Cinematographer

Mercor; United States; Remote; USD 96,000 - 152,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Access to calibrated 4K display

Job summary

Cincinnatus LLC is seeking a senior cinematographer/camera lighting expert for a full-time engagement with a leading AI lab to shape camera and lighting standards for generative video models. The role requires a deep background in film/TV or virtual production and credits on multiple projects.

Responsibilities include defining optics/lighting guidelines, curating benchmarking samples, and critiquing outputs with precise notes.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional experience in film, television or virtual production.
• Credits on 2+ professional films.
• Background in at least one of: Director of Photography / Cinematographer; Gaffer / Chief Lighting Technician; Camera Operator, 1st AC or DIT; Virtual Production / CG Lighting & Camera Layout Supervisor.
• Meticulous eye for lens optics, sensor behavior, motivated lighting, exposure and color spaces.
• Hands‑on use of generative image and video tools (Runway, Midjourney, Sora, Kling) to create samples for testing and comparison.
• Nice to have: access to a calibrated 4K display for pixel-level review.
• Ability to engage reliably for approximately 40 hours/week during weekdays.
• Strong written communication and the ability to turn optical and lighting detail into precise language for captions and evaluation templates.

Responsibilities

• Set the quality bar: Define clear standards for optics, sensor behavior, camera motion, lighting motivation and exposure, critique current evaluations, and build a taxonomy of how generated footage fails.
• Curate benchmarks: Identify, generate and curate strong examples of excellent and challenging camera and lighting setups; test model capabilities against them.
• Critique model outputs: Review generated footage shot by shot and write precise, actionable notes on lensing, movement, lighting and exposure.
• Shape the reviewer pool and captions: Help define how reviewers are vetted and calibrated; review captioning guidelines for accurate optical and lighting detail.
• Collaborate with other experts to keep evaluations consistent and accurate.

Skills

Film/TV production

Lens optics expertise

Strong written communication

Tools

Runway

Midjourney

Sora

Kling

Job description

Pay: $70 – $110/hour
Commitment: Full time, ~40 h/week
Open to: USA
Field: Arts & Design

Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge GenAI team to be at the core of the AI revolution, where your expertise fuels the development of the most advanced AI models.

1\. Overview

A leading AI lab is building generative video models that aim to capture true cinematic fidelity: lens choices, sensor behavior, camera motion, motivated lighting, exposure and color, carried faithfully into a new output. We're looking for experienced cinematographers and camera and lighting specialists to help define what excellent camera and lighting work looks like, and to judge where the models get it right or wrong. This is a full-time role of approximately 40 hours per week.

This is a W-2 employment position with Cincinnatus LLC, with the opportunity to be placed at a leading AI Lab as part of their extended workforce.

2\. Key Responsibilities

• Set the quality bar: Define clear standards for optics, sensor behavior, camera motion, lighting motivation and exposure, critique current evaluations, and help build a taxonomy of the ways generated footage fails.
• Curate benchmarks: Identify, generate and curate strong examples of excellent and genuinely hard camera and lighting setups, and test early model capabilities against them.
• Critique model outputs: Review generated footage shot by shot and write precise, actionable notes on lensing, movement, lighting and exposure.
• Shape the reviewer pool and captions: Help define how human reviewers are vetted and calibrated, and review captioning guidelines so optical and lighting detail is described accurately.
• Collaborate with other experts to keep evaluations consistent and accurate.

3\. Core Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional experience in film, television or virtual production.
• Credits on 2+ professional films.
• A background in at least one of: Director of Photography / Cinematographer (film, TV or commercial); Gaffer / Chief Lighting Technician; Camera Operator, 1st AC or Digital Imaging Technician (DIT); or Virtual Production / CG Lighting & Camera Layout Supervisor.
• A meticulous eye for lens optics, sensor behavior, motivated lighting, exposure and color spaces.
• Hands‑on use of generative image and video tools (e.g., Runway, Midjourney, Sora, Kling) to create your own samples for testing and comparison.
• Nice to have: reliable access to a calibrated 4K display for pixel-level review.
• Ability to engage reliably for approximately 40 hours/week during weekdays.
• Strong written communication and the ability to turn optical and lighting detail into precise language for captions and evaluation templates.

About Cincinnatus LLC:

Cincinnatus LLC is an enterprise staffing company that partners with leading technology companies to source and employ highly skilled professionals for contingent and contract-based opportunities. Cincinnatus serves as the employer of record for these engagements, providing W-2 employment, payroll, benefits, and compliance, while placing employees directly within client teams to work on high-impact initiatives.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Cincinnatus is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or any other legally protected characteristic.