Senior R&D Render / Shader Engineer

This is a Full Time Job


Description

Position at Industrial Light & Magic

We are looking for engineers for our rendering and shading R&D team, to help advance rendering technology for photorealistic motion picture visual effects production.

ILM works closely with our sister company, Pixar, to advance the state of Renderman and integrate it thoroughly into our production pipeline and achieve the highest level of visual complexity and fidelity. We also use many other commercial renderers, as well custom, special-purpose proprietary tools. The R&D team is responsible for the shaders and the underlying shading technology that ILM artists use to produce a wide range of photorealistic imagery: digital humans; hairy, slimy creatures; massive environments and space ships; dust, smoke, fire, water, and natural phenomena of all sorts. We need engineers with a sound theoretical understanding of path tracing, light transport, sampling, volumetrics, physically-based material modeling, and geometric processing.

Primary Responsibilities
• Work in a collaborative, distributed team of full-time software engineers and shading experts in researching, developing, and supporting ILM’s shader set; develop both general and special-purpose rendering algorithms and data representations that scale to high-volume photorealistic visual effects production.
• Work directly with highly specialized and talented artists in active film production, in ILM’s studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, London, and Singapore. Work with Lighting TDs, show supervisors, and engineering teams to balance long-term development projects with day-to-day production support.
• Analyze and optimize renderer performance in active production. Act as a trusted consultant to creative leadership on rendering approach and strategy.
• Collaborate closely with the Renderman team at Pixar, with Pixar’s production shading/rendering teams, with other Disney divisions, and with software vendors and industry groups.

Education
/ Experience
• BS or advanced degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3 years of experience in professional software development and/or VFX production.

Required Skills
/ Competencies
• An intuitive understanding of the demands of a fast-paced, creatively-driven visual effects production environment.
• Collaboration: a readiness to trust others, be trustworthy, and play nice.
• Communication: an ability to express yourself concisely, a willingness to speak up, and a conviction to keep everyone informed of progress and issues.
• Empathy: an ability to listen intently and understand artists’ needs.
• Creativity: an insightful and analytical thinker, and a creative problem solver.

Required Technical Skills
• Thorough knowledge of principles of computer graphics rendering and shading: path tracing, light transport, sampling, high-dynamic-range imagery, color science, subdivision surface geometry, proceduralism and instancing, deformation and caching.
• Experience with Renderman RIS and/or similar physically-based renderers, such as Arnold, Mantra, Clarisse, Vray, etc.
• Experience with Katana or similar computer graphics lighting applications; knowledge of other systems a plus: Maya, Houdini, Nuke, etc.
• Experience working with a large, complex, mature, and dynamic code base.
• Fluent in C , with experience in Python on Linux.

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 with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. 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 Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. LLC, which is part of a business segment we call Industrial Light & Magic.

Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

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