR 

• Thorough understanding of different lighting techniques and their impacts on game & narrative design.

• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively in a team environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experienced in Unreal Engine 5, with a particular proficiency in Lumen's lighting tools, Blueprints, and familiarity with the latest lighting technologies.

• Exceptional problem-solving abilities and a strong capacity to adapt to new technologies and workflows.

• Strong passion for and comprehensive knowledge of film and cinematography.

• Experience in a leadership or mentorship role.

• Professional experience in the role of a Colorist.

• A passion for gaming and a keen interest in staying abreast of industry trends and advancements.