Lighting and Compositing Artist

About us:

We are arx anima, an animation studio based in Vienna, Frankfurt, Leipzig & Madrid and have been producing animation cinema productions for years. We also have the courage to try every new technical challenge and innovation. Be it pioneering in lighting with Houdini Solaris / USD workflows, the realisation of a high-end MoCap studio, or the construction of the largest render farm in Austria. And besides all the R&D, features, and series we love to work on creatively animated commercials and other service work. For example, we just revived Mozart through an immersive 360° art projection about Vienna in his era.

Overview:

We are seeking a skilled and creative 3D Lighting and Compositing Artist with strong experience in look development to join our production team. This role involves collaborating with various departments to deliver visually stunning animated content by defining lighting setups, ensuring high-quality final composites, and contributing to the look and feel of assets through look development.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lighting:
• Design and implement lighting setups to enhance storytelling, mood, and aesthetics.
• Balance artistic and technical requirements to create high-quality renders.
• Collaborate with Supervisors and Directors to maintain consistency in style and direction across sequences.
• Optimize lighting for efficiency while maintaining visual fidelity.
• Compositing:
• Assemble rendered layers/passes into final shots using compositing software (e.g., Nuke).
• Refine visual elements including color grading, depth of field, and integration of FX and matte paintings.
• Address technical and creative notes from supervisors and directors promptly.
• Look Development:
• Work with the asset and surfacing teams to define the final appearance of characters, environments, and props.
• Develop shaders, textures, and materials to achieve the desired visual style.
• Test assets under various lighting conditions to ensure consistency and realism.

Requirements:

• Proven experience in lighting, compositing, and look development within a 3D animation or VFX production environment.
• Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Houdini, Maya, Katana, Nuke, Karma, Arnold, Renderman, or V-Ray.
• Strong understanding of color, composition, light behavior, and visual storytelling.
• Familiarity with physically based rendering and shader development.
• Excellent problem-solving, organization, and communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced production pipeline.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with scripting or tool development (Python, MEL) is a plus.
• Understanding of ACES workflow and color pipeline management.
• USD experience is a plus.

Hard facts:

Start date: ASAP

End date: Summer 2026

Location: Vienna, Austria

Enjoy the flexibility of a "workation", allowing you to work remotely for several weeks from another EU country - provided it aligns with production needs.

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At arx anima we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities and are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible workplace for everyone.

So what are you waiting for?

Due to the requirements of the project, we can only consider applications from candidates who are willing to relocate and hold either a valid EU passport or a valid Austrian work permit.