Meet Your Mentors

Hailing from Puerto Rico and residing in the US, Abdel Pizarro has experience in both 2D and 3D animation. Abdel has also worked with clients like Nickelodeon, Marvel, Big Ideas, Sesame Street and many others.

Alfredo is a 2D animator and storyboard artist who has worked on feature films like Klaus (Lead Animator on Jesper), Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells, and several TV shows.

Amita has worked as an Animator and Animation Supervisor for two decades. She is also an experienced mentor, teaching at Mages Institute of Excellence and Supinfocom International Animation School.

Anna Pagliara has spent 11 years animating for studios including DogHead Animation, Studio Soi, and Lighthouse Studios, with credits on The Amazing World of Gumball, Mulligan, HouseBroken, Totally Spies, and Coriolano. She mentors CGSI 2D Animation students on the timing, weight, and acting choices that turn a clean drawing into a believable performance.

Ben Li has spent 15 years animating for studios including Sony Pictures, Studio Mir, Powerhouse Animation, Boulder Media, Psyop, and Lion Forge. His credits include Invincible, Castlevania, Space Dandy, Blood of Zeus, Witcher: Sirens of the Deep, Black Dynamite, and TMNT 2012. He mentors CGSI 2D Animation students with a focus on the action and character work that drives episodic and feature pipelines.

Carlos Rosas has spent 18 years animating at Weta Digital, DreamWorks Animation, Framestore, MPC, DNEG, and Damn FX. His credits cover both feature animation and visual effects, including Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Bee Movie, Megamind, How to Train Your Dragon, The Jungle Book, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Venom, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Stranger Things, and Deadpool & Wolverine. He mentors CGSI 3D Animation students on the performance and pipeline craft that holds across both worlds.

Montréal-based Hubert Lapointe has worked as an animator and animation supervisor on hit shows like Rick & Morty and The Ollie and Moon Show, and as a software instructor for ToonBoom.

Jim has worked in various animation roles on commercials, film, TV, and games, as well as teaching 2D Animation. He teaches animation online while working at CG Spectrum.

Marcel has animated for film, TV and video games since 2003 at studios across Canada and France including Bardel and Gameloft. He was also a Toon Boom instructor at studios and schools around the world.

Mark has held lead positions at Rainmaker, Sony and Weta Digital working on films like Avatar, The Adventures of Tintin, and Night at the Museum.

Richter Lewis has spent 14 years animating for studios including Red Mountain Media Group, Innovelore Entertainment, and Velorean Productions, with credits on ABC Mouse and other educational and broadcast properties. He mentors CGSI 2D Animation students through the timing and acting craft that drives episodic and educational pipelines.

Rodrigo Costa has spent 14 years animating across film, games, and stylised feature work. Five years in London VFX at Framestore, ILM, MPC, and DNEG, then Fortiche on Arcane, and eight years at Polyarc shaping the performances in Moss. He mentors CGSI 3D Animation students on the acting, weight, and shot polish that production studios expect.

Roland has worked his way across the globe at major studios like Weta Digital, where he worked on two Planet of The Apes movies, The Hobbit Trilogy, and Avengers: Infinity War.

While at Disney and DreamWorks Scott animated classics like Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame and Road to El Dorado. He later won an Oscar for best special effects for Life of Pi.

Scott has been an animator and storyboard artist working on both feature and TV animation. Currently, he is working as a Supervising Director at Exceptional Minds Studios.

Spectra has been animating for almost a decade at Playstation, Digital Domain and Ubisoft on projects such as Far Cry 6, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and Advantageous.

Sykosan is a 2D animation filmmaker with expertise covering all stages of the animation process and a unique style of modern western and Japanese influences.

Brandon brings almost 20 years of experience as a video game concept artist with a long client list that includes EA, Activision, Capcom, Gree, and Disney Interactive.

Brian is an illustrator and concept artist for video games with expertise in art direction, visual development, and concept art. His credits include World of Warcraft, Diabolo, and Starcraft.

Eric is an illustrator/concept artist for film, TV, advertising, publishing, comics and games. Clients include Wizards of the Coast (Magic: The Gathering), Weta Workshop, Marvel, Upper Deck, Scholastic and Disney.

Possessing a degree in concept art, Fang has produced many concept designs for projects including Minecraft Dungeons and Prison Architect. She currently works at Sony Playstation Studios.

Humza has worked for EA, Microsoft, Activision, LucasArts, Wargaming, Ubisoft, Fischer Price, Hasbro, Mattel. Credits include: Call of Duty, The Division 2, and the Sims.

