Disney’s Set Extension/Matte Painting Artists use their knowledge of today’s CG tools, combined with their strong painting skills, to seamlessly extend digital environments in a 3D World. We currently have opportunities for Set Extension Artists to join our Vancouver Studio.

To apply for this position, you must upload a resume and a reel with a shot breakdown, featuring samples of digital matte painting (Set Extensions) and samples of shots done as a generalist. Samples of traditional painting are a plus.

Responsibilities

• An organic approach to executing dimensional, pre-lit, view-dependent artwork seamlessly integrated with fully CG environments

• Work with environment team and Production Designers to stylistically extend the environments digitally for the projects we are creating

• Create backgrounds, landscapes, and environments in a 3D world using digital rendering and painting programs such as Maya, Photoshop, Nuke, Houdini, Clarisse, etc as well as GI rendering and Disney’s proprietary software, etc.

• Extrapolate art direction: i.e. design, architectural style, lighting and graphics, which adhere to the Production Designers overall vision

• Support the technical aspects of the work created

• Collaborate with the Art Department, Layout, Modeling, Look Development, and Lighting teams

• Interpret concept art and color keys into stylized yet realistic final image

• Design environment for a shot based on extrapolation of more generalized concept art

• Setup entire shot extension from scratch

• Modeling as needed, especially complex terrain generation

• Texture and shader generation as needed

• Lighting of self-generated 3D assets as well as existing show assets using Dlight, Maya, and Hyperion

• Creation of fully realized high resolution HDR digital matte paintings

• Creation of fully composited set extension in Nuke utilizing 3D projections, creative compositing and post production motion blur and DOF

• Take art direction from various sources and collaborate with multiple departments to achieve the final shot

• Delivery of final frames to lighting department

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or comparable experience

• Professional experience required, feature animation experience preferred

• High skill level in painting, composition, perspective, and color theory

• Understands a 2.5D workflow with multiple projection cameras with extensive knowledge of both 2D and 3D workflows and thought processes

• Good artistic skills with willingness to learn new workflows

• Extensive knowledge of Mac OSX and Linux and programs such as Photoshop, Maya, Nuke, and various renderers

• Must be able to work iteratively in a fluid and fast-paced environment, take direction easily, and be willing to participate as a member of a highly collaborative team

• Ideal candidates would possess secondary craft skills or come from a generalist background

• Extensive knowledge of real-world lighting and materials

• Preferable background in tradition drawing and painting

• Extensive understanding of shot and painting composition, with preferable knowledge of cinematography

• Solid understanding of photography and its terminologies

• Ability to solve complex problems in an extremely creative way