Lighting TD – Mid/Senior (Fixed‑term, Melbourne)

About the role

This is a six‑month fixed‑term contract (October 2026 – March 2027) for a Lighting Technical Director at Framestore’s Melbourne studio. Candidates must have Australian work rights or be in a time zone that aligns closely with Melbourne. The role supports high‑end photo‑realistic VFX films, collaborating with CG supervisors and compositors to achieve the final look.

Key responsibilities

• Assemble CG scenes with the correct assets from all departments.
• Light shots according to the brief from the Visual Effects/CG Supervisor or Sequence Lead.
• Work closely with CG Supervisors to determine optimal lighting approaches and develop the final look.
• Develop shots in collaboration with the shot compositor and render non‑lighting passes as required.
• Create and optimise lighting and rendering setups to maximise render‑farm efficiency.
• Match real‑world light colours and directions in CG and ensure shots stay on schedule.
• Communicate regularly with production leads about schedules and deadlines.
• Provide support and guidance to junior team members and handle asset wrangling when needed.

Required profile

• Degree or diploma relevant to the role, or at least five years of full‑time experience in a film VFX pipeline.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and maintain high‑quality results.
• Strong organisational, communication and interpersonal skills.

Required skills

• Proficiency with Houdini and Maya.
• Experience using Nuke or a similar compositing package.
• Knowledge of production renderers such as Renderman or Arnold.
• Basic scripting ability in Python and/or MEL.
• Solid understanding of Linux/Unix operating systems.
• Familiarity with Photoshop and/or Mari for digital painting.