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Look Development Technical Director - Expression of Interest

Job ID 10124300 Location Vancouver, Canada Business Industrial Light & Magic Date posted Oct. 08, 2025
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Job Summary:

This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work 2-3 days onsite at a Company designated location and occasionally from home.

This posting is an opportunity to submit your resume for future consideration; this is not a role that is open at this time. We anticipate this role may be open in the future, but we are not actively hiring for the position. If you would like to be considered for this potential role, please submit your resume. If the role becomes available, you may receive an email or call from a recruiter.

Position Summary

This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work 2-3 days onsite at a Company designated location and occasionally from home.

Look Dev Technical Directors are responsible for producing high-quality look dev and shading for our CG Assets, needing only initial direction and guidance from their Supervisors. Have the flexibility of moving into lighting shot production, producing high end lighting during show production.
 

What You'll Do

  • Scrutinize the colours and directions of all light sources in the real-world scene and replicates them in CG
  • Design and create the lighting and the look of computer generated objects and scenes
  • Responsible for the final CG scene assembly, lighting and rendering of very complex shots
  • Works closely with Lighting Supervisors and CG Supervisors to determine the best approach to solving CG challenges and developing the final look
  • Creates lighting set ups and/or works within current set ups
  • Creates efficient rendering setups in order to optimise render farm usage
  • Stays on schedule and meets set deadlines while maintaining the highest level of work quality
  • Ensures there is ongoing communication with Production and Leads regarding schedules and deadlines
  • Helps mentor Junior Artists within the Lighting/Look Dev team
  • Create & maintain simple materials using the provided shading templates
  • Create & maintain custom hero materials and shading networks when necessary
  • Deep understanding of real world materials
  • Understanding of energy conservation principles
  • Deep understanding of Physically based rendering and shader models
  • Ability to work and communicate with texture and groom artists to get the best possible results
  • Ability to build and maintain complex shading networks with artist usability and user-interface support in mind
     

What We're Looking For

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Graphics or equivalent or previous professional experience in a related field
  • Experience with real-world lighting and photography
  • Demonstrable advanced Lighting and Rendering experience within a VFX environment
  • Previous experience performing shot Look Dev tasks
  • Exhibits excellent listening and communication skills, able to receive direction and criticism
  • Has a broad understanding of modern shading models
  • Has an in-depth understanding of PBR (physically based rendering)
  • Demonstrates the ability to help and teach more junior-level artists
  • Demonstrates the ability to prioritise tasks, manages time very well, provides everyone with accurate time estimates on shot task completion
  • Demonstrates excellent presentation/communication skills in dailies/shot review by clearly and briefly outlining what has been accomplished and what should be addressed next in a shot
  • Demonstrates the ability to work collaboratively within a team environment
  • Can write plug-ins, set-up sequences, debug simulations and write set up and Renderman surface shaders with proficiency
  • Demonstrates the ability to work with minimal supervision to complete a shot
  • A thorough understanding of the vfx pipeline from modelling through animation, texturing, rendering and compositing
  • Ability to pick-up new techniques and the ability to learn new software quickly and easily
  • Knowledge of Katana is essential, Maya and Zeno beneficial
  • A good understanding of texturing and lighting
  • Knowledge of python and/or MEL scripting is essential
  • Strong interest in shading technologies
  • At ease with Linux based operating systems
  • Good understanding of physically plausible shading techniques
  • In depth knowledge in building shading networks in katana using Renderman
  • Scripting ability beneficial
  • Excellent knowledge of Renderman and other unbiased rendering systems
  • Good knowledge of other disciplines within VFX including modelling, textures, grooming, layout & compositing

JoinILM


The hiring range for this position in Vancouver is C$85,900.00 to C$109,900.00 per year based on a 40-hour work week. The amount of hours scheduled per week may vary based on business needs. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other variable pay or benefits, may be offered dependent on the level and position offered.

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About Industrial Light & Magic:

Founded in 1975 by George Lucas, ILM is the leading effects facility in the world, serving the motion picture, commercial production, and attraction industries. ILM has created visual effects for over 325 feature films and has played a key role in seven of the top 10 worldwide box-office hits of all time and has contributed to 25 of the top 50. ILM has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most stunning images in the history of film. At the forefront of the digital revolution, the company continues to break new ground in visual effects, VR, AR, and Immersive Cinema.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with ILM (Vancouver) Inc., which is part of a business we call Industrial Light & Magic.

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