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Trainee Animation Lighting Artist 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 ... to animation and puppet facial performances. * Replicate and adjust lighting from live action ...

Swaybox Studios

Senior CG Lighting Artist

New Orleans, LA · On-site

$122K - $146K/yr

As we collaborate with DC Studios/Warner Bros Pictures Animation and Matt Reeves' 6th and Idaho on ... The Senior CG Lighting Artist will focus mainly on facial performance replacement with a handoff to ...

Activision

Technical Artist - High Moon Studios

Carlsbad, CA · On-site

$130K - $156K/yr

... animation, lighting, and post process effects • Stays current on industry standard content ... artists/engineers to identify and implement art-pipeline optimizations and to create technical ...

Canoo

3D Visualization Artist

Justin, TX · On-site

Job Title 3D Visualization Artist About Canoo Canoo's mission is to bring EVs to Everyone and build ... Use Maya and Redshift Render for stills, animation, lighting, and shading * Data preparation of CAD ...

KONAMI GAMING INC

Technical Artist III

Las Vegas, NV

$116K - $139K/yr

Blending artistic and technical abilities, this role bridges the Art and Software teams, enabling ... Knowledge of 3D fundamentals: modeling, texturing/shading, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering.

Konami Gaming, Inc

Technical Artist III

Las Vegas, NV · On-site

$85K - $110K/yr

Blending artistic and technical abilities, this role bridges the Art and Software teams, enabling ... Knowledge of 3D fundamentals: modeling, texturing/shading, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering.

Snail Games USA

Senior VFX Artist - Art Center

CA · On-site +1

$115K - $155K/yr

About the Role We are seeking a Senior VFX Artist to unify and elevate real-time visual effects ... You will collaborate closely with Design, Animation, Lighting, Engineering, and Technical Art to ...

AGBO

Pipeline Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA

$150K - $186K/yr

Animation, rigging, cloth, and creature techniques * Shading, lighting, and rendering techniques ... Train and support artists to use the developed tools. * Perform other duties as assigned.

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Trainee Animation Lighting Artist information

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How much do trainee animation lighting artist jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 12, 2026, the average hourly pay for trainee animation lighting artist in the United States is $29.11, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.76 and $32.93 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Trainee Animation Lighting Artist do?

A Trainee Animation Lighting Artist is responsible for assisting in the creation and adjustment of lighting within animated scenes to achieve the desired mood, atmosphere, and visual style. They work closely with senior lighting artists and other departments to ensure that the lighting complements the storytelling and enhances the visual appeal. Trainee artists learn to use industry-standard lighting software and tools while developing their technical and artistic skills. Their work helps to bring animated characters and environments to life through effective use of light and shadow.

What is the difference between Trainee Animation Lighting Artist vs Junior Animation Lighting Artist?

AspectTrainee Animation Lighting ArtistJunior Animation Lighting Artist
CredentialsBasic knowledge of lighting software, relevant courseworkSimilar credentials, often with some practical experience
Work EnvironmentTraining programs, supervised projectsEntry-level projects under supervision
Industry UsageInternship or apprenticeship rolesFull-time entry-level position in animation studios

The main difference is that a Trainee Animation Lighting Artist is typically in a learning or internship phase, focusing on gaining skills and experience, while a Junior Animation Lighting Artist is an entry-level professional actively working on projects with more responsibility. Both roles require similar foundational knowledge, but the trainee role emphasizes training and development.

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

To thrive as a Trainee Animation Lighting Artist, you need a solid understanding of lighting principles, color theory, and basic animation, often supported by a relevant degree or portfolio of work. Familiarity with industry-standard software like Autodesk Maya, Houdini, and rendering engines such as Arnold or RenderMan is typically expected. Attention to detail, creativity, and strong problem-solving abilities are essential soft skills for this role. Mastering these skills ensures visually compelling scenes, efficient collaboration with production teams, and successful adaptation to the technical demands of animation projects.

What are some common challenges faced by Trainee Animation Lighting Artists during their initial projects?

Trainee Animation Lighting Artists often encounter challenges such as understanding the technical requirements of different lighting software and adapting to the established visual style of a studio. Balancing artistic creativity with the need to meet tight production deadlines can also be demanding. Additionally, collaborating effectively with senior lighting artists, animators, and compositors requires strong communication skills to ensure the final look matches the director’s vision. Overcoming these challenges typically involves seeking feedback, continuous learning, and practicing flexibility within a team-oriented environment.
What cities are hiring for Trainee Animation Lighting Artist jobs? Cities with the most Trainee Animation Lighting Artist job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Animation Lighting Artist jobs? The most popular types of Animation Lighting Artist jobs are:
What states have the most Trainee Animation Lighting Artist jobs? States with the most job openings for Trainee Animation Lighting Artist jobs include:
Trainee Animation Lighting Artist jobs near you

Senior CG Lighting Artist

Swaybox Studios

New Orleans, LA • Hybrid

$122K - $146K/yr

Other

Posted 28 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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