Houdini Lighting Aritst

About the Role

We are looking for a mid-level Houdini Lighting Artist with a strong creative eye and a passion for cinematic image-making. This is primarily a creative artist role focused on lighting, mood, composition, visual storytelling and final image quality.
The artist should be comfortable working across Houdini lighting and rendering, understanding how the image carries through into Nuke compositing, and collaborating closely with other artists to achieve a strong final look.
The role also includes R&D in Generative AI and AI filmmaking. Prior hands-on knowledge of GenAI and AI filmmaking is mandatory, particularly in workflows that combine 3D imagery with AI-driven image and film creation.

Key Responsibilities

Create high-quality lighting for characters, environments, FX-heavy shots and cinematic sequences in Houdini.
Develop lighting that supports story, emotion, atmosphere, scale and visual continuity.
Work with composition, contrast, colour, exposure and depth to create strong final images.
Collaborate with FX, environment, CFX, look development and compositing artists to maintain a consistent visual direction.
Prepare renders and passes for Nuke and work with compositors to refine the final image.
Contribute creatively to shot development, look development and visual problem-solving.
Participate in R&D for Generative AI and AI filmmaking workflows that combine 3D renders with AI-generated imagery or video.
Use 3D renders, masks, depth, normals and other visual guides where relevant to support GenAI and AI filmmaking workflows.
Explore ways to maintain composition, camera, lighting, character and environment consistency when using AI tools in a filmmaking pipeline.

Required Experience

Professional experience as a Houdini lighting artist or in a closely related lighting / look development role.
A strong eye for cinematic lighting, composition, colour, mood and visual storytelling.
Good understanding of rendering and how lighting choices affect the final image.
Good working knowledge of Nuke compositing and the 3D render-to-composite process.
Strong artistic judgement and the ability to take a shot from an initial lighting direction toward a polished final image.
Prior hands-on knowledge of Generative AI is mandatory.
Prior hands-on experience with AI filmmaking workflows is mandatory.
Experience using 3D imagery as guidance or source material for GenAI / AI filmmaking workflows is strongly preferred.
Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively in a fully remote production environment.

GenAI + AI Filmmaking R&D
The AI side of this role is R&D-focused and intended to develop practical creative workflows for filmmaking. The candidate should already understand current GenAI tools and AI filmmaking approaches and be able to apply that knowledge to visual development, lighting, look development, relighting, compositing and 3D-to-AI workflows.

Work Arrangement

Contract
- Freelance
Fully Remote
Long-term engagement preferred
Consistent availability during agreed production hours
Reliable remote-working setup required