ACME STUDIOS is a London-based visual effects house operating at the intersection of traditional VFX craft and emerging AI-assisted workflows. We build small, senior-led teams around each project and look for artists who bring strong fundamentals, a calm temperament, and the curiosity to work alongside non-traditional tools.
We are hiring a Layout / Comp Artist with a strong foundation in roto and matchmove. You will sit at the heart of the shot pipeline: preparing plates, tracking and laying out elements, integrating renders and AI-generated passes, and taking shots through to final composite.
The successful candidate is craft-led, methodical, and equally comfortable in the prep weeds and the finishing chair. Engagement is freelance, full-time on-show (PAYE). Reports to the AI Production team. Hybrid considered for the right candidate.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver high-quality roto and prep work across hero and supporting shots, including hair, soft edges, and complex motion
- Track and matchmove plates (2D and 3D) to provide clean, accurate camera and object data for downstream departments
- Build and refine layout — placing CG and AI-generated elements into plates with correct scale, perspective, and integration cues
- Composite shots in Nuke, from rough integration through to final, working with multi-pass renders, AI passes, and live-action plates
- Collaborate closely with the VFX Supervisor, CG leads, and the AI production team to iterate quickly on look and integration
- Maintain pipeline hygiene in ShotGrid: clear versions, accurate statuses, and well-organised scripts
- Flag plate, tracking, or element issues early and propose practical fixes
- Mentor and quality-check work from more junior artists where appropriate
Essential Experience
- Minimum 4+ years in a comp, roto/prep, or matchmove role on episodic or feature VFX
- Strong roto skills in Nuke — clean, efficient shapes that hold up at final
- Solid 2D and 3D tracking / matchmove experience
- Demonstrable Nuke compositing ability: keying, despill, integration, grain, lens and atmosphere matching
- Comfortable working with multi-pass CG renders and reading lighting / shading information from a plate
- Working knowledge of ShotGrid (or comparable production tracking)
- Eligible to work in the UK
Desirable
- Experience integrating AI-generated elements (gen-AI passes, neural relighting, diffusion-based fills) into traditional comp
- CG generalist skillset — working knowledge of Blender or Maya for light scene setup, asset checks, or camera work
- Layout or previs background; comfort moving cameras and laying out scenes
- Scripting in Python or expression-driven workflows in Nuke
- Credits on episodic or feature VFX with a recognised facility
Who You Are
- Craft-first. You care about clean rotos and a clean script as much as a clean final frame
- Calm under pressure. Festival and delivery windows do not faze you
- Curious about new tools without losing sight of fundamentals
- A clear communicator who flags issues early and shares context generously
- Comfortable in a lean team where titles matter less than getting shots out the door
A craft-led role at the heart of the shot pipeline, working across traditional VFX and AI-assisted workflows. If this sounds like you, we'd love to see your reel and CV.
