Overview

Purpose of the job:
Lighting TDs primarily write and support tools and production workflows to facilitate different lighting and rendering techniques such as HDRI, SSS, and Global Illumination. They can also create photorealistic CG Look Development and Lighting when required. Their focus is ensuring production shots can be delivered efficiently, at the very highest standard. TDs must have a strong knowledge of look development, shaders,
lighting, and layer management as well as a thorough understanding of the AOVs/frame buffers that the Compositing Department may need.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities:
• Be able to troubleshoot common rendering and lighting technical issues, including ray tracing render optimization
• Develops tools to optimize texturing, shading, and lighting workflow and pipeline
• Craft and update documentation for the tools, techniques and workflows
• Work with upstream and downstream departments to resolve asset and look dev issues
• Create photorealistic CG lighting that meets all technical and aesthetic standards for the project
• Guide development of facility shaders by actual implementation, or where appropriate, delegating implementation to dedicated facility shader TD
• Establish best practices for the most common shader techniques for VRay, Redshift, Arnold and Prman
• Work with Sups and Look Dev artists to establish a facility procedure for evaluation and accountability to ensure uniformity across shows whenever possible
• Develop and maintain a proper repository for coding shaders in SVN/Git
• Develop best practices of for shading specific problems (i.e. AOVs, Projection, SSS, etc)
• Aid show leads in communication and problem solving with texture and look dev teams
• Keep Pipeline Supervisor aware of any nonstandard techniques in use and help establish techniques or approve the requested innovation
• Solicit feedback from shows to determine best practices that need to be supported at facility level.
• Attend, report on, and present to relevant Pipeline Councils
• Keep up to date on current industry technologies and techniques
• Report directly to the Pipeline Supervisor

Education and/or Experience Required:
• 3+ years experience as a Technical Director
• Extensive experience in a wide range of CG Look Development, Shader and Lighting techniques and technical methods
• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics or equivalent work experience
• Practical knowledge of Python required, knowledge of PyQt a plus.
• Experience with C/C++ strongly desired
• Proficiency in one or more professional graphics package C++/Python APIs, including the Maya, Houdini, SDK, HDK, Nuke SDK, and Prman SDK preferred
• Proficiency in applicable domain specific programming language(s) including Mel, Hscript, RSL, MetaSL
• Ability to troubleshoot and debug common rendering issues