Joel Carpenter has spent 18 years working as a concept artist and illustrator across studios including Headstrong Games, Bravado Designs, Rockabox, and KIDSCAVE Studios, with cover work that earned Eagle Award nominations for Best Newcomer and Best Cover Artist. He mentors CGSI Concept Art and Illustration students on the visual development craft behind games, comics, and books.

Kinman Chan has spent 22 years designing for film and games at Lucasfilm, ILM, Disney ImageMovers, Insomniac Games, and Disney Interactive. His credits include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Strange Magic, A Christmas Carol, Curious George, and The Fox and the Hound 2. He mentors CGSI Concept Art students on the design thinking and visual storytelling that move a project from brief to screen.

Min Ru Lee has spent 12 years working as a concept artist across studios including Mighty Jaxx, Fox and Co, and Resn. She mentors CGSI Concept Art students on the visual development craft behind games, collectibles, and brand-driven creative work.

Peter is a freelance concept artist and has worked at DNEG as an in-house concept artist on diverse projects for film and TV. He has a particular passion for designing dark horror creatures.

Rachel is a Concept Artist and Illustrator specializing in visual storytelling and creature design. She currently works at Flix Interactive and is a Women in Games Ambassador.

Award-winning artist Tyler has worked with major clients like Cryptozoic and Blizzard on titles including Heroes of the Storm, Warhammer, Rift, Star Wars, Hex, Warcraft, and RWBY.

Aaron Villarreal has spent 16 years building 3D assets at studios including Bethesda, Arkane, Raven Software, and Blizzard, with credits across Dishonored 2, World of Warcraft, Redfall, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. As a CGSI 3D Modeling mentor, he helps students push their work past hobbyist polish into the topology, UVs, and detail discipline that production game art demands.

Abraao Segundo brings 16 years of game art experience from studios including ILM, DICE, Avalanche, Respawn, The Coalition, and Warner Bros. Games. His credits include Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Battlefield 2042, Gears 5, Marvel's Avengers, and Injustice 2. He mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students with a focus on the asset standards major studios actually expect on day one.

Since 2015, Anna has worked as a 3D character artist at Riot Games, Sirship Syndicate, and Blizzard, on titles including League of Legends (merch), Darksiders Genesis, Heroes of the Storm, and Ruined King.

Anton Tenitsky dreamed of working in the CG field from the age of 15 and went on to realise that vision after graduating from Massey University in New Zealand. Following his graduation, he built an industry career by working as a texture artist for Nickelodeon's Penguins of Madagascar and various other cartoon series, later transitioning into the casual gaming market as a 2D/3D artist for industry giant Gameloft. Most recently, he worked as a 3D concept designer on the AAA game Marvel Rivals. Today, he channels this extensive studio background into his role as a CG Spectrum mentor, where he guides aspiring artists through industry-standard workflows, providing the personalised feedback and practical skills needed to break into the professional gaming and animation sectors.

Bobby Rice has spent 21 years building game environments and assets at Rockstar, Pandemic Studios, Ready at Dawn, and Activision's Elsewhere Entertainment. His credits include Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto V, Grand Theft Auto VI, and The Order: 1886. He mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students at the standards expected on some of the most demanding open-world pipelines in the industry.

Chris has worked in the 3D industry for 12 years and is now a Senior 3D Lead Artist at Dekogon Studios where he leads teams of artists ranging from 2 to 30 at any given time.

Dylan Ekren has spent 11 years modelling for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Netflix, with credits on Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Encanto. He mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students on the precision, story-driven design, and topology discipline behind feature animation pipelines.

Ehsan has worked as an environment artist for video games since 2009 and is currently a Senior Environment Artist at Arkane Studios, working on Redfall.

Fiona is a Lead Environment Artist at Framestore in Canada, working in feature films and TV with over 7 years of experience in the industry and most recently, on Thor: Love and Thunder.

Greg Smith has spent 16 years building game environments and assets at studios including Bethesda, Arkane Studios, and Dekogon, with credits on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Redfall, Remnant II, Sons of the Forest, 7 Days to Die, and Open Roads. He mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students on the asset craft and pipeline discipline that ships in modern AAA and AA productions.

Hong Lim mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students, bringing 21 years of game and film art experience to the asset craft and pipeline discipline expected at production studios.

John Olofinskiy mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students, drawing on nine years of game art experience to help them lift their work to production-ready standards.

Matteo is a Senior Character and Creature Modeler at Framestore, London. With a background in traditional sculpture and creature design, he can bring a character from the concept stage to a final, production-ready asset.

Mersad Fazeli has spent 14 years working in game art at studios including Remedy Entertainment, 11 bit studios, and Silkroad Studios, with credits on Frostpunk 2 and The Alters. He mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students on the asset craft and visual cohesion that defines studios with a strong creative identity.

