Sony Interactive Entertainment - Senior Lighting Artist (Contingent)

Game Developer is needed in Santa Monica, United States.

Client: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Location: Santa Monica, CA

Contract: Temporary

Job Description

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, pushing the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. They recently released “The Last of Us Part II Remastered” and a current generation remake of “The Last of Us Part I” for the PS5. Naughty Dog is currently working on “Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet” and is looking for talented individuals to join their team.

Naughty Dog games are known for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail, promoting innovation and creativity. This role of a Cinematic Lighting Artist involves collaboration with various artists to create captivating lighting for cinematic sequences using proprietary lighting tools.

Requirements

What you will do:

• Develop lighting schemes for characters and environment while closely collaborating with Directors and the Concept Art team.
• Collaborate with the Level Lighting team to integrate in-game cinematics with gameplay.
• Ensure in-game cinematics run within the memory budget without compromising quality.
• Work with outsource vendors and lighting artists for visual looks, tech, training, and workflows.
• Additional responsibilities as needed.

What skills you will use:

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience in Games or Animation/VFX/Film.
• Experience shipping a AAA game or equivalent.
• Excellent understanding of direct/indirect light, color-theory, exposure, and contrast.
• Outstanding knowledge of shading/materials and their interaction with lighting.
• Excellent artistic skills for interpreting concept art and color keys.
• Expertise in industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya.
• Proficiency in color grading software like Nuke, Fusion, or Resolve.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and under pressure on time-sensitive projects.

Bonus Skills: (Optional)

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

Portfolio Requirement:
Candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an art test as part of the application process.

Additional Information

At SIE, several factors are considered when setting the base pay range for each role, including competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.

The individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors including knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

This role is eligible for benefits offering medical, dental, and vision coverage.

The estimated base pay range for this role is $69.09—$86.35 USD per hour.

Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees, which may include criminal background checks for certain roles.

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