Lighting Artist - Temporary Contract

Bodylinegym; Montreal (administrative region); Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Rodeo FX is seeking a Lighting Artist to design and implement lighting and shading for demanding VFX and CG sequences in Montreal. You will deliver final renders to the Compositing department while upholding visual quality and production efficiency.

Lead with advanced Houdini lighting workflows, optimize scenes, and collaborate with Lighting, CG, and Compositing Supervisors to support the studio's artistic vision and the project’s technical standards.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of lighting in a VFX or 3D animation environment.
• Advanced knowledge of Houdini lighting workflow and scene optimization.
• Strong understanding of render engines (Arnold, RenderMan, Karma, etc.) and pipeline integration.
• Solid grasp of 3D/2D workflows: modeling, lookdev, compositing.
• Knowledge of Universal Scene Description.
• Keen sense of light, color, and staging.
• Ability to work independently within a multidisciplinary team.
• Proactive, solution-oriented mindset.
• Experience with ShotGrid and Python scripting.

Responsibilities

• Create solid lighting setups tailored to the needs of each shot and sequence.
• Master lighting tools and workflows in Houdini with rigor and autonomy at every stage.
• Refine renders to ensure seamless integration with CG elements and compositing.
• Develop efficient solutions to address technical and artistic challenges in production.
• Provide realistic time estimates, communicate promptly on issues or delays, and coordinate with production when priorities shift.
• Attend team meetings and align with project needs; serve as a lighting contact for other departments.
• Document setups and methods to support collaboration and task handovers.

Skills

Houdini lighting

Render optimization

Look development

3D lighting

Python scripting

ShotGrid

Color sense

Tools

Arnold

RenderMan

Karma

In-house tools

Job description

The Lighting Artist designs and implements lighting and shading solutions that enhance 3D environments and CG elements, closely aligned with the project's artistic vision. They deliver the final renders to the Compositing department while maintaining a high level of visual quality, technical optimization, and cross-department collaboration. As a key player in the 3D pipeline, they contribute to the standard of excellence expected at Rodeo FX.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create solid lighting setups tailored to the needs of each shot and sequence.
• Master lighting tools and workflows in Houdini with rigor and autonomy at every stage.
• Refine renders to ensure seamless integration with CG elements and compositing.
• Develop efficient solutions to address technical and artistic challenges in production.

Creative Quality

• Translate the project’s visual direction into inspiring and coherent lighting.
• Collaborate closely with Lighting, CG, and Compositing Supervisors to support the artistic vision.
• Propose visual adjustments that enhance storytelling and reinforce scene depth.
• Maintain high standards of realism, clarity, and subtlety in the final render.

Technical Quality

• Optimize scenes to reduce machine load without compromising quality.
• Follow naming conventions, scene structure, and versioning protocols established by the department.
• Identify and fix rendering issues or artifacts prior to submission.
• Actively participate in QC passes and quickly address dailies notes.

Communication

• Provide realistic time estimates, communicate promptly in case of issues or potential delays, and collaborate with production to adjust priorities if needed.
• Ensure accurate progress tracking and flag technical issues to Production.
• Attend team meetings, turnovers, and briefings to align with project needs.
• Be a reliable point of contact for other departments regarding lighting render status.
• Document setups and methods to foster collaboration and facilitate task handovers.

Teach, learn and grow

• Stay up to date on CG lighting advancements and best practices.
• Engage in internal training initiatives and embrace new studio approaches.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement with openness and adaptability.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in lighting within a VFX or 3D animation environment.
• Advanced knowledge of Houdini (lighting workflow, shading, scene optimization).
• Solid understanding of render engines (Arnold, Karma, RenderMan, etc.) and pipeline integration.
• Strong grasp of 3D/2D workflows: modeling, lookdev, compositing.
• Knowledge of Universal Scene Description.
• Keen sense of light, color, and staging.
• Ability to work independently and rigorously within a multidisciplinary team.
• Proactive, solution-oriented, and constructive mindset.
• Assets: knowledge of ShotGrid, Python scripting, in-house tool development.

Additional Information

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Rodeo FX, diversity is a core value. We’re committed to creating an inclusive, equitable workplace where different perspectives are embraced. Every team member brings unique insight that strengthens our creativity, challenges our thinking, and helps us deliver better work.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

Rodeo FX may use AI-based tools to support certain steps of the recruitment process, such as interview transcription or preliminary application analysis. These tools may be operated by third-party providers, and data may be processed outside Quebec. These tools never replace human decision-making: all final hiring decisions are made by our recruitment team and hiring managers. To learn more about how we protect your personal information and your rights, please consult our Privacy Policy.