Instructors
Donald Gremillion II
Art and Animation Instructor
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.
Drew Funderburk
Game Programming Instructor
Drew Funderburk is a multi-year programmer with a deep love of game systems, design, and audio. He has many years of coding and scripting under his belt with languages from C++ and C# to Python, Java, and even JavaScript.
Drew is an AIE graduate himself in the field of game programming and has since gone on to work in the Virtual Reality sector before returning to AIE to teach. He is experienced in Unreal Engine and Unity, and even a few custom engines have made their way into his repertoire
Having spent a good portion of his life overseas, Drew brings a multinational, broad worldview to life. He strives to see the bigger picture in the lives of those around him, and to show it to others.
Sam Viator
3D Animation and VFX for Film Instructor
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
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, MTV, Hot Wheels, 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. Court is passionate about sharing his knowledge and helping students bring their creative visions to life in the world of game development
Stacey Perry
Filmmaking Instructor
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.