Film and Multiplatform Storytelling

Ebyan has spent over 15 years honing her craft by working in a diverse set of positions within the entertainment industry. In that time, she worked in TV and film development producing documentaries and, most recently, developing digital marketing and communications campaigns. It is her belief that everything, and everyone, has a story, and she is passionate about finding that story. A dynamic and empathic producer, Ebyan thrives in balancing the logistical and narrative elements in the completion of a project.

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.

Highly experienced teacher and instructor in the fields of media, film, communications technology and instructional design.

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.