Three.js developer freelance

We're looking for a (freelance) skilled Three.js developer to contribute to an immersive, atmospheric 3D web experience that brings Chillhop Music’s illustrated audiovisual cityscapes to life. You'll work alongside our web developer, handdrawn illustrator / animator, Blender artist and myself (founder) to create an awesome unique ghibli-esque aesthetic with dynamics enabled by 3d tech.

What You'll Work on

An interactive web application featuring:

• Hybrid rendering approach: UV-mapped 3D geometry for foreground buildings + camera-mapped flat planes for background/atmospheric elements

• Parallax camera effects that create depth through panning and zooming

• Dynamic lighting systems (day/night cycles, weather effects, ambient mood)

• Smooth camera controls (slight macro city panning, micro scene zooming into specific areas)

• Toon shading to maintain our hand-illustrated aesthetic

• Performance-optimized rendering across desktop and mobile web

The visual style is close to studio Ghibli; handdrawn, laidback, organic. We will use actual dimensional geometry where it matters (foreground buildings with volume) and atmospheric depth layers (camera-mapped backgrounds), all rendered with painterly, hand-crafted textures. There’s a lot more indepth information about the project which I’ll share in later stages.

Required Skills

• Strong overall Three.js experience (shader work, lighting systems, camera controls)

• WebGL fundamentals and optimization for web performance

• Experience with mixed rendering techniques (both textured 3D meshes and flat planes/billboards)

• Understanding of parallax and depth layering for atmospheric scenes

• Responsive design mindset (mobile-first web experience)

• Git workflow and collaborative development practices

• Ability to work with Blender exports (GLB/GLTF) and optimize for web

Bonus points

• Experience with toon shading or stylized rendering techniques

• Camera mapping workflows or depth-layered scene composition

• Rive integration or other 2D animation tools in web

• Familiarity / affinity with the chillhop aesthetic

• Mobile web optimization and PWA development

• Background in game development (Unity WebGL, Godot, etc.)

Your Role

• Implement hybrid 3D scene architecture working from Blender assets (mix of UV-mapped geometry and camera-mapped planes)

• Develop lighting systems that create mood and atmosphere across both 3D and flat elements

• Build smooth, intuitive subtle camera controls with parallax effects for different view modes

• Optimize performance across devices (mobile web is critical)

• Collaborate with our main web developer on integration

• Work closely with our Blender artist to establish efficient asset pipelines for both UV and camera mapping workflows

• Find smart solutions to implement dynamics that fit with the style and are optimized for performance

• Act as the overall Three.js expert, taking the lead in painting out the most realistic path to success in collaborationw ith the rest of the team.

Requirements

• Work-for-hire contract with IP assignment

• Availability during a part of Netherlands timezone (CET) - flexible hours but with substantial overlap (9am-5pm CET)

• Organized workflow using Slack/Discord for communication (whichever works best for most people)

• Portfolio demonstrating Three.js projects (especially stylized or artistic work, bonus for depth-layered scenes)

• Artistic sensibility - you understand that technical excellence serves the aesthetic

How We Work Together

Chillhop is at heart a forward thinking and explorative company; we want to create great experience for fans by combining art with technical innovation in creative ways. Within this project you'll be collaborating closely with multiple team members in both fashions:

• Regular collaboration with our Blender artist to establish asset pipelines, troubleshoot rendering issues, and refine the hybrid approach

• Ongoing coordination with our web developer on integration, architecture decisions, and technical implementation, integrating your work into the wider technical ecosystem that has been built over the last years.

• Direct collaboration with Chillhop’s founder (also leading this project) for fine-tuning experiences, brainstorming new ideas, and exploring what's possible.

• Occasional collaboration with our illustrator and animator when bridging 2D and 3D workflows

Most communication happens through Slack/Discord with video calls for brainstorming and feedback sessions. You'll have a voice in shaping how this experience comes to life, not just implementing specs, but actively contributing to the methods and execution. Especially at the start, we will have a lot of back and forth on limits, challenges, approach and so on, before having a functional day-to-day operational workflow.

Ideal Candidate

We're looking for someone who:

• Thrives in collaborative workflows - you'll be working closely with our main web developer, Bas (founder) and our Blender artist, so clear communication and teamwork are essential. We like to solve problems and nerd out about solutions together

• Thinks outside the box - willing to experiment and find novel solutions for problems and challenges that inevitably come up

• Values craft and polish - you care about the details that make experiences feel smooth and delightful

• Is self-directed and organized - you can manage your own time and communicate proactively about progress and blockers, as well as manage to keep things organized as we scale up

• Embraces iteration and feedback - we're building something new, so expect the process to evolve

• Has an innate curiosity for new developments in technology - As both our project as well as Three.js (and adjacent frameworks) evolve, we should be on the lookout to continuously innovate

• Has a genuine affinity for our aesthetic - you understand that this isn't just about technical implementation, it's about creating atmosphere and emotion, for which you need to have a feel of what’s fitting and what isn’t

• Loves this type of project - This isn’t a corporate job for a commercial company; the aim is to create something we can be proud of. This can only happen if everyone enjoys the project.

About the Timeline

Q4 2025 (Nov-Dec): Technical validation phase - building proof-of-concept cityblock with basic lighting, camera systems, and testing the hybrid rendering approach (10-20 hours/week). This will probably extend into January taking into account Holiday Period.

Q1 2026 (Jan-Mar): MVP V1 development - full feature implementation including passive/active modes, day/night cycles, weather systems (20-30 hours/week). This is likely to extend partially into Q2.

Q2 2026 (Apr-Jun): MVP V2 polish and optimization - performance tuning, mobile optimization, final feature additions (15-25 hours/week). This is likely to extend into Q3.

Post-MVP: Ongoing maintenance and content updates (5-15 hours/week)

Hours will vary significantly between phases, Q4 will be used to validate the process. We're looking for someone who can scale up during intensive development periods and scale down during maintenance. This timeline is iterative; we like to move as fast as possible but not rushing where we need more time. This is a rough timeline that evolves over time.

Compensation

• €30-60/hour depending on experience

• Contract-based with potential for ongoing collaboration

• Work remotely, flexible hours within CET timezone overlap

About Chillhop Music

Chillhop Music is one of the first and leading lofi hip hop labels, originating from YouTube with 3+ million subscribers. Headquartered in the Netherlands with a strong itch for technical innovation, We’ve built a recognizable visual brand alongside being a staple for the sound since 2013.

We're now expanding beyond YouTube into an interactive web experience that lets our community explore atmospheric cityscapes, discover lore, and engage with our music in entirely new ways.

Watch our YouTube channel to understand what we do and our visual style.

How to Apply

To apply, please fill in this form. The form asks you a few short questions as well as a link to your portfolio, so keep it at hand. It should not take more than 5 minutes to fill.

We’re excited to build an experience that’s as much fun for the user as it is for us building it and exploring the possibilities (and capabilities, quite honestly) of the combination of art and tech with a small team. If you’re excited about this as well, please reach out via the form, we’d love to hear from you! ✌️