Lighting Supervisor

BranchFactor; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NAS benefits

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

BranchFactor in Sydney, Australia, seeks a Lighting Supervisor for our upcoming animated feature. You will lead the lighting team, shaping shot lighting to realize the cinematic vision and ensuring robustness for compositing and final delivery.

The role requires extensive feature animation/VFX lighting experience, a strong reel, and proficiency with Maya, Katana, Houdini, Arnold, and RenderMan. Dallas-style? (Note: text translated to maintain style.)

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a Lighting Artist in feature animation, VFX, or high‑end series, including time in a Lead or Supervisory role.
• A strong reel demonstrating high-quality lighting and rendering, with a deep understanding of color, mood, and cinematic storytelling.
• Proficiency with industry-standard lighting and rendering tools (e.g., Maya, Katana, Houdini, and renderers such as Arnold, RenderMan, or similar)
• Strong understanding of how lighting interacts with Modeling, Surfacing, FX, CFX, Matte Painting, Compositing, and Rendering within a production pipeline
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to give clear, constructive feedback and collaborate effectively across departments
• Strong organizational and problem‑solving skills

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of lighting artists, casting work appropriately and providing clear, constructive feedback in dailies and reviews
• Collaborate with the VFX Supervisor, Head of Cinematography, Lighting, Production Designer, and Art Directors to establish the lighting style, color palette, and quality bar for the show
• Supervise the lighting of shots and sequences, ensuring that lighting choices support story, performance, and visual continuity
• Create or refine selected key lighting shots or setups as needed—particularly complex, hero, or reference‑setting work—to help establish the quality bar, style, and technical approach for the team
• Work closely with Surfacing, FX, CFX, Matte Painting, and Compositing teams to ensure assets and renders are prepared and integrated efficiently into the lighting workflow
• Help define and refine lighting tools, rigs, templates, and workflows in partnership with Technical Supervisors, TDs, and pipeline teams
• Provide input to Production Management and department leadership on lighting complexity and progress to support realistic planning and prioritization
• Troubleshoot technical and artistic challenges in lighting, collaborating on solutions that maintain quality while meeting schedule needs
• Help foster a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative team culture where artists can do their best work

Skills

Leadership

Mentorship

Team collaboration

Communication

Problem-solving

Organizational skills

Tools

Maya

Katana

Houdini

Arnold

RenderMan

Job description

Job Summary:

We are seeking a Lighting Supervisor to support our upcoming animated feature film. The Lighting Supervisor works inside of NAS to lead the lighting team on a specific film or series, overseeing the lighting of shots and sequences to realize the cinematic vision of the show. This role ensures that lighting supports the story, mood, and visual style, and that lit shots are technically robust and ready for compositing and final delivery.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead and mentor a team of lighting artists, casting work appropriately and providing clear, constructive feedback in dailies and reviews
• Collaborate with the VFX Supervisor, Head of Cinematography, Lighting, Production Designer, and Art Directors to establish the lighting style, color palette, and quality bar for the show
• Supervise the lighting of shots and sequences, ensuring that lighting choices support story, performance, and visual continuity
• Create or refine selected key lighting shots or setups as needed—particularly complex, hero, or reference‑setting work—to help establish the quality bar, style, and technical approach for the team
• Work closely with Surfacing, FX, CFX, Matte Painting, and Compositing teams to ensure assets and renders are prepared and integrated efficiently into the lighting workflow
• Help define and refine lighting tools, rigs, templates, and workflows in partnership with Technical Supervisors, TDs, and pipeline teams
• Provide input to Production Management and department leadership on lighting complexity and progress to support realistic planning and prioritization
• Troubleshoot technical and artistic challenges in lighting, collaborating on solutions that maintain quality while meeting schedule needs
• Help foster a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative team culture where artists can do their best work

What You’ll Need:

• Significant experience as a Lighting Artist in feature animation, VFX, or high‑end series, including time in a Lead or Supervisory role
• A strong reel demonstrating high-quality lighting and rendering, with a deep understanding of color, mood, and cinematic storytelling
• Proficiency with industry-standard lighting and rendering tools (e.g., Maya, Katana, Houdini, and renderers such as Arnold, RenderMan, or similar)
• Strong understanding of how lighting interacts with Modeling, Surfacing, FX, CFX, Matte Painting, Compositing, and Rendering within a production pipeline
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to give clear, constructive feedback and collaborate effectively across departments
• Strong organizational and problem‑solving skills

This role is based out of Sydney, Australia. Hybrid Role (Minimum of 3 days a week in the office).

NAS benefits can include medical/dental/vision plans, mental health support, retirement programs, and family-forming benefits, paid leave of absence programs, and paid time away programs to be used for vacation and sick paid time off. See more detail about our benefits here.

Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.