Lead Lighting Artist

1 day ago Be among the first 25 applicants People Can Fly is one of the leading independent AAA games development studios. Our international team consists of hundreds of talented individuals who work from offices in Poland, the UK, Ireland, the US, and Canada, as well as from all over the world thanks to our remote work programs. Founded in 2002, we made our mark on the shooter genre with titles such as Painkiller, Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, and Outriders. We are one of the most experienced Unreal Engine studios in the industry and we are expanding it with in-house solutions called PCF Framework. Our creative teams are currently working on several exciting titles: Gemini, a project being developed with Square Enix; Gears of War: E-Day developed in collaboration with Microsoft Corporation; Project Echo for Krafton; Bifrost & Lost Rift are projects we're growing in the self-publishing model. We are also busy working on a VR and undisclosed projects, more information on those to come later. With over 20 years of experience, PCF sets out to explore new horizons. We aim to combine our expertise with the creativity of the best and most forward-thinking talents in the industry to work together on the new generation of action games for the global gaming community. If you decide to accompany us on this journey, you’ll have a chance to perfect your craft and expand your knowledge, working alongside leaders in the industry on bringing a brand-new, unique experience to players worldwide. Main goal of the role To maintain the aesthetic of the game based on the Art Director vision driven by the Concept Art team and execute it with respect to adding lighting and shading elements within playable levels and cinematics. Duties Leadership Lead a team and foster an engaging atmosphere within the team to achieve the best possible result for the project and the personal growth of team members. Maintain artistic direction and quality. Work with the Leads and other Lighting Artists to create high‑quality lighting schemes in keeping with the project's universe and visual direction. Light scenes or levels based on reference photographs and/or concept art materials. Help to drive narrative storytelling through effective use of color, light, and mood. Set lighting standards, quality targets, and conduct visual prototypes. Collaborate on lighting mood boards and visual targets based on the Art Director’s vision. Establish a development process for the content development teams and aid in the review purpose. Production/Deadline Ensure the work of the team follows the quality standards and production deadlines. Bug fixing and documenting R&D case studies in the knowledge base. Work closely with the production team on task assignment and schedule to meet deadlines, also ensuring a healthy work‑life balance by setting clear expectations and scope of work. Supervise bug fixing and documenting R&D case studies in the knowledge base. Provide feedback. Provide day‑to‑day feedback to improve visual quality. Work with the team to find solutions and creatively solve problems. Collaborate with other disciplines such as VFX artists, level designers, etc. to create a great AAA game experience. Use R&D lighting techniques and optimize lighting setups to meet technical limitations and art direction requirements. Collaborate with Tech Art and drive R&D initiatives to explore new techniques and implement improvements to pipelines and workflows. Collaborate and communicate effectively across departments with other Leads, Directors, and project stakeholders to ensure efficiency and minimize miscommunication. Conduct consistent performance and compensation reviews of staff members. Conduct recruitment projects with HR collaboration. Conduct onboarding of new hires. Other artistic specificity Work with the technical and engineering departments to ensure lighting work is within budget and maintains performance goals. Profile existing and future levels to maximize lighting quality on characters and environments while staying within performance budgets. Review and play‑test your work in the editor and in‑game. Stay updated with the latest industry trends in lighting for film and games and mentor the team on these trends. Ability to create a full lighting system using Blueprints or any other tools. Ability to tackle special lighting cases/setups. Qualifications A strong portfolio showcasing examples of world and local lighting work at a AAA quality. Excellent knowledge of industry‑standard software packages for modeling, high‑poly sculpting (Maya, Max, ZBrush, Photoshop, or their equivalents). Artistically interpret concepts or creatively push beyond an initial ideation. A solid understanding of traditional art skills along with foundational design competencies (shape, form, texture, value, and color). In-depth understanding and practical experience of lighting in either real‑time game engines or in CGI or VFX productions. In-depth knowledge of Physically Based Rendering workflows. Good understanding of performance limitations and possibilities of the current console generation. Ability to create all content needed for lighting including but not limited to textures, IES profiles, HDR maps, materials, scripts, etc. Understanding of basic photography concepts like EV, shutter speed, ISO, composition, etc. Adaptive. Ability to adapt and develop specific art style, techniques, and workflows with minimal guidance. Strong mentoring, coaching, and leadership skills. Ability to collaborate with department leads and different departments to solve artistic and technical challenges. Strong verbal and written communication skills in English. Self‑motivation. Software: Photoshop, Unreal Engine Experience: 7+ years in console or PC game development including 5+ years in Unreal Engine and prior experience in any leadership capacity. Seniority level Director Employment type Full‑time Job function Art/Creative Industries Computer Games #J-18808-Ljbffr