James Nguyen
Software Developer / Animator / Technical Artist
Tools & Technologies
Hey, I'm James!👋
I've always been curious about technology and art, and I love finding ways to bring the two together. Right now I'm spending most of my time getting better at interactive media, 3D animation, film, and game development.
I actually started out studying computer science, which gave me a solid technical foundation to build on. Somewhere along the way I fell in love with 3D animation, filmmaking, and games. They let me combine problem-solving with storytelling, which is honestly my favorite combination. Whether I'm animating a character, building something interactive, or just messing around with a new tool, I'm always down to create, experiment, and see where it takes me.
Projects
Check out some cool stuff...
I like building things that sit somewhere between creative and technical: web apps, animation tools, little scripts that make someone's day a bit easier. This grid keeps growing as I finish new stuff, so check back every once in a while.
Waxheart
OngoingWorking on cool stuff as a Technical Artist on Waxheart, a spooky adventure game.
BOE Sidewalk Rover
2025Autonomous sidewalk delivery rover built for the Bureau of Engineering capstone.
Cal Hacks 2023
2023AI ChatBot using JavaFX and OpenAI GPT 3.5 Turbo API.
2D Unity Cafe Game
2023Game development project using Unity and C#.
Animations
I'm learning 3D Animation!
Animation has inspired me for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching Pixar films, and Toy Story 2 is still my favorite to this day. What started as admiration for great storytelling has become the career I'm working toward. My goal is to contribute to a film or game as a 3D Character Animator, and I'm always looking for opportunities to learn, improve, and get one step closer.
Tech & Art
Supporting Artists
I like building tools that make an artist's day easier. Sometimes that's a pipeline script, sometimes it's a small utility that saves an animator from doing the same tedious task fifty times. Lately I've also been teaching myself character rigging.
Game Dev
My first Game Jam
Back in fall 2025, my friend and I set out to make something completely ridiculous for our campus game jam. It wasn't meant to be a serious project, just a chance to mess around, learn some new tools, and have fun making something together.
I'm hoping to do a lot more of these.
Contact Me
Let's Connect!
I genuinely enjoy meeting other developers and artists, trading ideas, and hearing about what people are working on. If you want to talk about a project, an opportunity, or just nerd out about animation and games, my inbox is always open.
nguyejames03@gmail.com"Study? Nah we gaming!" - Jabillson