Production Innovation Technologist (PH)

About the role

We are seeking a Production Innovation Technologist with deep expertise in advanced 3D compositing and applied emerging and generative technologies. This role is recognized as a go-to expert within the organization, accountable for solving the most complex creative and technical challenges and for shaping how emerging technologies are operationalized within production. The position operates with a high degree of autonomy, translating ambiguous creative and production objectives into scalable, production-ready solutions that influence project direction, resource allocation, and workflow strategy. The role balances creative intent, technical feasibility, and production realities, delivering consistently shot-ready results while driving the evolution of pipelines, tools, and methodologies across shows.

As a senior technical authority and creative thought partner, you will evaluate, adapt, and deploy new technologies in real production contexts, guiding decision-making at the project and functional level. While this role has no formal people management responsibilities, it exerts significant influence through technical leadership, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration. This position is a Project Hire.

Responsibilities

• Technical & Creative Leadership
  • Serve as a recognized expert in advanced compositing and hybrid CG/ML workflows, delivering high-quality, shot-ready work that meets or exceeds studio standards.
  • Act as a technical authority and advisor to creative leadership, production, and engineering partners on complex, high-risk shots and workflows.
  • Lead the technical strategy for applying emerging and generative technologies to production needs, focusing on reliability, repeatability, and artistic control rather than exploratory output alone.
• Emerging & Generative Technologies
  • Design, train, fine-tune, and adapt models using techniques such as LoRA, IP adapters, Gaussian Splatting, and custom PyTorch pipelines to solve production-scale challenges.
  • Evaluate new ML and generative approaches, identifying failure modes, constraints, and opportunities, and translating findings into actionable production guidance.
  • Combine machine learning techniques with traditional compositing and CG methods to improve iteration speed, consistency, and visual fidelity at scale.
• Pipeline & Workflow Ownership
  • Architect and implement end-to-end workflows that integrate emerging technology outputs into established pipelines (modeling, texturing, layout, lighting, compositing).
  • Own workflow reliability, scalability, and performance, proactively identifying bottlenecks and driving continuous improvement based on production feedback.
  • Partner with Senior Technology Workflow TDs to transition successful prototypes into fully supported production-integrated tools and pipelines.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence
  • Collaborate closely with Machine Learning Engineers, translating research prototypes into artist-usable, production-ready systems.
  • Provide clear, structured, and prioritized feedback to development teams on usability, limitations, and readiness for deployment.
  • Influence technical and creative direction across multiple projects, often working directly with senior leaders on high-impact initiatives.
• Advanced Shot & Asset Work
  • Create, modify, and render complex 3D elements as required to support compositing using Maya, Blender, and/or Unreal Engine.
  • Ensure outputs meet the highest standards for visual quality, continuity, and integration within live-action and CG environments.
• Standards, Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing
  • Set and model best practices for organization, naming, versioning, documentation, and handoff.
  • Mentor senior and mid-level artists and technologists through technical guidance and knowledge sharing, without formal supervisory responsibility.
  • Contribute to internal standards, documentation, and technical reviews that raise overall capability across the function.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in compositing supervision or senior-level compositing roles on visually complex feature films or equivalent high-end productions.
• Expert-level knowledge of advanced compositing workflows and strong artistic judgment in high-pressure production environments.
• Deep practical understanding of neural networks and generative systems, including how prompting, conditioning, and model architecture impact consistency, fidelity, and failure modes.
• Advanced Python proficiency for scripting, automation, workflow orchestration, and tool development.
• Demonstrated success applying emerging and generative technologies directly within production pipelines, not solely in R&D contexts.
• Proven ability to create and integrate 3D elements for shot work using Maya, Blender, and/or Unreal Engine.
• Significant experience with ComfyUI, including complex graph design, extensions, and custom node development.
• Ability to work independently with minimal guidance, while influencing broader technical and creative strategy across projects.

Pay

The hiring range for this position in Burbank, CA is $158,800.00 to $205,400.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.