Color Key Artist
An entry-level position in video production, starting at $20.00 per hour with full benefits. Traditionally this position requires 2+ years of freelance or equivalent experience, but does not require a college degree. Full-time available.
Apply Online for this PositionJob Summary
Color keying is an integral part of high-end productions; e.g., interviews, animations, music videos and films. It establishes a look and feel to the background and the overall color of a project. By creating background paintings and color keys that light materials, Color key artists provide a valuable input for production teams involved with animated features, television series and animated shorts. Color key artists have a good eye for color and advanced software skills, and may use programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for color styling or color grading. Generally, they affect the look and feel of the video via color tones.
A Color Key Artist is someone who understands how light works from pre-production to post, has an incredible eye for color and can create stunning backgrounds that our videographers and editors use in post-production. Not only do you need to be a technically skilled artist, proficient with programs like Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, but you need to understand how to best light backdrops during filming to provide a smooth and even color key in editing. As Vanilla Video pursues higher-end video productions, we are seeking color key artists to join our Chicago-based team both locally and remotely.
Key Qualifications
- Develop color schemes in animations
- Paint/render color keys for animations
- Expertise with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
- Able to work with technical directors on light rigging
Position Description
As a Color Key Artist you will be able to schedule your own office hours, though you will need to be present for team meetings, pushes to meet tough deadlines and for any hands-on collaboration with Creative Directors, Storyboard Artists, Motion Graphics Artists or any other members of Vanilla Video's production team.
Most of the work you do will be completed individually, though you will be collaborating with other team members to create color style guides for each project, review storyboards to ensure continuity of color key models and to incorporate color keys into final edits.
Additional Requirements
- Generate a color style guide
- Create color keys for the lighting team
- Generate high resolution backgrounds for compositing into final shots
- Review storyboard to ensure continuity of color key models
- Communicate with the Creative Director and other teammates
- Complete work on deadine
Responsibilities & Duties
You are responsible for the look, feel and mood of every project you work on. You will be hand crafting and painting background images for a variety of Vanilla Video's high-end productions. All relevant storyboards,pre-production lighting setups and post-production color corrections will go through you before implementation or final delivery. You will be collaborating with Senior Videographers, Creative Directors and working side-by-side with Storyboard Artists, Graphic Designers and Senior Video Editors. It will be your eye for color, artistry and attention to detail that ensure each of our customers' expectations are met and surpassed.