Senior Look Development Technical Director – ILM London

Senior Look Development Technical Director – ILM London Overview

We are seeking a Senior Look Development Technical Director to join our team at ILM London. This role is ideal for individuals who embody the creative talent, collaborative spirit, and passion for filmmaking that defines our studio. As a Senior Look Development Technical Director, you will be responsible for producing high-quality look development and shading for our computer-generated assets, requiring only initial guidance from your Lead or Supervisor.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and create the visual appearance of computer-generated objects and scenes.
• Collaborate with Lighting Supervisors and CG Supervisors to address CG challenges during the look development process.
• Develop efficient shader setups to optimize the use of render farm resources.
• Manage and maintain standard material libraries using established shading templates to ensure consistency and efficiency in the pipeline.
• Design, implement, and maintain complex custom shading networks and materials for high-priority assets when specialized solutions are necessary.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in creating both hero assets and props in Look Development.
• Experience with lighting and rendering in a visual effects environment.
• In-depth knowledge of real-world materials and their properties.
• Proficiency in asset optimization techniques.
• Comprehensive understanding of physically based rendering and shader models.
• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with texture and groom artists to achieve optimal results.
• Strong understanding of geometry formatting, including Primvars.
• Capability to build and maintain complex shading networks with a focus on artist usability and user interface support.
• Strong problem-solving skills to triage technical issues and resolve complex look development challenges.
• Ability to deliver high-quality assets within production timelines.
• Experience working on large-scale environments.
• Proficiency in Katana is essential; knowledge of Houdini and Maya is advantageous.
• Solid understanding of rendering systems such as Renderman or other unbiased rendering systems.
• Aesthetic sensibility to anticipate potential issues and utilize existing software knowledge to achieve desired visual outcomes.
• Ability to manage multiple assets within a shot context.
• Strong time management skills and the ability to provide accurate time estimates for task completion.
• Thorough understanding of the VFX pipeline from modeling through animation, texturing, rendering, and compositing.
• Willingness to learn new techniques and software quickly.

As part of your application, please submit a demo reel, shot breakdown, or equivalent showcasing your work, along with a current resume. This role is hybrid, requiring a minimum of two days on-site work per week at a designated company location, with the option to work from home occasionally.

This position is with ILM (UK) Ltd., which is part of a business we call Industrial Light & Magic.

Degree Requirement: Not Specified

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