Senior R&D 2D/Compositing Engineer

Position Summary

We seek engineers to join our 2D/Compositing R&D team and help us develop tools and production techniques for image processing, compositing, and rotoscoping.  We work side-by-side with visual effects artists in production on major motion pictures to design, develop, and apply techniques such as:

• Depth estimation

• Image segmentation

• Generative in-painting

• Plate relighting

• Image upscaling

• Frame interpolation
   

We welcome engineers with a passion for applying the latest machine learning technology to these challenges and more!

At ILM, a good idea is a good idea, regardless of where it comes from! Do you thrive in a creative environment? Do you enjoy sharing knowledge and learning from others? If you love art, technology, and movies, then this might be the role you’re looking for.

ILM strives to be an inclusive environment, and the R&D group in particular embraces promising individuals with a variety backgrounds and experiences.

What You’ll Do:

• A little bit of everything! Develop innovative algorithms, craft artist-friendly user interfaces, optimize data management processes, and build special purpose content creation tools that handle large-scale photo-realistic visual effects production. 

• Work with engineers across all ILM’s studios, splitting time between long-term software development projects and day-to-day artist support, consultation, and problem-solving.

• Collaborate with Disney Research|Studios and with commercial software vendors in developing and deploying the next generation of machine-learning-based imaging tools.

What We’re Looking For:

• Proficiency in C++ and/or Python on Linux.

• Knowledge of and/or eagerness to learn principles of visual effects, especially image processing: high dynamic range image formats, lens models and camera tracking, deep image data, matting and segmentation.

• Experience with Nuke, as a user and plugin developer, is helpful, ideally including Nuke’s ML-server.

• Experience with machine learning techniques, processes, and toolsets.

• Working knowledge of standard data formats: OpenEXR, Alembic, USD, etc. 

• Enthusiasm for designing artist-friendly interfaces using GUI toolkits: Qt, PySide, QML, etc.  You don’t need to be a professional UX designer, but you should have a keen sense for how creative people use technology to work together in production.

• Appreciation of software development principles: object-oriented design, test-driven development, source code management, build and release processes.

This role is Hybrid, which means the employee will be required to work a minimum of 2 days on-site per week at a Company designated location, and occasionally from home.

Join ILM