Laura Elizabeth Wilcox

For animated films, it is done in the computer. Lighting TDs, can often also have a merged title as a Compositor, Using packages such as Mental Ray, or proprietary software for creating the lighting effect. Gnomon has some courses/lectures in lighting in Los Angeles, they also have dvd's available, most CG schools also have classes for lighting artists, teaching more traditionally, how to light in Maya which is somewhat useful, but not as much as say mental ray. A good lighting artist is always needed at a visual effects studio, and your skills will not limit you to just animated movies, possibilities are endless from game cinematics, to cg props needing to be lit for commercials, features, or television.

It can also be done in post easily. So depending on if shots have already been shot, you missed a couple, or if you just don't have the necessary tools on hand, it can be done very quickly in post, with your compositors.

If it can be done on set, physically, with say contacts, or lights, it will be cheaper then paying an artist in front of a computer for hours to do it. Way the costs, and the level of control you need. If you need more control, then... The best way I think to handle it would be in post production, with this route the visual effects supervisor can specifically tell a compositor how much the pupils should be dilated per shot, the 'painted' enlarged pupils can be tracked onto the eyes of your actor and increased or decreased with something as simple as a slider bar once its set up, that way, you can archive the exact look you are looking for.