Industrial Light & Magic

Job ID 10137435 Location Vancouver, Canada Business Industrial Light & Magic

Job Summary:

This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work 2-3 days onsite at a Company designated location and occasionally from home.

Position Summary

We are looking for a talented and collaborative artist to join our Environments team. As a Digital Matte Painter, you will create striking digital environments that support the storytelling and visual style of our feature animation projects. Working under the guidance of the Environment Supervisor or Matte Painting Lead, you’ll craft digital matte paintings that blend seamlessly into the animated world, using a mix of painted, photographic, and rendered CG elements.

If you thrive in a creative, collaborative environment and enjoy combining artistic vision with technical skill, this could be the opportunity for you. We value diversity and welcome artists from all backgrounds and experiences to bring their unique perspectives to our films.

What You’ll Do

• Create high-quality digital matte paintings and set extensions that align with the film’s art direction and maintain stylistic consistency across shots and sequences.
• Integrate 2D and 3D elements with a strong understanding of composition, color, light, and atmosphere to achieve visually compelling and cohesive environments.
• Collaborate closely with Environment, Lighting, and Compositing teams to ensure that matte paintings integrate seamlessly into the final shots.
• Translate concept art and visual development materials into production-ready environments that reflect the story’s tone and mood.
• Maintain continuity and visual consistency across sequences while adapting to creative feedback and evolving direction.
• Troubleshoot technical and artistic challenges independently, while seeking guidance and sharing solutions across departments.
• Proactively communicate progress with production and supervisors, ensuring that deadlines and creative goals are met.
• Research and gather visual references to support environment design, composition, and lighting.
• Participate in reviews and contribute to a positive, collaborative team dynamic.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Digital Art, Computer Graphics, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 3 years of production experience in matte painting, environment creation, or related disciplines within feature animation.
• Proficiency with Photoshop and Nuke.
• Good knowledge of 3dsMax, Maya, or Houdini (with VRay or RenderMan).
• Familiarity with Gaea, SpeedTree, ZBrush, or Substance Painter, or Linux-based pipelines is a plus.
• Strong understanding of lighting, color theory, atmosphere, and composition within a stylized or cinematic animated context.
• Ability to create artwork that blends with the unique aesthetic and visual style of an animated feature.
• Excellent problem-solving and time management skills; able to adapt under shifting priorities and tight deadlines.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills; open to feedback and eager to contribute to a team-oriented environment.
• Desire to grow professionally within the studio.

As part of your application please include a current resumé, demo reel, art portfolio and shot breakdown.

Join ILM

The hiring range for this position in Vancouver, BC, Canada is C$85,900 to C$109,900 per year based on a 40-hour work week. The amount of hours scheduled per week may vary based on business needs. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other variable pay or benefits, may be offered dependent on the level and position offered.

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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 that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. 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 ILM (Vancouver) Inc., which is part of a business we call Industrial Light & Magic.