Nick Barone has spent 16 years building game art at Turtle Rock Studios, Wargaming, Relic Entertainment, and Phoenix Labs, with credits on World of Tanks. He mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students on the asset standards and pipeline discipline that competitive game studios expect.

Rudy Massar brings 26 years of high-end VFX and game art experience from ILM, Sony Imageworks, Framestore, MPC, Massive Black, and Sony PlayStation. His credits run across Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, The Mandalorian (with a VES nomination for animated character work), ABBA Voyage, Mufasa: The Lion King, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Ready Player One, Cinderella, Aladdin, the Killzone franchise, Independence Day: Resurgence, and Godzilla. He mentors CGSI 3D Modeling students at the standard set by some of the world's most demanding pipelines.

After 20 years in the industry, AAA game expert Bryan has worked on titles like Too Human, X-Men: Destiny, Rollers of the Realm, Debris, and now Far Cry 6.

Cameron Cintron has been writing code for mobile games for 12 years, working with studios including Blue Street Studios and Azure Games while also teaching game programming at Columbia College Chicago. He mentors CGSI Game Programming students with a focus on the systems and patterns that hold up when a project ships to real stores rather than just a class assignment.

Casey is a multi-disciplined designer—he creates levels, designs gameplay systems, and leads design teams. He’s operated in the industry for over a decade and currently works at Traega Entertainment.

Chris Kefalas has spent 21 years designing games at studios including Striking Distance, Sumo Digital, Ubisoft, Sucker Punch, Codemasters, Rare, and Radiant Worlds. His credits include The Callisto Protocol, Watch Dogs: Legion, Far Cry 6, Hitman Season 2, Crackdown 3, Kinect Sports, and Operation Flashpoint. He mentors CGSI Game Design students through the design fundamentals that survive long production cycles and platform shifts.

Eric is a Design Manager at PlayStation's Bend Studio. He is excited to share his journey and knowledge he has gained with others.

Filip has been teaching for 10+ years, with a current focus on Game Programming in Unreal Engine. Armed with a B.Sc. in Computer Science, Filip has worked at both AAA and indie studios since 2007.

While at Ubisoft, AAA programmer Firas released almost a game a year including Far Cry 3, 4, 5, Assassin's Creed 3, Your Shape, Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Watchdogs 2 and 3.

Glenn Storm brings 26 years across game design and feature animation, with credits including Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Iron Giant, and Sinbad through stints at Realtime Associates, DreamWorks Animation, Warner Bros Animation, USC's Institute for Creative Technologies, and the New York Film Academy. The Iron Giant alone earned an Annie Award and an LA Film Critics nod for Best Animated Feature. He mentors CGSI Game Design students with the rare cross-medium perspective that comes from shipping in both.

Jason Barlow is Course Director for CGSI Game Design, drawing on 16 years across game design education and production. He shapes the program around the design thinking, prototyping, and shipping discipline that studios actually hire for.

Mathieu Bissonnette has spent 20 years designing games at Ubisoft, Eidos, Ninja Theory, and Cirque du Soleil, with credits including Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Stories: The Path of Destinies, and Season: A Letter to the Future. He mentors CGSI Game Design students through the rare combination of cinematic storytelling and live-experience design his career has shaped.

While at award-winning game studio Blazing Griffin, Michael released titles like Murderous Pursuits, The Ship: Remasted, Distant Star: Revenant Fleet and Dino Tribes.

With over 6 years of experience in the game industry, Ming has worked for Ubisoft, Activision, and Gameloft. He has also applied his programming skills in a wide range of areas.

Philippe is a Lead Game Designer at Ubisoft. He specializes in 3Cs, Rational Systems Design, Meta-game/Economy Design, and Designer Mentorship. He’s worked on Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Hyperscape.

Rob has developed games and experiences for a number of platforms from mobile and desktop to virtual reality. He specializes in creating gameplay mechanics and quick-fire game prototypes for a number of video game companies.

Ryan Laley is a notable figure in the game development community, known for his expertise in using Unreal Engine, a popular game development platform. He has gained recognition for his comprehensive tutorials and educational content, which he shares on various platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. Through his detailed and accessible tutorials, he has helped many aspiring game developers learn the intricacies of Unreal Engine, covering topics from basic concepts to advanced techniques. His approach is characterized by his clear and concise explanations, making complex topics more understandable for beginners and experienced developers alike. His contributions to the community extend beyond tutorials; he often engages with his audience through live streams, Q&A sessions, and community forums, providing personalized guidance and support. In addition to his educational content, he is actively involved in the game development industry, working on his own projects and collaborating with others. His hands-on experience and continuous engagement with the latest developments in Unreal Engine technology keep his content relevant and up-to-date. Overall, Ryan Laley is a respected and influential educator in the game development field, dedicated to empowering others through knowledge sharing and community engagement.

