As we expand our teams in new territories we’re looking to connect with new creatives with specific skills. If you are a Lead 3D Artist based in Cape Town, South Africa and open to connecting with us for future projects please send your details here.

About the Role

Role Overview:

A 3D Lead Artist drives the technical and visual quality of our linear production projects, ensuring the creation of visually stunning, high-quality films while optimizing workflows and maintaining technical standards. This role demands a strong understanding of linear production pipelines, particularly in 3DsMax, Unreal, and Houdini, and the ability to seamlessly integrate CAD data into visual productions. Extensive experience working on films within the built environment is essential. You will be a natural leader, capable of inspiring and guiding junior artists, fostering collaboration with external teams, and proactively addressing production challenges. Your expertise in linear production environments and organizational structures will be crucial in achieving exceptional results and establishing high-quality standards across all projects. 

Key Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide technical and artistic guidance, feedback, and mentorship to the internal 3D team. 

• Collaborate extensively with external production teams, guaranteeing the provision of all requisite assets and comprehensive support to facilitate production. 

• Partner with Production Supervisors to contribute to the refinement of production workflows. 

• Identify and escalate potential production issues proactively to mitigate risks. 

• Foster a collaborative and supportive team environment. 

• Apply a strong understanding of real-world camera systems, including lens behaviour, depth of field, exposure, and motion blur, to replicate realistic cinematic effects in 3D visualizations. 

• Assess and determine professional development requirements. 

• Guide the development of the 3D art pipeline, in conjunction with the Head of Linear Production and Pipeline Technical Director, to guarantee optimal efficiency and uniformity. 

• Ensure adherence to technical specifications. 

• Partner with project teams to establish artistic direction and technical specifications. 

• Manage asset creation schedules and ensure timely delivery of high-quality assets. 

• Develop high-Caliber three-dimensional assets, environments, props, and visual effects as required. 

• Ensure all digital assets conform to established technical specifications and artistic benchmarks. 

• Conduct quality assurance procedures and deliver constructive criticism to the team. 

• Enhance asset performance and efficiency through optimization. 

• Stay up-to-date with the latest 3D art tools, techniques, and trends. 

• Resolve technical problems and deliver viable solutions. 

• Develop and maintain technical documentation. 

• Communicate effectively. 

Candidate Qualifications & Skills

Required:

• Experience working on films within the Built Environment will be required 

• 5+ years’ experience within a creative studio environment, within the 3D field 

• Extensive experience in linear production across multiple platforms, with a comprehensive understanding of organisational structures within linear production environments. 

• Experience in team leadership and collaboration. 

• Experience in the short form VFX industry and/or architectural visualisation industry is preferred. 

• Experience working with CAD, and the ability to utilise this within visual production is required. 

• Experience with Nuke, 3DsMax, Unreal

• Experience with Premier, Houdini and Resolve will be advantageous. 

• Working knowledge of real-life camera operations, including framing, focal length, aperture, and other photographic principles would be considered beneficial 

• Able to think conceptually and translate ideas into production  

• Adaptable and interested in different styles and techniques of production. 

• An understanding of color pipelines and workflows 

• Proficient in informing and advancing linear production standards and workflows within a broad range of 3D software, especially 3DsMax, Unreal and Houdini  

• Deep understanding of compositing workflows, particularly in Nuke 

• A natural leader who can mentor, inspire and guide more junior members of the team  

• Collaborative and able to work with a variety of teams across a range of disciplines  

• Has the ability to assume ownership and responsibility for the development and utilisation of linear production within the Journey department. 
• A skilled communicator both visually and verbally

   

Contract: Typically Fixed Term contracts, based on the duration of a specific project

Location: Hybrid, with regular in-person collaboration with our Cape Town team

About the Role:

Role Overview

A Real-Time Unreal Artist for the Built Environment (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction - AEC) is a specialized role that bridges the gap between traditional architectural design and high-end game engine technology.

Unlike a traditional "arch-viz" artist who produces static renders, a Real-Time Artist builds interactive, live-navigable worlds that allow stakeholders to walk through a building before a single brick is laid. 

Specific Studio

Squint/Opera, a Journey studio, specialises in immersive, interactive experiences and visually compelling content that bridge the digital and physical for architecture, urban planning, and cultural projects. 

We're the innovators behind the Empire State Building Observatory's digital reinvention, creating over 40 unique exhibits that transform 10,000 square feet into an interactive journey through history and architecture. At Battersea Power Station, we designed Lift 109, an immersive ascent experience that melds cutting-edge animations, interactive elements, and spatial soundscapes to breathe new life into London's iconic landmark. 

For Qiddiya City, we pushed the boundaries of virtual production, crafting a revolutionary campaign that ignited global excitement for Saudi Arabia's visionary sports and entertainment mega-development. And in 2025 we redefined the way a nation tells its story through the Kingdom of Saudi Pavilion at World Expo 2025, where history, culture, and innovation converge with cutting edge storytelling and technology. 

Key Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to:

• Work within a team of artists, producers, and leads, finding ways to improve the process, align on requirements, and have a solutions-based approach to problem-solving and production.
• Build out "built environment" contexts, including people, vehicles, urban surroundings, urban activation (coffee shops, stores, etc), sound layout, and realistic vegetation.
• Create real-time assets that are optimised for real-time experiences.
• Import and clean up complex geometry from Revit, Rhino, or 3ds Max using pipeline tools and workflows.
• Optimization: Implement LODs (Level of Detail), nanite geometry, and texture atlasing to ensure smooth frame rates (60+ FPS) on target hardware (PC, VR, or Pixel Streaming).
• Lighting: Master Lumen (real-time global illumination) and ray-tracing to simulate accurate sun studies and interior artificial lighting.
• Create high-quality, physically based rendering (PBR) materials that accurately represent glass, concrete, wood, and metal.

Candidate Skills & Qualifications:

Technical Skills

• Expert-level Unreal Engine 5 (Optimisation, Lumen, Nanite, PCG).
• Modeling/DCC: Proficiency in 3ds Max, Blender, Houdini or Maya.
• BIM/CAD Knowledge: Familiarity with Revit, Rhino, or SketchUp workflows.
• Adobe Substance 3D Painter/Designer and Quixel Mixer.

Professional Experience

• 3+ years of relevant experience with real-time 3D environments. 
• 3–5+ years in architectural visualization or game environment art.
• A strong understanding of architectural scale, construction details, and "FF&E" (Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment).
• A "Real-Time Reel" showing interactive walkthroughs (not just static renders) is essential.
• Strong creative background 
• Strong communication skills, keeping in touch with colleagues across multiple sites 
• Able to confidently communicate creative needs to technical personnel and vice versa 
• Passionate about real-time 3D, AR, VR, Games, Virtual Production 
• Ability to understand conflicting viewpoints and resolve issues 
• Approachable, flexible, adapts well to changing priorities 
• Perseverance when faced with difficulties

Contract: Full time, Fixed Term contract

Location: Cape Town