Do you see light not just as illumination, but as storytelling? We’re looking for someone who can shape atmosphere, emotion, and narrative through the art and science of lighting.
We are looking for a Lighting TD to join our Tokyo-based team, where you’ll help bring cinematic moments to life across a range of projects. You’ll be working closely with lookdev, compositing, and FX teams to craft lighting that both supports the story and pushes the boundaries of visual impact.
This role is suited to someone who thrives on both creativity and technical problem-solving. You’ll collaborate with artists, production teams, and supervisors to deliver consistent, high-quality lighting that enhances the studio’s visual signature.
Key Responsibilities
- Sequence Continuity: Maintain consistency of light and mood across multiple shots while adapting to story-driven changes and time-of-day transitions.
- Large Environment Lighting: Light complex natural and architectural environments efficiently, balancing ambience with focal points.
- Lookdev Partnership: Work hand-in-hand with lookdev artists to ensure shaders and materials respond beautifully in lighting setups.
- Advanced Rendering and Volumetrics: Use advanced renderer features and volume lighting to create atmospheric depth, mood, and efficiency.
- Custom Rig Development: Build and maintain specialised lighting rigs and automated solutions to meet unique production needs.
- Colour and Surface Work: Translate colour scripts into practical setups, with strong subsurface and translucent material lighting expertise.
- Complex Problem Solving: Diagnose and resolve challenging lighting and rendering issues, creating innovative workarounds where needed.
- Hero Shots and Artistic Leadership: Design striking lighting for key moments and sequences, setting the creative bar for the team.
- Pipeline and Render Strategy: Contribute to the design of lighting workflows, tools, and render strategies that scale across large productions.
- Knowledge Sharing: Develop documentation, training materials, and examples that help raise the skill level of the entire lighting team.
What You’ll Bring
- 4+ years of proven experience in lighting for VFX or animation (mid-level), or 6+ years with demonstrated leadership and innovation (senior).
- A strong artistic eye for mood, colour, and storytelling, combined with a deep technical understanding of rendering.
- Experience lighting both characters and large-scale environments with complex atmospherics.
- Proficiency with Maya, Houdini, Katana, Nuke, and modern renderers (Solaris, RenderMan, Arnold, etc.). Familiarity with USD is a plus.
- Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex lighting/rendering issues.
- Experience collaborating across departments, particularly with lookdev, FX, and compositing.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
- Proficiency in English is required; Japanese language skills are an asset.
If you’re ready to help craft powerful visual storytelling through light, we’d love to hear from you.
