Overview

Based in Vancouver BC, we are a world-class visual effects studio led by a team of creative and passionate individuals who are committed to furthering the art of visual storytelling, and helping our exceptionally talented crew to push the boundaries of artistic and technical achievement.

Well known for our Academy Award Nominated work on Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, we have gone on to create numerous incredible creatures, epic environments and extraordinary digital effects for a broad range of feature films including; Zero Dark Thirty, Jurassic World, Game of Thrones, and Independence Day Resurgence.

We can do this because we place awesome new tools in the hands of our artists. R&D is central to our philosophy of driving creativity through innovation, with a focus on continually evolving our robust production pipelines and pioneering in the area of proprietary software development.

POSITION PURPOSE
The Lead plays a very important role in the quality control and leadership of the Lighting team. They set the positive tone of the team by exhibiting encouraging and constructive behavior.  The Lead is responsible for communicating internal and client notes/feedback to artists in a straight forward manner. They will provide leadership, training, guidance, and support to the rest of the Lighting team while still handling most of the hero work on active shows to ensure all deadlines are met. Also, the Lead may sometimes need to assess Lighting tasks and delegate those tasks to the team. They will maintain clarity and focus during peak periods to ensue show delivery.

The Lead will also contribute to the overall operation and improvement of the Lighting team by setting and maintaining department standards. This will include, but will not be limited to engaging in cross-department communication, flagging/providing solutions to critical issues, documentation, taking part in interviews and participating in the buddy system for new employees. They will also review all shots and ensure minimum quality levels before submitting to the Lighting or VFX Supervisor.  In addition, the Lead will develop new processes and stay up to date on innovative technologies to keep the Lighting team on the cutting edge.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Communicate the creative brief and real-world references from the VFX Supervisor and Director to the Lighting team
Apply client notes to all lighting shots with minimal guidance
Communicate successes and challenges faced by the team to the Lighting Supervisor
Take direction from the Lighting Supervisor to help realize the vision of the shots through the lighting team
Work with the CG Supervisor to set up shots and develop the look of the shots
Work with Composting team members to achieve high quality complex composites
Responsible for working with the Lighting Supervisor to assess, assign and monitor lighting needs
Design and develop procedural and innovative tool sets, pipelines and techniques for the Lighters
Ensure continuity is upheld across shots and sequences
Offer guidance and mentoring for junior to mid-level lighter
Light multiple types of shot ensuring consistency in lighting, colour balance and mood between the various elements of the shot or sceneManage time and resources to meet weekly targets
Promote interdepartmental collaboration

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
5+ years’ experience in Lighting digital VFX for film or commercials
Experience leading teams (6+ people) on large projects of 300 + shots
Good understanding of photography and film, and how the interactions of light, lenses and film emulsions go to make up the image
Thorough understanding of a linear color-space workflow
Excellent attention to detail when finalizing, approving or quality controlling shots
Ability to balance quick turnaround while achieving a high degree of aesthetic quality

SKILLS AND ABILITIES
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Understanding of Lead best practices
Ability to train and coach artists in lighting techniques and best practice
Expert knowledge of Arnold renderer
Strong aptitude for technical workflow challenges such as directory structure, file formats, naming conventions, scripts, automation tools, automated dailies, etc.
Strong knowledge of lighting workflow and the lighting application interface

CORE SKILLS
Ability to help with bidding; determine the timeframe and scope required for each project
Ability to troubleshoot and deal with competing priorities and projects
Ability to create multiple types of Lighting scenarios
Capable of managing a team of artists; setting expectations, and managing their time
Ability to assess artist’s strengths and weaknesses to assign tasks and manage workflow
Ability to adapt quickly to new technologies and applications
Ability to teach new techniques and apply new approaches to push lighting to the next level
Strong leadership skills
Excellent time management and communication skills
Ability to remain calm during peak production periods and maintain the morale of the lighting team