Lighting Supervisor – ILM London

ILM London is hiring a Lighting Supervisor to join their team in London, UK. This role sits at the head of the Lighting department, responsible for directing a team of Lighting TDs to build, shape and deliver final lighting and shadow work across high-end VFX productions. It suits an experienced lighting lead who is equally comfortable reviewing shots on a sequence level and getting into the technical weeds of pipeline and render optimisation.

About the Role

The Lighting Supervisor works across ILM’s feature film and episodic productions, reporting into the VFX Supervisor and CG Supervisor while managing the day-to-day output of a lighting team of ten or more artists. A typical day moves between shot and sequence reviews, pipeline conversations with developers, and global coordination with ILM counterparts on tools and standards. The role carries shared accountability for department deliverables from project setup through to final delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a team of Lighting TDs through the full VFX pipeline, from initial show setup and milestone planning through to deliverables.
• Support the VFX Supervisor and CG Supervisor in shaping the creative direction of lighting across shots and sequences.
• Track lighting continuity across sequences and provide hands-on artistic feedback to team members at a shot level.
• Communicate software issues to developers and work with global counterparts to drive tool and process development across the department.
• Actively participate in hiring decisions, including assessing demo reels and evaluating prospective Lighting TDs for the team.
• Maintain proficiency in current tools and methodologies while identifying efficiency improvements and design solutions across the production.

What You Bring

• Lighting Lead credits across multiple high-end VFX projects, covering the full production lifecycle from onset through final delivery.
• Proven experience managing teams of ten or more artists in a feature film or large-scale episodic production environment.
• Strong working knowledge of Katana, Maya, Nuke, or comparable high-end CG and compositing software.
• In-depth knowledge of Linux, Python and shell scripting, with demonstrable experience in render debugging and optimisation.
• Solid grounding in colour theory, composition and lighting aesthetics as applied to CG and live-action VFX work.
• A demo reel, shot breakdown, or equivalent portfolio is required as part of your application.

Why This Role

ILM has a production slate that spans some of the most technically and creatively demanding projects in film and television, and the London studio sits at the centre of that work. For a Lighting Supervisor looking to lead at scale within a serious VFX pipeline, the scope here, across tools development, global collaboration and creative ownership, is substantial. The role is hybrid, requiring two days on-site per week at the London studio.

Apply now for the Lighting Supervisor position at ILM London and submit your reel alongside your application.