Lighting Intern- Undergraduate

Insomniac Games•Burbank, CA

About The Position

Join the lighting department at Insomniac Games and gain hands-on experience contributing to a large-scale AAA video game production. As a Lighting Artist Intern, you will work alongside experienced artists to create and improve lighting for environments, cinematics, and characters. You will help bring game worlds to life through lighting and rendering while learning professional game-development techniques and workflows. During the internship, senior lighting team members will provide mentorship as you develop your technical and artistic skills and contribute to a game production. You may also earn an AAA game credit for your resume. The internship lasts 12 weeks and is available during one of two periods: May 17 through August 6, or June 14 through September 3. Applicants must be available for the entire internship period. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates. The position offers a fixed hourly rate of $36.50. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States and must not require current or future work visa sponsorship from SIE.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a B.F.A. in Computer Art, Illustration, Game Design, or Product Design, or have six to twelve months of related experience and/or training.
Strong foundational art skills and an understanding of lighting principles.
Proficiency in lighting and rendering using Maya or similar game-engine packages such as Unreal.
Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a creative team environment.
A self-motivated and responsible approach to learning and completing assigned projects.
Passion for video games and art, with an interest in lighting and rendering techniques used in game development.
Expected graduation between May 2026 and December 2029 from an accredited university; undergraduate students only.
Availability for the full 12-week internship during one of the listed periods: May 17–August 6 or June 14–September 3.
Authorization to work for any employer in the United States without current or future work visa sponsorship from SIE.

Responsibilities

Prepare content and document lighting workflows to support game production.
Create and refine lighting for environments, cinematics, and characters to meet AAA quality standards.
Polish and optimize existing lighting to improve visual quality and performance.
Collaborate with the lighting department to deliver polished content within established project timelines.
Learn and apply game industry rendering techniques and workflows alongside experienced lighting artists.
Contribute to assigned game-development projects while strengthening artistic, technical, and collaborative skills.