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Cg Lighting Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Swaybox Studios

Senior CG Lighting Artist

New Orleans, LA · Hybrid

$122K - $146K/yr

The Senior CG Lighting Artist will focus mainly on facial performance replacement with a handoff to the compositing team. This person will play a hands-on role in bringing our characters to life ...

Swaybox Studios

Senior CG Lighting Artist

New Orleans, LA · On-site

$122K - $146K/yr

The Senior CG Lighting Artist will focus mainly on facial performance replacement with a handoff to the compositing team. This person will play a hands-on role in bringing our characters to life ...

Netflix

OR

$62.74/hr

Position Summary We are seeking CG Experimental Artists to join our pioneering team creating ... Experience with creating and animating assets (terrains, layout, characters, control-rigs, lighting ...

Netflix

CG Artist, Experimental - INK

Los Angeles, CA

$62.74/hr

Position Summary We are seeking CG Experimental Artists to join our pioneering team creating ... Experience with creating and animating assets (terrains, layout, characters, control-rigs, lighting ...

Netflix

CG Artist, Experimental - INK

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$62.74/hr

Position Summary We are seeking CG Experimental Artists to join our pioneering team creating ... Experience with creating and animating assets (terrains, layout, characters, control-rigs, lighting ...

Netflix

CG Artist, Experimental - INK

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$62.74/hr

Position Summary We are seeking CG Experimental Artists to join our pioneering team creating ... Experience with creating and animating assets (terrains, layout, characters, control-rigs, lighting ...

Netflix

CG Artist, Experimental - INK

Los Angeles, CA

$62.74/hr

Position Summary We are seeking CG Experimental Artists to join our pioneering team creating ... Experience with creating and animating assets (terrains, layout, characters, control-rigs, lighting ...

Netflix

CG Artist, Experimental - INK

Los Gatos, CA

$62.74/hr

Position Summary We are seeking CG Experimental Artists to join our pioneering team creating ... Experience with creating and animating assets (terrains, layout, characters, control-rigs, lighting ...

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Cg Lighting information

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How much do cg lighting jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for cg lighting in the United States is $21.28, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.31 and $24.76 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Cg Lighting vs Lighting Designer?

AspectCg LightingLighting Designer
CredentialsOften requires technical training or certification in lighting technologyTypically holds a degree in lighting design, architecture, or related field
Work EnvironmentWorks with lighting software, technical equipment, and in studio or on-siteWorks on conceptual design, client meetings, and on-site installations
Industry UsageCommonly employed in film, theater, and digital media projectsPrimarily involved in architectural, theatrical, and event lighting projects

While Cg Lighting focuses on technical aspects and digital lighting creation, a Lighting Designer emphasizes creative design and aesthetic planning. Both roles require a strong understanding of lighting principles, but their focus areas and work environments differ significantly.

What are some typical challenges CG Lighting Artists face when working on complex scenes, and how can they address them?

CG Lighting Artists often encounter challenges such as balancing artistic vision with technical limitations, managing render times, and ensuring consistency across shots. Complex scenes with multiple light sources or intricate environments can lead to increased rendering costs and unexpected visual artifacts. To address these issues, artists frequently collaborate with other departments like modeling, texturing, and compositing to optimize assets and workflows. They also use efficient lighting setups, render layers, and compositing techniques to achieve the desired look while staying within production constraints.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a CG Lighting Artist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a CG Lighting Artist, you need a strong understanding of lighting principles, color theory, and digital art, often supported by a degree in art, animation, or a related field. Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, Houdini, and rendering engines like Arnold or V-Ray is typically required. Attention to detail, creativity, and strong problem-solving skills are valuable soft skills that help artists achieve visually compelling results. These abilities are critical for creating realistic and aesthetically pleasing scenes that elevate the overall quality of visual projects.

What is CG Lighting?

CG Lighting refers to the process of adding and manipulating light sources within computer-generated (CG) environments for visual effects, animation, and digital imagery. Lighting artists use specialized software to simulate realistic or stylized lighting scenarios, enhancing mood, depth, and realism in 3D scenes. Their work is essential for defining the look and feel of animated films, video games, and visual effects in live-action movies. CG Lighting involves technical and artistic skills, including an understanding of color, composition, and the behavior of light.
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Cg Lighting jobs near you
Infographic showing various Cg Lighting job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 71% Full Time, and 29% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $44,268 per year, or $21.3 per hour.

Senior CG Lighting Artist

Swaybox Studios

New Orleans, LA • Hybrid

$122K - $146K/yr

Other

Posted 25 days ago

Job description

Job Summary:

Swaybox Studios is seeking a creatively driven and technically adept Senior CG Lighting Artist to integrate CG facial performances into our cross-department workflows. This role is central to maintaining the emotional fidelity and character consistency of our hybrid puppetry performances, ensuring the final output meets the high artistic standards of the studio.

The Senior CG Lighting Artist will focus mainly on facial performance replacement with a handoff to the compositing team. This person will play a hands-on role in bringing our characters to life, improving workflows, resolving creative challenges, and collaborating with Supervisors and Technical Directors to evolve tools that enhance production efficiency. This is a perfect position for a VFX artist who understands the subtle art of expression, setting a mood, character performance, and hybrid storytelling.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Implement best practices in our face replacement pipeline, ensuring poses and expressions are seamlessly matched to animation and puppet facial performances.
  • Replicate and adjust lighting from live action plates onto our characters with an emphasis on fine details, performance nuances, and the overall aesthetic of our film.
  • Establish and maintain the tone, and mood across sequences, while also adhering to any pre-lighting or color keys that have been established in pre-vis.
  • Work closely with outsource vendors and other CG and comp artists, collaborating on visual looks, tech, training, and workflow for faces and environments.
  • Collaborate with VFX Supervisor, MoMo Art Supervisor, and TDs to identify areas of improvement in the pipeline, including tool and workflow development.
  • Maintain output quality and momentum in a fast-paced environment.
  • Preserve cohesive character consistency across facial replacements and ensure smooth integration of our internal puppet performances, animation, and live action plates.
  • Communicate effectively with production and creative leads to align visual performance with narrative goals.

Required Qualifications:

  • 5+ years experience in high-end, live action VFX films, with a strong emphasis on beauty lighting.
  • Expert knowledge and proficiency of Houdini and rendering in Arnold.
  • Basic knowledge of compositing in Nuke to create and refine slap comps for presentation and handoff to the compositing team.
  • Deep understanding of visual language- color, scale, perspective, proportion, spatial awareness, motion blur, depth of field, etc
  • Comprehensive knowledge of physically based rendering and optimizations, using Arnold or similar engines.
  • Understanding of photography, exposure, color grading, lens and camera behavior, and HDR workflows.
  • Strong eye for cinematic and real-world lighting, color grading, and shot continuity.
  • Robust problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt quickly to unique or proprietary workflows.
  • An artistic mindset and willingness to receive and implement constructive feedback, whether that's with draw-overs, over the shoulder adjustments, or team meetings.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Understanding and experience with UV, texture, and shading is a plus.
  • Understanding of CG modelling and rigging workflows.
  • Basic knowledge of texture mapping techniques.
  • Experience with Unreal is advantageous.
  • Knowledge of Maya and Arnold rendering.
  • Experience with ZBrush and other 3D software is advantageous.
  • Familiarity with scripting or tool development (e.g. Python, MEL, etc.) to support pipeline enhancements.
  • Background in traditional art.
  • Prior experience in both stylized and realistic texture and shading creation of digital faces is great to have.
  • Familiarity with hybrid workflows that span traditional VFX and digital puppetry.

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