Lighting and Cinematography Consultant

Join a leading AI lab's cutting-edge GenAI team to be at the core of the AI revolution, where your expertise fuels the development of the most advanced AI models.

A leading AI lab is working on models that relight scenes, and it is looking for experienced lighting and cinematography people to help shape how that work is judged. If you understand how light actually behaves, how it is used to set a mood, and how color holds together across a scene, you will help define what good looks like and show the team where its current evaluations miss the mark.

Location Requirements

1. Overview

A leading AI lab is working on models that relight scenes, and it is looking for experienced lighting and cinematography people to help shape how that work is judged. If you understand how light actually behaves, how it is used to set a mood, and how color holds together across a scene, you will help define what good looks like and show the team where its current evaluations miss the mark. This is a part-time W-2 employment position with Cincinnatus LLC, with the opportunity to be placed at a leading AI Lab as part of their extended workforce.

2. Key Responsibilities

Establish standards: Define the criteria for when a scene's lighting and illumination have been captured well, in both emotional resonance and physical fidelity, and point out gaps in how it is evaluated today. Curate benchmarks: Identify strong examples of lighting that is straightforward and lighting that is genuinely difficult, so there are meaningful benchmarks to work from. Identify key losses: Help pinpoint the things that matter most to get right in evaluation. Shape the evaluation pool: Help define the profile and rubric for the human reviewers who assess model outputs.

• Establish standards: Define the criteria for when a scene's lighting and illumination have been captured well, in both emotional resonance and physical fidelity, and point out gaps in how it is evaluated today.
• Curate benchmarks: Identify strong examples of lighting that is straightforward and lighting that is genuinely difficult, so there are meaningful benchmarks to work from.
• Identify key losses: Help pinpoint the things that matter most to get right in evaluation.
• Shape the evaluation pool: Help define the profile and rubric for the human reviewers who assess model outputs.

3. Core Qualifications

7 to 10 years of professional experience in the film, visual effects (VFX), or video game industry. A proven track record on 2 or more professional films or games. Specialization in at least one of the following: Lighting Technical Director (TD), Lighting, 3D Lighting, or Look Development Artist, or Director of Photography (DP) or Cinematographer. A meticulous eye for scene lighting and a solid grasp of the fundamentals: light physics, cinematic illumination, and color science. The ability to translate complex visual details into clear, precise descriptive language. Able to come on-site in Playa Vista (Los Angeles), CA or New York, NY for in-person working sessions once or twice a month.

• 7 to 10 years of professional experience in the film, visual effects (VFX), or video game industry.
• A proven track record on 2 or more professional films or games.
• Specialization in at least one of the following: Lighting Technical Director (TD), Lighting, 3D Lighting, or Look Development Artist, or Director of Photography (DP) or Cinematographer.
• A meticulous eye for scene lighting and a solid grasp of the fundamentals: light physics, cinematic illumination, and color science.
• The ability to translate complex visual details into clear, precise descriptive language.
• Able to come on-site in Playa Vista (Los Angeles), CA or New York, NY for in-person working sessions once or twice a month.

About Cincinnatus LLC

Cincinnatus LLC is an enterprise staffing company that partners with leading technology companies to source and employ highly skilled professionals for contingent and contract-based opportunities. Cincinnatus serves as the employer of record for these engagements, providing W-2 employment, payroll, benefits, and compliance, while placing employees directly within client teams to work on high-impact initiatives. Roles hired through Cincinnatus are not project-based or freelance engagements. They are structured, role-based positions that typically involve part-time or full-time commitments, close collaboration with a client's internal teams, and integration into standard enterprise workflows. Cincinnatus is a legal entity separate from Mercor. While opportunities may be discovered through Mercor's platform, employment, onboarding, payroll, and benefits for these roles are administered by Cincinnatus LLC.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cincinnatus is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or any other legally protected characteristic. Cincinnatus is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans throughout the job application process. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.