Look Development Artist (VFX)

TL;DR

Look Development Artist (VFX): Developing the final shaded appearance of characters, creatures, environments, and props for high-end visual effects productions with an accent on photorealism and technical shader optimization. Focus on collaborating with surfacing and lighting teams to ensure visual consistency and performance across complex shots.

Location: Hybrid role based in Paris, France

Company

A visual effects studio specializing in high-end production work.

What you will do

• Create asset look development that matches onset data.
• Develop photorealistic materials and shaders using Arnold.
• Collaborate with surfacing and texturing artists to refine surface qualities.
• Ensure consistency of asset look across lighting environments and shots.
• Prepare diagnostics and ensure assets perform well in production.
• Optimize shaders for render performance.

Requirements

• Proven experience in look development and shading for high-end VFX or animation.
• Exceptional eye for detail, realism, and material response.
• Expert knowledge of Arnold and look dev in Houdini.
• Deep understanding of PBR workflows and shader networks.
• Proficiency in color management and rendering optimization.
• Experience working with Photogrammetry data sets.

Nice to have

• Experience working with USD-based pipelines and real-time engines.
• Familiarity with grooming and procedural modeling tools.