Film & Video Faculty

Brandon Hadnot-Walker is a professional Graphic Designer and Motion Graphics Artist, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts & Game Development from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. His strong passion for digital media drives his growth as a creative individual, which has granted him an array of skills and knowledge within today’s industry-standard design and production software. He has created motion graphics and 2D assets for game developer Human Head Studios, served as a Motion Graphics Artist for GameZombie.TV, and completed several commercial projects as a Freelance Artist for clients across the nation within the past decade. He believes that passion is the fuel required to get to the destination of your dreams. His favorite quote for any aspiring creative is this: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar 

When Dave was 19, he moved from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA to work for Americorps and to see what LA could offer. One morning, his roommate woke him up. “Hey, a friend of mine is working on a film and they need production assistants,” he said. “If you can catch a bus and be there today by 9, you’ll have the job.” Needless to say, Dave caught the bus. After that movie wrapped, he moved on to a few more Hollywood projects, ultimately working as a story producer on a nationally-syndicated reality game show. Having found a career that he loved, he returned home to Pennsylvania to learn the basics of filmmaking at Temple University. While interning for a Philadelphia-based animator, Dave met a producer who got him started as a location sound mixer. He quickly realized that his love of music recording and acoustics could be translated into a career in sound for film. Since then, he has worked on a wide array of projects as a sound editor, camera operator, and director for clients such as Hulu, Nickelodeon, and Food Network. A natural innovator, he is always looking for ways to surpass expectations and challenge himself. His interests lie in directing documentaries and creating immersive binaural sound experiences. Dave would love to work on more science fiction pieces, and hopes to someday invent acoustical levitation.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY as an only child. Real Estate was the family business and occupied the majority of her adult working life. Donna studied Economics and African American studies at Pennsylvania State University. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Film in March 2016 and a masters degree in Entertainment Business in 2017 from Full Sail University . Donna was born a filmmaker. Although she was not able to follow her passion until later in life, this proved to be her advantage. A lover of art, music, film and fashion; she is a unique urban artist with a raw and edgy writing style. As an independent creative in several digital mediums her works are self-defining. 

Earl is F.I.R.S.T. Institute’s Director of Education and staff trainer. He’s an avid lover of all forms of digital media. Before devoting his time to training the institute’s staff, he dedicated his career time moonlighting as an audio engineer throughout Orlando, FL. He’s helped build audio and lighting systems for roller coasters and theme park attractions as well as spent a decade trying not to get covered in paint and Captain Crunch doing sound for Blue Man Group. In fact, Blue Man Group liked him so much they sent him to Miami and Las Vegas to help with appearances at the Miami Children’s Museum and the Latin Grammys. Earl has been part of the F.I.R.S.T. Institute team for over ten years. Here’s to ten more!

 Jamile Johnson is a passionate video professional from Sacramento, California. Jamile received his degree from Valencia College where he studied graphic design and motion graphics. He started his career at the University of Central Florida where he honed his chops as a producer creating promotional and educational motion graphic videos. He then moved on to work as a Creative Producer for ABC Network Television, creating hundreds of compelling commercials and video marketing ads for local and national businesses. Outside of the world of video marketing and production Jamile is known in the local Orlando art scene as a fine artist. Jamile creates paintings and drawings of realistic portraits using an expressive style. Jamile has has been showcased in many galleries across Orlando such as City Arts Factory Galleries and the Orlando Museum of Art. With almost 10 years of experience working as a creative producer he has gained the knowledge and skill to be respected among his peers as a leader and educator in the field. 

Michelle Hill has worked in the professional film, video, and digital media industries as a Project and Production Manager for over 20 years. During her tenure, she has managed film and television projects for clients such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Nickelodeon, as well as a plethora of commercial clients. While working within the industry, Hill developed a passion for education and the passing on of knowledge to the next generation. She has spent well over 10 years educating students in the areas of new business development and presentation as it pertains to the entertainment industry. Hill graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in film production with an emphasis in business.

Tim has been capturing moments since he discovered his first tape recorder when he was just 7 years old. Born into a family of artists, he jumped at any opportunity he could to tailor his craft by intentionally surrounding himself with the right people. Since learning the basics of video and audio production at an early age and refining himself through college, Tim eventually landed his first job in the industry as a Producer/Director for Time Warner Media. From conception to delivery and everything in between, his tenure at Time Warner landed him many other projects with the likes of NCAA Woman’s College Sports, Reality Check of New York State, and more. All the while, in his spare time, producing EDM music with releases on various labels around the globe. Tim’s journey has since taken him from the frigid climate of the Northeast to the wonderfully warm and welcoming climate of Orlando Florida. During his time here in Florida, he has been certified as a legal videographer as well as assist his local church build and maintain media departments with everything from live video to creative media content creation. Fun Facts about Tim: • Loves Transformers, so much that he has tattoos • Produces House music and has major releases on various record labels • Loves the beach, body boarding, and FPS games • A big fan of cultural foods • Born and raised in Syracuse, NY