Senior unreal Lighting artist

Company
With over 25 years of experience, Atomic Arts remains a leading visual effects house, with work featured in some of the biggest and boldest Hollywood blockbusters, tentpole streaming series, and acclaimed independent cinema.

Recent project highlights include The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney), The Northman (New Regency), John Wick: Chapter 4, The Batman (Warner Bros.), and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.

Headquartered in London with offices in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Los Angeles, Atomic Arts is a global studio with over 150 artists, supervisors, animators, and technical directors dedicated to bringing compelling visual stories to life.

Job Description
We are looking for a Senior Unreal Lighting Artist to join our real-time team.

You will work closely with VFX Supervisors, Leads, and Art Directors to develop and deliver high-quality, cinematic lighting using Unreal Engine, ensuring visual realism, strong mood, and optimized real-time performance.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality, photo-real and cinematic lighting in Unreal Engine (UE5 preferred)
• Work closely with VFX Supervisors, Leads, and Art Directors to define lighting direction and shot look
• Develop lighting setups using Lumen, dynamic lights, post-process volumes, and exposure control
• Accurately interpret concept art, reference, and color scripts from the Art Department
• Optimize lighting for real-time performance without compromising visual quality
• Set up and refine lighting for cinematics, environments, and virtual production shots
• Collaborate with FX, Environment, and LookDev teams to ensure cohesive final visuals
• Troubleshoot lighting, shading, and rendering issues within Unreal
• Maintain consistency in lighting across sequences and levels
• Provide creative and technical input to improve real-time workflows and tools

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in lighting for VFX, animation, games, or real-time productions
• Strong hands-on experience with Unreal Engine lighting workflows
• Solid understanding of color theory, color spaces, exposure, and photographic lighting principles
• Experience with real-time rendering constraints and optimization
• Knowledge of cinematic workflows using Sequencer
• Familiarity with DCC tools such as Maya, Houdini, or Blender for asset prep
• Basic knowledge of Blueprints or Python is a plus
• Experience with virtual production or in-camera VFX is an advantage
• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to work independently and thrive in a fast-paced production environment
• Strong demo reel showcasing real-time Unreal lighting and cinematic quality work