Junior Lighting & Compositing Artist

Energy Vault; London; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading animation studio in the UK as a Junior Lighting and Compositing Artist. You will create stunning visuals by working collaboratively with a talented team, focusing on lighting scenes and compositing shots for various animation projects. This role requires knowledge of lighting principles, technical skills in rendering, and a creative eye for detail within a supportive and inclusive environment.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Flexible working hours

Bi-monthly employee engagement programs

Profit share after 2+ years

Inclusive self-funded shorts program

Qualifications

• Knowledge of lighting principles and color theory.
• Understanding of 3D rendering concepts and compositing.
• Good communication and team collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Creating lighting scenes in Maya and compositing in Nuke.
• Optimizing render settings and ensuring render efficiency.
• Problem solving and managing time to meet deadlines.

Skills

Knowledge of lighting principles

Technical understanding of 3D lighting

Problem solving skills

Good communication

Job description

Our Junior Lighting and Compositing Artists (“L&C”) are talented visual storytellers. They set the mood and atmosphere of our narratives, highlighting the charming details of characters, props, and environments. They are experts in light, colour, and creative problem solving.

Your daily tasks include creating lighting for episodes, refining colours in compositing, and balancing quality with deadlines.

The successful candidate must be based in the UK, as they will need to work from our London studio at least 2 days a week in a hybrid model. Currently, we cannot offer VISA sponsorship.

Please note that this vacancy may close early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Daily responsibilities:

• Creating lighting scenes in Maya using assets from the animation and effects teams, then compositing in Nuke.
• Adjusting light rigs, render settings, and compositing templates to achieve the desired look.
• Optimising render settings for efficiency.
• Monitoring render times to stay within budgets.
• Collaborating with team members and communicating with leads and supervisors.
• Managing time effectively to meet shot deadlines.
• Troubleshooting errors and addressing feedback promptly.

About You

Must Have:

• Understanding of lighting principles and their application in stylised animation.
• Technical knowledge of 3D lighting in Maya, including different lights, render setups, PBR, ray tracing, and GI, using a renderer like Redshift.
• Experience with biased rendering to optimise sampling, reduce noise, and artefacts.
• Knowledge of colour theory, aesthetics, and composition.
• Understanding of utility passes (Z, Position, Normals) for compositing in Nuke.
• Familiarity with camera depth of field.
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot and ask questions.
• Attention to detail to spot errors or inconsistencies.
• Good communication skills and team spirit.
• Receptiveness to feedback.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and be reliable.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.

Bonus Points:

• Python scripting knowledge
• Experience with After Effects
• FTrack experience
• Knowledge of shading
• Understanding of a 3D pipeline

About Us

Blue Zoo is a leading UK animation studio, renowned for creating bold, fun, and characterful animation. Founded in London in 2000, it has grown into the UK's largest dedicated CG animation studio, earning numerous awards including BAFTAs, an Annie, and an Emmy.

We are proud to be the first major animation studio globally to receive B Corp certification, demonstrating our commitment to social and environmental responsibility through over 170 rigorous metrics.

We are experiencing growth and are building a studio full of talented, happy artists making work they are proud of, contributing to a better world. We support work-life balance with flexible working options.

We seek passionate, enthusiastic individuals eager to improve and collaborate with a diverse, talented team that values different perspectives.

What we offer:

• Winner of Broadcast Best Places to Work in TV (2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025).
• Inclusive shorts programme.
• Various social events, both in-person and remote.
• Bi-monthly feedback and engagement initiatives.
• Comprehensive benefits and discounts.
• Online wellbeing resources.
• Profit sharing for employees with over 2 years at the company.

Blue Zoo values diversity and inclusiveness, striving to create a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute to excellent work in a supportive environment.