Environment Artist

Company Overview

Brown Bag Films, a studio where the motto is “We Love Animation™.” As a creatively driven animation studio, the company is passionate about creating high-quality, engaging content for kids and families.

Role Overview

The Unreal Environment Generalist is responsible for designing and building immersive real-time environments in Unreal Engine to support the creative vision of the Director and Art Director. This role combines artistic judgment with technical execution to create scalable, performant environments that communicate story, scale, depth, and mood. The position replaces traditional painted matte backgrounds with fully constructed 3D and real-time environments.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Head of Lighting and Look Development

Key Responsibilities

• Assemble and refine high-quality environments and set extensions using existing 2D and 3D library assets.
• Build environment components such as terrain, rock formations, layout passes, and skydome setups.
• Build and manage foliage setups in Unreal Engine using foliage painting, scattering systems, instancing, and clustering tools.
• Incorporate real-time lighting, haze, fog, and atmospheric effects to enhance distant environments.
• Collaborate with Production, CG, and Lighting departments to ensure visual and technical continuity.
• Curate, organize, and expand environment and asset libraries for reusability and stylistic consistency.
• Log time and submit relevant pipeline or IT tickets for support or improvements.
• Proactively solve artistic and technical challenges related to environment creation.

Deliverables

• High-quality Unreal Engine–based environment assemblies and set extensions aligned with project visual language.
• Distant and mid-ground environments (terrain, foliage clusters, skydomes, atmospheric layers) built as real-time 3D solutions.
• Modular environment layouts using pre-built 2D and 3D assets optimized for Unreal Engine.
• Contribution to, and maintenance of, a reusable Unreal environment asset library.
• Optimized environment scenes that meet real-time performance, lighting, and rendering requirements.
• Clear technical breakdowns of environment setups for lighting, layout, and downstream departments.
• Pipeline, tools, and IT tickets related to Unreal Engine workflows and environment systems.

Key Requirements

• Use tools such as Unreal Engine, Photoshop, Maya, and Nuke to produce, integrate, and optimize environment elements.
• Prototype quick environment layouts and set extensions in Unreal Engine for previs or rapid iteration.
• Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada and maintain Ontario residency.

Performance Measurements

• Completion of assigned tasks within production schedules.
• Ability to respond to feedback efficiently and creatively.
• Reusability, performance, and technical compatibility of delivered environment assets (e.g., rendering performance, Unreal Engine compliance, animation requirements).

Compensation and Employment Details

• Position Type: Full-time Contract
• Location: Toronto
• Salary Range: $60,000 – $70,000 per year (determined based on experience, skills, qualifications, and education).
• Benefits: Competitive perks including comprehensive benefits, paid vacation, and health & wellness days.

Diversity and Inclusion

9 Story Media is committed to equity in the recruitment process. Candidates from diverse backgrounds—including Indigenous peoples, Racialized and LGBT2SQ+ communities, varying ages, religious beliefs, and people with disabilities—are encouraged to apply. The company provides reasonable accommodation to participate in the application and interview process.