Lighting TD

Job Description

DNEG Animation is a world-class animation studio that crafts captivating worlds and compelling characters through beautiful animation. The studio works on a diverse range of styles, from complex graphic novel adaptations to beautifully-stylized films.

Key Purpose of the Job:
Lighting TDs are responsible for lighting and compositing shots for animated films. Responsibilities include taking creative direction to set the mood and look for animated sequences, bringing shots from lighting production through to finalising on schedule, and troubleshooting technical issues such as render noise, render times, and memory usage in a modern path-tracing renderer. Working as part of a team, the role involves using modern lighting and compositing tools to create high-quality work while maintaining continuity across all shots.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Problem Solving & Tool Development: Diagnosing and resolving complex technical issues that arise during the lighting and rendering process. Developing, maintaining, and optimizing tools, scripts, and workflows to automate tasks and improve efficiency for the lighting department.
• Workflow & Pipeline Integration: Collaborating with the Pipeline team and other departments (Look Development, Compositing, FX) to ensure seamless integration of lighting tools and processes into the broader production pipeline.
• Rendering Optimization: Managing and optimizing render setups (e.g., using render passes or AOV's) to meet specific render budgets and reduce farm usage without compromising quality.
• Look Development Support: Working with look development and surfacing artists to ensure that shaders and assets work correctly within the lighting and color pipeline requirements.

Job Requirements

• Previous high-end experience in a similar role.
• Good working knowledge of sequence-based lighting.
• Strong knowledge of node-based lighting and compositing tools and path-trace rendering.
• Strong knowledge of lighting and compositing techniques.
• Familiarity with feature animation pipelines and pipeline issues.
• Strong grasp of artistic principles and CG techniques.
• Demonstrable experience in shot lighting and compositing.

Additional Skills

• Professional experience in Katana, Renderman, and Nuke.
• A showreel featuring feature animation work.

About Us

DNEG is a leading visual effects and animation company for the creation of award-winning feature film, television, and multiplatform content. The company employs more than 9,000 people globally with studios across North America (Los Angeles, Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver), Europe (London), Asia (Bangalore, Mohali, Chennai, Mumbai), and Australia (Sydney). DNEG is committed to creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment.