3D Look Development Artist

Note: At this time we are only accepting applications from those artists residing in Quebec and are legally eligible to work in Canada. eg. Citizen | PR | Open Work Permit. This is a project based contract position.

Please only apply once to the best suited job by your current residency location. 

About Barnstorm

Barnstorm is an Emmy and VES-nominated visual effects studio based in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, and Montreal providing photo-realistic visual effects for a variety of television and online streaming projects. We pride ourselves in our artists’ talent and dedication to producing world-class visual effects. 

Who You Are

You are an experienced Senior Look Development Artist eager to bring your skills to a dynamic studio environment with a wide variety of creative projects. You thrive in an environment of designing and developing the visual style and realism of CG objects and environments. You’ll work closely with Supervisors and cross-department leads to craft high-quality shading, surfacing, and lighting setups that define the final look of our world-class VFX work. Your strong creative vision and collaborative spirit will help guide pipeline improvements, mentor team members, and contribute to both technical and artistic excellence across productions.

What You’ll Do

• Design and create the lighting and final look of CG elements including characters, props, and environments.
• Collaborate with CG Supervisors and other department leads to define efficient and high-quality visual workflows.
• Develop and maintain custom hero materials, shading templates, and reusable shader networks that align with show-specific needs.
• Build complex shading networks with usability, performance, and scalability in mind.
• Work with Production and CG Supervision to assign tasks, monitor progress, and ensure quality standards are met.
• Participate in look development bidding (as needed) for new shows and projects alongside the CG Supervisor.
• Provide detailed artistic and technical feedback to artists and guide them toward final approvals.
• Stay actively involved in pipeline iterations; collaborate with Pipeline TDs to recommend and prioritize improvements.
• Set up advanced lighting rigs, including photogrammetry data processing and clear-angle lighting solutions for turntables and look-dev scenes.
• Develop small-scale, show-specific tools and scripts to enhance productivity and artist workflows.
• Debug complex technical problems and troubleshoot show and/or studio issues
  

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in Look Development or similar VFX roles.
• Intermediate - Advanced shading, texturing, and lighting using Houdini with Arnold Render Engine
• Strong understanding of physically based rendering (PBR) principles and shader models.
• Proficiency in tools like Substance, Mari, and Nuke.
• Experience with photogrammetry data and clear-angle light rigs.
• Scripting abilities (Python preferred) for automating tasks and building artist-facing tools a plus
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and optimize complex CG scenes for quality and performance.
• Excellent communication skills and a proactive approach to creative and technical problem solving.

About This Role

This is a remote based role. Project and staff positions available with extended health benefits and opportunity to participate in RRSP programs. Note: At this time we are only accepting applications from those artists legally eligible to work in Canada. (Eg. Canadian or PR and are residents of Montreal or BC)

The posted pay range is aligned with what we believe is fair pay at the time of posting this role. An applicant’s relevant education, experience, skills and qualifications, location and currency may all be considered when deciding pay position within the range. Pay ranges may change.Benefit plans are dependent on the local plan offering and employment status but all US and Canada plans include a comprehensive health insurance plan, retirement savings, and paid time off.Barnstorm VFX is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive team that provides a meaningful work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Indigenous people, people of color, people of all genders or non-genders, and people with disabilities of all types are encouraged to apply. We thank everyone for their interest and application, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.