Cinematographer - Camera and Lighting Expert

About the job

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark, General Catalyst, Peter Thiel, Adam D'Angelo, Larry Summers, and Jack Dorsey.

Position: Cinematographer
Type: Contract
Compensation: $70–$110/hour
Location: Remote
Commitment: 40 hours/week

Role Responsibilities

• Define clear standards for optics, sensor behavior, camera motion, and lighting motivation. Critique current evaluations and build a taxonomy of generated footage failures.
• Identify, generate, and curate examples of excellent and challenging camera and lighting setups. Test early model capabilities against them.
• Review generated footage shot by shot. Write precise, actionable notes on lensing, movement, lighting, and exposure.
• Help define how human reviewers are vetted and calibrated. Review captioning guidelines to ensure accurate descriptions of optical and lighting details.
• Collaborate with other experts to maintain consistent and accurate evaluations.

Qualifications

Must-Have

• 7+ years of professional experience in film, television, or virtual production.
• Credits on 2+ professional films.
• Background in one of the following: Director of Photography / Cinematographer, Gaffer / Chief Lighting Technician, Camera Operator, 1st AC, Digital Imaging Technician (DIT), or Virtual Production / CG Lighting & Camera Layout Supervisor.
• Meticulous eye for lens optics, sensor behavior, motivated lighting, exposure, and color spaces.
• Hands-on use of generative image and video tools (e.g., Runway, Midjourney, Sora, Kling).
• Ability to engage reliably for approximately 40 hours/week during weekdays.
• Strong written communication skills to articulate optical and lighting details.

Preferred

• Reliable access to a calibrated 4K display for pixel-level review.

Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete)

• Upload resume
• AI interview based on your resume
• Submit form

Resources & Support

• For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome
• For any help or support, reach out to: support@mercor.com

PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.