Lighting Artist, Cinematic (Contingent)

Naughty Dog•Santa Monica, CA

4h•$58 - $72•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position. This is a hybrid / onsite position. For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Parts I and II are now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we’re busy at the kennel working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and we’d love to find talented individuals to join us. Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together. As a Cinematic Lighting Artist, you will collaborate with concept artists, animators, VFX artists and fellow lighters to create visually spectacular and engaging cinematic sequences. You will be using our proprietary lighting tools to achieve captivating lighting schemes for characters and environments. As a part of the Naughty Dog legacy, you’ll become a part of continuing the development of extraordinary and enduring experiences for a broad, global range of audiences.

Requirements

A minimum of 2 years’ experience in Games or Animation/VFX/Film
Has shipped a AAA game or equivalent
Excellent understanding of direct/indirect light, color-theory, exposure, contrast
Outstanding understanding of shading/materials and the relationship with lighting
Excellent artistic skills to interpret concept art and color keys to recreate the mood and atmosphere in a game environment
Demonstrated expertise in industry standard software such as Autodesk Maya
Excellent understanding of color grading with proficiency in industry standard software such as Nuke, Fusion, Resolve
Strong problem-solving skills and a dedicated attention to details
Excellent time management and organizational skills
Ability to work with minimal direction
Ability to work under pressure while completing time-sensitive projects

Nice To Haves

Experience with real time engines
Experience with generating light-maps, pre-lighting or baked lighting
Experience with scripting

Responsibilities

Develop lighting schemes for characters and environment working closely with Directors and the Concept Art team.
Collaborate with the Level Lighting team to establish smooth integration of in-game cinematics with gameplay.
Collaborate with multiple departments to determine that the in-game cinematics run within the memory budget without sacrificing the look.
Work with outsource vendors and lighting artists, collaborating on visual looks, tech, training, and workflows both giving and receiving feedback
Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed