Lead Lighting Artist - Art

PlayStation Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd.; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading game development studio in Liverpool is seeking a talented Lead Lighting Artist. This role involves overseeing all aspects of lighting production, collaborating closely with various teams to create immersive gameplay experiences. The ideal candidate should have expertise in Unreal Engine and a profound understanding of lighting and cinematography. This position offers opportunities to mentor team members and work in a hybrid environment.

Benefits

Discretionary bonus opportunity

Hybrid working within Flexmodes

Private Medical Insurance

Dental Scheme

25 days holiday per year

Access to cycle garage and showers

Qualifications

• Experience in production management and Physically Based Rendering.
• Solid understanding of light, colour, value, and cinematography techniques.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Lighting team and oversee lighting production.
• Collaborate with environment art and design teams.
• Mentor and coach team members for career development.

Skills

Expert grasp of the artistic craft

Technical understanding of real-time lighting

Proficiency in Unreal Engine 4 or 5

Excellent communication skills

Mentoring experience

Tools

DaVinci Resolve

Shaders

Blueprints or similar tools

Job description

We are seeking a talented Lead Lighting Artist to join our team. Collaborating with the Art Director, Cinematography Director, and other Art Leads, the Lead Lighting Artist will oversee all aspects of lighting production and processes. The role involves collaborating and empowering the lighting team to achieve a game filled with atmosphere, tone, and mood. The ideal candidate has an expert grasp of the artistic craft and technical understanding of real-time lighting, a well-rounded view of how it relates to overall game production, and a passion for immersive gameplay and cinematic experiences.

What you'll be doing:

1. Work with Art and Cinematography Direction to realize the Project Pillars through visual excellence and technical compliance in an Unreal Engine pipeline.
2. Lead the Lighting team, maintaining consistency, providing direction and feedback, and clarifying roles and expectations.
3. Oversee all lighting content, from initial previs to final polish.
4. Manage lighting production, creative processes, pipeline, and methodology, aligning Art Direction and team goals.
5. Collaborate on developing scalable lighting tooling, pipelines, and technical standards with Lighting and Tech teams.
6. Take ownership of critical lighting systems, collaborating with other teams for development, maintenance, and evolution.
7. Work with Environment Art, Level Design, VFX, Cinematics, and Tech Art to define collaborative processes that enhance narrative, gameplay, and visual goals.
8. Mentor and coach team members through 1:1s, career development, performance reviews, and goal setting.
9. Manage external co-development teams by reviewing technical and visual work and providing feedback.
10. Stay current with industry knowledge and best practices in game lighting, tools, and workflows.
11. Showcase an expert portfolio demonstrating compelling lighting visuals for environments, characters, and cinematics.
12. Possess experience in production management and understanding of Physically Based Rendering and HDR pipelines.
13. Proficient in lighting within Unreal Engine 4 or 5, with a strong understanding of tools, technologies, and optimization techniques.
14. Have a solid understanding of light, colour, value, visual composition, and cinematography techniques applicable to games.
15. Be proactive, collaborative, self-motivated, and capable of working independently.
16. Experience mentoring and guiding team members.
17. Excellent communication and organizational skills.
18. Open to feedback and capable of solving creative and technical problems.

Desirable skills:

• Leadership or equivalent experience.
• Experience with DaVinci Resolve.
• Knowledge of Blueprints or similar tools.
• Experience with Shaders, Materials, Profiling, and technical aspects of game art.
• Mentoring experience within internal and external teams.

Firesprite is a visionary game development studio based in Liverpool. Proud to be part of PlayStation Studios, we create showcase games with memorable characters, captivating narratives, and shared moments of excitement. Our core values include Inclusivity, Bravery, Responsiveness, and Entrepreneurialism, which drive our work culture.

• Discretionary bonus opportunity
• Hybrid working within Flexmodes
• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Scheme
• 25 days holiday per year
• Access to cycle garage and showers