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Lighting Artist

ABOUT GHOST STORY GAMES

Ghost Story Games (formerly known as Irrational Games) is a self-publishing game studio owned by Take-Two Interactive. Our mission is simple: to create immersive, story-driven videogames for people who love games that ask something of them.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We are seeking a highly experienced and talented lighting artist to supplement our worldbuilding team. The ideal candidate will enhance our environmental storytelling and must demonstrate an understanding of how light, shadow, and color can help build richer environments. This position also requires a thorough grasp on how lighting can enhance the user experience by guiding the player and immersing the player by behaving ‘as expected’.

WHAT WE OFFER

• The opportunity to work on a creatively ambitious project in the immersive sim genre.
• A world-class team of less than 40 people. We are committed to making games that we judge by quality, not arbitrary timeliness. We are proud to be home to some of the most talented, smartest, nicest and hardest-working colleagues. We make mistakes sometimes, but we help each other by finding mistakes early and depending on each other to fix them quickly.
• Open Communication: Our team members are welcome to join any meeting, and we have a mostly flat structure. Do you have a question or a concern? Just walk up to (or Slack) anyone and ask! Team-based decision making is important to us, regardless of your position – every opinion counts and is considered.
• Flexible Hours: We understand that sometimes people need to juggle work and family life, so we have flexible work hours and a support structure that allows people to work from home if needed. Every Friday is a default WFH day for us, so no meetings planned that day!
• The Space: We love our studio space and all the comfortable perks that come with it, such as a fully stocked kitchen (drinks, fruit, snacks, breakfast food), plenty of shops, restaurants, services and urgent care within walking distance, a game room, a quiet room, outdoor deck, free parking, public transportation connections including the Amtrak train into Boston + NY and maybe, just maybe, we have a bathysphere whiskey bar.
• Free Merchandise: Every new employee is welcomed with an onboarding swag package to make sure they blend right in. Additionally, each of our team members can expect to receive a new merchandise item every time one goes live in our fan store. For fans of other Take-Two studios, there is a discounted employee store where you can find the latest games and swag from our sister studios.
• On-Site Support: Our world-class IT and Operations teams make sure that you get what you need to do what you do best. They keep us working, fed, hydrated and happy. Full team-catered lunches for new employee welcomes or significant team meetings? Receiving your online shopping orders? Getting you an aspirin when needed? They have your back!

Great Place to Work ® has certified our workplace culture. At Ghost Story Games, 100 percent of employees say their workplace is great.

RESPONSIBILITIES

We are a small team, and this is one of the few specialist positions that we have. You will be responsible for the lighting in the entire game and have a huge impact on the visuals.

• Light video game levels, cinematic sequences, and trailers using Unreal 4.
• Tell deep and meaningful stories within the environment.
• Research and Development in modular level lighting, aesthetic, and implementation.
• Work with the art team to ensure artistic unity across the entire project.
• Contribute to the development and placing of visual effects related to lighting and atmosphere, including light flares, fog, god rays, and camera optics.
• Excel at maintaining consistent aesthetic and technical quality in all environments.
• Optimize levels for performance and memory.
• Document lighting processes and technology.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 3+ years of experience in the game industry as a lighting artist or worldbuilder.
• A portfolio that demonstrates the ability to use light, shadow, and color to create a variety of tones and moods.
• Unreal Engine 4 experience.
• Advanced understanding of real-time lighting techniques.
• Experience with post-processing and color grading.
• Able to respond elegantly to difficult creative changes, often late in the process.
• Quickly learn and adapt to art and production pipelines.
• Must be eligible to work in the U.S.
• Experience with first-person shooters and modular building techniques.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Strong foundational skills, including composition, design, and color theory.
• Self-motivated toward solving creative problems and able to work well independently.
• Able to work well under pressure and with deadlines.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Understanding of source control via Perforce or equivalent.
• Understanding of procedural art systems in games.
• Strong understanding of Physically Based Rendering and ability to create realistic materials.

WHEN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION

Please have played or at least be familiar with our legacy games System Shock 2 , BioShock , and BioShock Infinite . View this video from Ken Levine’s 2014 GDC talk, which explains on a high level some aspects of the game we’re working on.

Along with your resume, please provide a portfolio showcasing your most recent work.