Tim is in his fourth decade of designing and producing video games. He has a number of top-selling and award-winning titles to his name.

Tom Oliver is Course Director for CGSI Game Design, with 13 years across game development and credits including Stuntfall. He shapes the program around the prototyping, iteration, and shipping discipline that turns design ideas into playable products.

Troy is an award-winning game designer and executive with over 25 yrs of game development experience at major companies like Microsoft, Ubisoft, Insomniac, EA, Disney, and Samsung.

Addison DeBolt has spent 14 years working on AAA shooters and real-time pipelines at EA, Sledgehammer, Infinity Ward, Activision, Niantic, and Fox VFX. Her credits run from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Ghosts, and Infinite Warfare to Dead Space, Avowed, and Assassin's Creed Nexus. She mentors CGSI Real-time 3D students with the production rigour that comes from shipping at scale.

Akintayo Adewole has spent eight years working in virtual production and real-time 3D at Epic Games, Verrex, OVFX Studio, and DRKR Pixels, with shorts and commercials across his portfolio. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students through the Unreal-driven workflows now powering film, episodic, and live broadcast.

Carl has worked in the industry professionally for over 17 years. He started his career at Gearbox Software and is currently a World Building Director at Gearbox Software.

Cesar Maestre has spent 11 years working in real-time 3D and virtual production at Epic Games, the studio behind Unreal Engine. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students from inside the toolchain that drives modern film, broadcast, and game production.

David Gruwier brings 14 years of VFX experience from Ghost VFX, the Copenhagen studio with credits across major streaming and theatrical productions. He mentors CGSI students on the production-grade workflows behind modern post pipelines.

Erica Penk is a Gold Unreal Authorized Instructor who has been working in real-time 3D since 2015. She founded Ericana Productions and previously held the Technical Manager role at Trick 3D, where she contributed to Zayden's Wish, the first virtual reality experience produced by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She mentors CGSI Real-time 3D students alongside her work with the Unreal Fellowships, specialising in previsualisation, technical animation, and Blueprints.

Ivan Leon has spent 14 years working in real-time 3D across Ubisoft, Epic Games, Star Atlas, and Next/Now. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students with a perspective shaped by both AAA games and the new wave of Unreal-driven cinematic and interactive work.

Jon currently works as a Lead Character Technical Artist at Striking Distance Studios where he loves solving problems and helping teams in as many ways as he can.

Karim Yasser has spent 10 years building real-time worlds and FX, with credits including Gears of War: E-Day, Dune Awakening, Off The Grid, and Echoes of the End at studios such as People Can Fly, Gunzilla Games, and Myrkur Games. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students through the Unreal-driven workflows now powering games and live virtual sets.

Lightfoot Buckeyne brings 11 years of real-time 3D experience from Cubic Corporation and Endava Games, with credits on Immortals of Aveum, Payday 3, and Alien. He mentors CGSI Real-Time 3D students on the engine workflows and shipping discipline behind modern Unreal-driven projects.

Lucas Esposito brings six years of real-time 3D and virtual production experience from Zakazane Studio, with credits including Gwent: The Witcher Card Game. He mentors CGSI Virtual Production students from inside the Unreal-driven workflows now defining the field.

Michael Parker mentors CGSI students across the foundational craft and production discipline that underpins every specialisation.

Nicholas Taylor mentors CGSI students through the production-grade habits and craft that shape industry-ready portfolios.

Nida Arshia has spent 11 years across real-time 3D and visual effects at MediaMonks and Epic Games, with credits including Detective Pikachu, Cats, Dolittle, Dark Phoenix, and Predator. She mentors CGSI Real-Time 3D students on the visual storytelling that translates film thinking into Unreal-driven production.

Paul is an Unreal Engine Specialist and CTO of UMEWE COLLECTIVE, working in game development, VR, and Virtual Production. He’s consulted for top companies, including Bentley and Netflix, and mentors creatives globally.

Simon has been working in the game industry since 2005, and was credited as the only technical cinematic animator for Batman: Arkham City at Rocksteady Studios.

Victoria Lyons has spent eight years working in real-time 3D, with credits across Splash Damage's Project Astrid, Star Wars: Kenobi, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Rebel Moon, and Palia. She mentors CGSI Real-Time 3D students on the Unreal-driven workflows now bridging film and game production.

Yuri is a 3D Animator and Rigger who has worked across film, TV, commercials, video games, and mixed reality AR-VR, for clients such as Jim Henson, Stan Lee, Gatorade, and the 2018 World Cup.