The Digital Environment Matte Painter will work closely with the Visual Effects Art Director to realize the client’s vision.

The position requires a high degree of both technical skill and artistic judgment. The Digital Environment Matte Painter develops hyper-realistic backgrounds and paintings of imaginary worlds, landscapes and sets. They also create establishing shots to visualize the scene; paintings that convey mood, atmosphere and depth that support specific scenes from the story.

Positions are full time and at our studio in Los Angeles, CA. Projects range from 2 weeks to 6-12 months.

• Responsible for creating hyper-realistic backgrounds and breathtaking landscapes, matching the overall look and needs of a given project.
• (Re)create photo realistic matte paintings to be used as an element to embellish or replace live action footage.
• Ability to follow Art Director’s direction to produce complex matte painted elements at a high standard, with a thorough understanding of perspective, lighting, and color.
• Must be comfortable in a variety of implementations, be it 2D backdrops, textured elements/fixes and complex 2.5D/3D projections.
• Working knowledge of the basic principles of 3D texture projections in 3D software, preferably in Maya, to enable integration.
• Must learn and master new proprietary software.
• Must have extensive knowledge of matte painting techniques; including color space, digital paint techniques and Photoshop file management (be it file format, bit depth resolution or appropriate layering of elements).
• A high understanding and application of basic perspective as a basis for a form; building/correcting strategy in the creation of the digital environments.
• Along with technical colleagues, responsible for troubleshooting painted elements.

• A portfolio showcasing strong 2D and 3D skills is a must.
• Minimum of 3 years experience as a digital matte painter in a production environment, preferably for feature films.
• Expert knowledge of Adobe Photoshop.
• Experience with a 3D package (ie. Maya, 3D Studio Max) and strong compositing knowledge.
• Ability to complete paintings within a fast paced, dynamic, deadline driven environment, according to expectations.
• Must be highly skilled as a painter, have knowledge of design, photography, and digital modeling to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images for film.
• Good communication skills with the ability to present ideas in a clear, concise manner.
• Ability to take artistic and technical direction positively and work collaboratively with art & technical staff.
• Strong composition, color and layout skills.
• Knowledge of camera positioning.
• Solid understanding of lighting and natural atmospheric effects.

• Pro-active, Team oriented, Adaptable.
• Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art/Painting or Illustration preferred.
• Technical proficiency in photography with an emphasis on composition, depth, lighting and color.
• Experience with Unix and Linux.

Qualified candidates please email or mail a cover letter, resume, reel and/or portfolio to:

recruitment@rhythm.com

Rhythm & Hues Studios
Attn: Recruitment
Re: Digital Env. Matte Painter position
5404 Jandy Place
Los Angeles, CA
90066

http://www.rhythm.com/inside_randh/careers.shtml