Look Development Supervisor
At Brown Bag Films, our motto is simple: "We Love Animation™." And we mean it - we put our artists at the heart of everything we do. As one of the most creatively driven animation studios, we are passionate about creating high-quality, engaging content for kids and families everywhere.
We are currently looking for a Look Development Supervisor to join our talented team here at our Dublin Studio. The successful candidate will lead the studio's Look Development capability, translating approved Art Direction into production-ready textures, shaders and grooms that achieve the required visual quality while being designed and optimised for real-time production in Unreal Engine.
The Look Development Supervisor will manage the surfacing & texturing teams and is responsible for ensuring those teams implement the agreed Look Development workflows and standards consistently across the productions, with documentation maintained and communicated as workflows evolve. Collaborating with Art Direction, CG & Unreal Supervisors, Pipeline Engineering and the Head of 3D, the role ensures Look Development is artistically strong, technically robust, unreal engine ready and scalable across productions.
This is a 12-month Fixed-Term contract based in our Dublin Studio.
Please note that our studio operates on a hybrid model, with a minimum of two days per week required in the studio.
The successful candidate must have the right to work in Ireland for the duration of the contract.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead Look Development across productions, providing artistic and technical direction, with real-time production requirements considered from the outset.
- Manage the studio's Texture and Surfacing artists, ensuring they have clarity on the artistic, technical and game-engine requirements needed to deliver effectively for productions.
- Work with Art Directors and CG Supervisors to translate approved designs into textures, materials, and groom.
- Define and implement show-specific Look Development standards, shader approaches and reusable templates that align with agreed Unreal Engine workflows and performance requirements.
- Ensure assets meet the required artistic and technical standards before downstream production.
- Evaluate materials, shaders and textures throughout production to ensure they remain appropriate and optimised for Unreal Engine, identifying unnecessary complexity or performance issues early.
- Own the consistent adoption of agreed Look Development workflows across all studios, working with CG Supervisors and Unreal Supervisors to address deviations where required.
- Ensure Look Development workflow documentation, standards and best practices remain accurate and up to date, and that changes are clearly communicated across both locations.
- Work closely with Texturing, Groom and Lighting to ensure assets translate successfully through the pipeline and perform appropriately in Unreal Engine.
- Control unnecessary asset and material complexity while protecting the intended artistic look.
- Conduct Look Development reviews and support the resolution of complex asset issues.
- Work with the Head of 3D, Unreal Supervisors and Pipeline Engineering on Unreal Engine workflow, material, optimisation and tooling improvements.
- Identify opportunities to standardise and simplify materials and Look Development approaches across productions where appropriate.
- Support tests, pitches and early production development where required.
- Coach and develop Texture and Surfacing artists.
Key Requirements
Knowledge
- Strong understanding of Look Development, materials, shaders, surfacing and texturing.
- Strong artistic eye across stylised and non-photorealistic CG styles.
- Strong understanding of how Look Development affects Lighting, Rendering and asset performance.
- Strong understanding of real-time rendering considerations and how material, shader, texture and asset decisions affect performance in Unreal Engine.
- Understanding of material optimisation, shader complexity, texture usage and scalable Look Development practices for game-engine production.
- Good understanding of modern CG asset pipelines, particularly pipelines where Unreal Engine is a primary production and rendering environment.
Experience
- Significant experience in Look Development, Surfacing or a similar senior CG role.
- Experience leading, mentoring and providing creative and technical feedback to artists on animation or VFX productions.
- Experience establishing and maintaining Look Development workflows and standards across teams.
- Experience collaborating with Art Direction, CG Supervision and downstream departments.
- Practical production experience with Unreal Engine or other real-time environments.
Technical Skills
- Strong working knowledge of Unreal Engine, particularly Materials, Material Instances, texture workflows and real-time Look Development.
- Strong working knowledge of Maya and modern Look Development workflows as well as tools such as Substance, Mari or equivalent.
- Strong understanding of shader construction, materials and texture optimisation.
- Ability to evaluate material and texture complexity in Unreal Engine and make informed decisions that balance visual quality, performance, scalability and production requirements.
What We Offer:
- Hybrid Working – Minimum of 2 days working in studio.
- 25 paid holiday days per annum (available immediately, pro-rated)
- Up to 10 paid sick leave days per annum (available immediately, pro-rated)
- HSF Healthcare Scheme (available immediately - opt-in cash scheme)
- Life insurance (available immediately)
- Long Term Sickness Income protection (available immediately)
- Maternity Leave Payment
- Educational Assistance
Other perks that are available to BBF employees:
- Up to 10 days (in one block) in a calendar year Working from Anywhere Policy (after successful probation period)
- Employee Assistance Programme (available immediately)
- Bike to Work Scheme (available immediately)
- Tax Savers Scheme (available immediately)
- Specsavers Voucher (available immediately)
- Dog Friendly studio/policy.