Film and Multiplatform Storytelling

Gordon Burkell is an editor who played a pivotal role in the creation of the Canadian Cinema Editors and is currently part of the American Cinema Editors educational committee exploring new ways to teach editing to students.

Paul Cross is a podcaster, broadcaster, documentary maker and professor. His podcast catalogue includes Cross Talk, a series on media history, commentary and analysis with an emphasis on audio media and the importance of listening, and The Erasure of Race: The Killing of Howard Joel Munroe, a collaboration released beginning in May 2021. He has presented feature workshops on specialized aspects of podcasting at Podcamp Toronto in 2019 and 2020. 

Paul's achievements in radio news and documentaries have been recognized by the New York Festivals and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. His broadcast career includes newscasting on radio stations including CFRB Newstalk 1010, 1050 CHUM, CHUM FM and AM 640. National newscasts he wrote and anchored have been aired on CHUM group and Broadcast News/Canadian Press stations throughout Canada. His research is focused on local radio in times of local crisis.  

Paul's work with students includes news and sports reporting, interviewing, podcasting, documentaries, music program production and audio drama and transmedia storytelling.

Kristopher's interest in digital media has driven his personal and professional life. His academic background includes BS degrees in Radio-Television-Film and Communication Studies from The University of Texas at Austin and an MA in Media Studies from Western University. Kristopher has worked as a freelancer, at various start-ups, and in an agency on projects related to web/graphic design, branding, social media management, digital strategy, digital media production, and basically producing anything that could exist online. He currently teaches courses at Humber covering writing, audio design, creative thinking, and multiplatform storytelling. Outside of teaching, you can find him subsumed listening to music while tending to his pet fish (Zimmy) and two guinea pigs (Maple and Molasses).

Cody Pentzos (MFA) has worked alongside some of Canada’s foremost filmmaking talents, including Clement Virgo (HBO’s The Wire, OWN Network’s Greenleaf), Damon D’Oliveira (CBC’s The Book of Negroes), and former Writers Guild of Canada Showrunner of the Year Michael MacLennan.

Professor Pentzos has helped bring to life many big and small screen projects, including the television hit series Bitten, the Netflix reboot The Magic School Bus Rides Again, as well as the adaptation of Order of Canada member Lawrence Hill's acclaimed novel The Illegal. His story/script consulting services are sought after by both emerging and established creatives alike.

Professor Pentzos joined the department in 2019 and is a graduate of the Bachelor of Film & Media Production program. He earned his master of fine arts degree in film (screenwriting) from York University in 2017. Other institutions where he has lectured on cinema and storytelling for the screen include University of Toronto, George Brown College, and York University.

Steven Toepell is a sound designer/editor/mixer who has been working in sound for film and television for more than three decades and teaching at the post-secondary level for 10 years. He has contributed to TV series and movies as well as IMAX and documentary films for television broadcast, theatrical and direct-to-video release, and online streaming. Advertising and podcasts are also a part of his repertoire. His clientele range from major film and TV studios to independent filmmakers.

Steven has wide-ranging experience in dialogue, sound effects and music editing, ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) recording, Foley performing and recording, and mixing.

Field recording has been a large part of his professional experience. He has travelled extensively throughout North America, Europe and Asia recording sound effects for use in audio post-production for film and television and operates an online library.

He is a Gemini Award winner as well as a multiple nominee for the MPSE Golden Reel Awards in the United States.

Dr. Eva Ziemsen is a professor in all film programs at Humber College (also having served as co-coordinator of FMTV for 9 years) and is the virtual production lead in the Film, Acting and Media Production cluster. She earned her PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of British Columbia, and her dissertation focused on how to teach film production virtually. She holds a Master of Arts in Feature Film from Goldsmiths College at the University of London, England, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Video Production and Screenwriting from York University, Toronto. 

Eva has written, directed and produced many short films that have been screened at festivals internationally and developed several feature films. Eva co-executive produced Humber’s feature film Reign, which premiered at the Female Eye Film Festival. Eva initiated a game about filmmaking based on her IP, Machinima Film Studio 1.0, between the film and Game Programming programs. Eva has also taught short workshops for Women in Film & TV in Toronto, the DGC, SIRT Centre and industry employment through her workshop Film/Survival, which is also a podcast.

Eva Ziemsen has a passion for international filmmaking, virtual production education and curriculum development.