Instructors
Donald Gremillion II
Art and Animation Instructor, Lafayette
Donald Gremillion II is a 3D Artist who has been working professionally in the field since 2009.
Donald was born in Lafayette, Louisiana and earned his BFA from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2009. Throughout his career, he has worked on several games, virtual reality applications, music videos, industrial animations, and feature films, including Secretariat and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Donald has strived to continue improving his artistic skills and knowledge throughout his personal and professional life.
Donald hopes to continue to improve his own skills, as well as help others with their own creative endeavors.
Terry Nguyen
Programming Instructor, Seattle
Terry is one of many secret wizards of the modern age. His first act of magic occurred at the age of seven when he cast an incantation that led to the creation of a handful of colorful letters on a web browser. He has since continued to travel across the digital sea in hopes of parchments and treasures that would aid him in the creation of newer and more exciting tools of experiences.
By day, Terry serves as the Assistant Programming Instructor at the AIE. His duties include putting out figurative fires on student projects, sharing solutions to interesting problems, and actively professing his love for source control solutions (Git is life). A wealth of knowledge and experience with mobile development as well as general engine experience with Unity3D and Unreal Engine 4 work well to supplement his ability to advise and propose solutions to practical problems in the classroom. Students are keen to query his knowledge to hear some insights on engineering efforts or test his aptitude for first person shooters in a game of Reflex or Team Fortress 2.
Terry graduated from the Academy of Interactive Entertainment with an Advanced Diploma in Game Development Specializing in Game Programming. He has also performed some contract work with other development firms and continues to work on Vextar, a first person shooty disk game with some alumni from the AIE.
Hardy Lebel
Game Design and Production Instructor, Seattle
Hardy has a bachelor’s Degree in English from Boston University, He is a veteran of 20+ years in the games industry with game design, producing and publishing credits on AAA titles like Halo series, FarCry, PacMan World and more.
Seth Pontiff
Game Programming Instructor | Lafayette
Seth Pontiff is a Software Developer who has been working professionally since 2015.
Seth is a graduate of the class 2015 from AIE and began his career at Digital Twin Studios, working on virtual trainings for the oilfield and maritime fields. He's worked across the industry, creating multiple virtual trainings for safety and training use, added full multiplayer to existing applications, worked on a character editor and character manipulation tool at Tafi that was used by VRChat, and managed databases and full-stack development for a local fulfillment company.
When he isn't working, he's creating software to make his own life easier and playing games with his kids.
Andy Romine
3D Animation and VFX for Film Instructor / Art and Animation Instructor | Seattle
Andy knew he was destined to work in VFX from the moment he saw the very first Star Wars film. With the revolution in computer graphics in VFX, he took his love for modeling spaceships, animating dinosaurs and robots, and creating fictional worlds into the fully digital realm.
Andy's a veteran of the Hollywood VFX and animation industry, with experience on commercials, television, and film projects at small boutique shops and big studios including Walt Disney, DreamWorks, and Sony. Since moving to Seattle, he's also worked on indie games and VR projects as well. He currently serves on the board of the Washington chapter of the Visual Effects Society.
In addition to creating digital worlds, Andy is a published author who writes short stories, comics, novels, and screenplays. He stresses the importance of finding the story in everything, even in a single VFX shot.
Sam Viator
3D Animation and VFX for Film Instructor | Lafayette
Sam Viator has been a 3D artist since 2015, with a specialty of hard surface modeling.
Sam is a graduate of the class of 2015 from AIE and has been working in Industry since 2015 at Digital Twin Studios, focusing on Virtual Reality training environments. Some of his clients he has worked with include Virgin Hotels, Carnival Cruise Lines, Shell, the Louisiana Department of Health, and several others. He also worked directly with Unity for a time.
When he isn't working, he enjoys watching sci-fi movies, rollerblading, listening to music, and playing his favorite games.
Court Smith
Game Design and Production instructor | Lafayette
Court Smith is an award-winning Game Designer and Producer with nearly a decade of experience in the industry. He has worked on multiple high-profile projects, including games for major brands such as Paramount Pictures, MTV, Hot Wheels, Roblox, Meta and Epic Games, with titles amassing over millions of players.
Court specializes in Game Design, Programming, Level Design, Economy Design, and Live Operations. Throughout his career, he has led multidisciplinary teams, developed engaging player experiences, and mentored aspiring designers.
Stacey Perry
Filmmaking Instructor | Lafayette
Stacey Perry is a professional makeup artist and special effects makeup artist who has been working in the film industry since 2005. A Louisiana native, Stacey has contributed to numerous film and television productions, including Twisted Metal, The Winchesters, and Where the Crawdads Sing.
With extensive experience in the industry, Stacey is passionate about bringing stories to life through the art of filmmaking. In addition to her work on set, she is dedicated to sharing industry knowledge and helping aspiring filmmakers develop their creative skills.
Charlie Baker
Game Art and Animation Instructor
With a foundation in fine art and a BFA in Game Art and Design, Charlie’s creative DNA is a blend of 80s classics like The Never Ending Story and modern masterpieces like Journey and Hyper Light Drifter. His industry portfolio includes work for Microsoft, Sony, and Oculus, ranging from the award-winning The Ball to the immersive world of Rec Room.
Charlie teaches his students that a masterpiece is only as strong as the artist behind it. He moves beyond simple technical instruction to advocate for a holistic approach to creation. By finding the balance between technical mastery and personal well-being, he helps his students build the foundation for a legendary career in digital arts.