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Cinematic Lighting Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

AOA

Associate Visualization Designer

Winter Park, FL · On-site

Strong artistic sensibility in composition, lighting, color, materials, mood, and cinematic presentation * Experience creating polished visual scenes, rendered sequences, or presentation-driven media ...

Imerza

Senior Real-Time Viz Artist

Sarasota, FL · On-site

$80K - $90K/yr

Senior 3D Artist: Imerza is a digital twin and architectural visualization studio built on Unreal ... interior artificial lighting, and the distinction between cinematic and real-time approaches.

Together Group

Senior Real-Time Viz Artist

Sarasota, FL

$80K - $90K/yr

... interior artificial lighting, and the distinction between cinematic and real-time approaches ... Actively mentor mid and junior artists in UE5 tools, pipeline, and production standards; this is a ...

Together Group

Senior Real-Time Viz Artist

Sarasota, FL · On-site

$80K - $90K/yr

Senior Real-Time Viz Artist Department: Imerza Employment Type: Full Time Location: Imerza ... interior artificial lighting, and the distinction between cinematic and real-time approaches

RS&H

Junior 3D Visualization Artist

Tampa, FL

Apply best practices in modeling, material creation, lighting, rendering, composition, and post ... Experience with animation, cinematic sequencing, or interactive visualization workflows * Bachelor ...

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How much do cinematic lighting artist jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for cinematic lighting artist in the United States is $129,541.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $127,000.00 and $152,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a cinematic lighting artist?

A Cinematic Lighting Artist is responsible for creating visually compelling lighting in cinematics, cutscenes, or pre-rendered sequences in video games, film, or animation. They use lighting to enhance mood, direct the viewer’s attention, and ensure consistency with the artistic vision. This role requires a strong understanding of color, composition, shadows, and real-time or pre-rendered lighting techniques. Cinematic Lighting Artists work closely with other departments, such as environment artists, animators, and VFX teams, to achieve high-quality visuals.

What are the typical responsibilities and collaborative aspects of a cinematic lighting artist’s role on a production team?

As a Cinematic Lighting Artist, your daily responsibilities typically include designing and implementing lighting setups to create mood, atmosphere, and visual focus in cinematic sequences. You will often work closely with environment artists, animators, and cinematic directors to ensure the lighting complements the narrative and visual style. Collaboration and clear communication are key, as you may need to iterate on feedback from art directors or adjust for technical performance constraints. This role often requires balancing creative vision with the practical aspects of real-time or pre-rendered workflow, making teamwork a central part of the job.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the cinematic lighting artist position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Cinematic Lighting Artist, you need a strong understanding of lighting principles, color theory, and visual storytelling, usually backed by experience or education in digital art or visual effects. Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Autodesk Maya, Unreal Engine, or Unity, as well as a solid grasp of rendering engines and lighting systems, is essential. Creativity, attention to detail, and effective collaboration skills help you translate narrative vision into visually compelling scenes. These abilities are vital for producing high-quality cinematic visuals that enhance narrative impact and meet production standards.

More about Cinematic Lighting Artist jobs

What states have the most Cinematic Lighting Artist jobs?

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What job categories do people searching Cinematic Lighting Artist jobs look for?

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Cinematic Lighting Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Cinematic Lighting Artist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $129,541 per year, or $62.3 per hour.

Lighting Expert - Cinematography Specialist

Mercor

New York, NY

$60 - $90/hr

Full-time

Re-posted 27 days ago

Job description

About the job

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark, General Catalyst, Peter Thiel, Adam D'Angelo, Larry Summers, and Jack Dorsey.

Position: Lighting and Cinematography Consultant
Type: Contract
Compensation: $60–$90/hour
Location: Remote

Role Responsibilities

  • Define criteria for scene lighting and illumination to ensure emotional resonance and physical fidelity. Identify gaps in current evaluations.
  • Curate benchmarks by selecting examples of straightforward and complex lighting to establish meaningful standards.
  • Pinpoint critical elements in evaluation to focus on what matters most.
  • Develop profiles and rubrics for human reviewers assessing model outputs.
  • Work independently and asynchronously to improve AI model performance.

Qualifications

Must-Have

  • 7 to 10 years of professional experience in the film, VFX, or video game industry.
  • Proven track record on 2 or more professional films or games.
  • Specialization as Lighting Technical Director (TD), Lighting, 3D Lighting, or Look Development Artist, or Director of Photography (DP) or Cinematographer.
  • Meticulous eye for scene lighting and solid grasp of light physics, cinematic illumination, and color science.
  • Ability to translate complex visual details into clear, precise descriptive language.
  • Able to come on-site in Playa Vista (Los Angeles), CA or New York, NY for in-person working sessions once or twice a month.

Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete)

  • Upload resume
  • AI interview based on your resume
  • Submit form

Resources & Support

  • For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome
  • For any help or support, reach out to: support@mercor.com

PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.