Curriculum Vitae
Dr. Eva Ziemsen
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Film, Television and Media Production, Creative Practice Research, Ideation and Screenwriting, Virtual Learning Environments and Applications for Creatives, Multi-Platform Storytelling, Online/Hybrid/ Face-to-Face Curriculum Development, A/r/tography in Arts-Based Research Methods, Media Entrepreneurship, VR/AR Media Production, and Cross-Disciplinary Opportunities of Gaming and Film and Television.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies – University of British Columbia, 2012- 2017
Dissertation: Developing a Learning Model for Teaching Film Production Online
Supervisors: Dr. Tom Sork, Dr. Carl Leggo and Dr. Sandrine Han
M.A. in Feature Film – Goldsmiths College, University of London, England, 2003-2004
Graduated with distinction.
Thesis: Wrote and developed a feature film screenplay and full pitch package.
B.FA. in Film & Video – York University, 1999-2003
Honours: Cum Laude Specialized in Film Production and Screenwriting
ACADEMIC WORK EXPERIENCE
Professor Aug. 2008-current
Program Co-Coordinator 2008-2017
Film & Television Production, Faculty of Media and Creative Arts
Humber College, Toronto, ON
- Coordinated program for nine years, with full and part-time faculty, 300+ enrolled students, and administration.
- Courses taught: Scriptwriting (first and second year), Feature Film Development (third year) and Independent Production Coordination (thesis projects), Media Business and Internship.
- Organized internships, scheduled timetables, liaised with industry regarding advisory committees, work-placement, guest speakers, helped approve purchases of equipment.
- Promoted the program to potential students by way of conducting tours, marketing initiatives, distributing student work, and through community outreach initiatives.
- Created course in Feature Film, which entails the development of 20+ feature films, of which one was produced in-house with a graduate crew, ACTRA actors.
Bachelor of Film & Media, Faculty of Media and Creative Arts
Humber College, Toronto, ON Sept. 2018-current
- Developed and taught a course on Canadian Film & Media
- Brought in Patricia Rozema as key guest speaker, arranged filming of the talk by marketing.
- Secured guest speaker from the Aboriginal Resource Centre to speak about the responsibility of storytellers and media makers in creating inclusive narratives.
Development Project Lead Sept. 2014-Aug. 2015
Multi-Platform Storytelling Program, Humber College
- Led the development of the Multi-Platform Storytelling for Creative Producers and Screenwriters program by securing advisory board members from the relevant industries, an instructional designer, content experts, liaising with internal development, administration, a computer programmer/designer and the Centre for Teaching and Learning.
- Helped prepare applications for the Ministry of Education and ensured delivery of all materials to the successor lead, the program coordinator, who continued further development and marketing.
- Co-Authored the course, Story and Screenplay, which is based on the face-to-face screenwriting course that I have taught as listed above, however, delivered entirely online.
Instructor, Department of Information and Media, Bhutan May-June 2011
Workshop Intensive: Introduction to Screenwriting
- Traveled to Bhutan to teach a foundational workshop on scriptwriting to students working in media, through a government initiative to improve the quality of Bhutanese cinema.
Fanshawe College, London, ON
- Created curriculum for and taught 11 courses, including Directing, Production 1 & 2, Writing for Media, Business of Media, Production Management and Marketing & Distribution, which entailed varied practical exercises and supervision of the students’ final Documentary and Narrative Short Productions, from initial development to the final distribution/exhibition phases.
- Organized industry field trips to local film organizations, recruited guest speakers and created unique learning initiatives such as the 24-hour film challenge and Fanshawe Film Festival.
Instructor, Women In Film & Television 2000 – 2004
Business Management for Media Professionals Program
- Taught workshops to mid-career level professionals in the media industries. Workshop topics include Film & Television Financing and Emerging Technologies.
Faculty Mentor to Student Documentary in Rwanda May 2007 – Sept. 2007
Fanshawe College/Canadian International Development Agency
- Supported and guided group of students from the application process for the “Millennium Challenges Project,” to 10 days of interviewing and filming in Rwanda, through to supervising completion of two documentaries and trailers, which will be aired on Global TV.
- Conceptualized, shot and currently editing a separate documentary, A Little Global Citizenship Goes a Long Way, which captured the learning process of the entire experience.
Professor and Career Counselor Oct. 2004 – Aug. 2006
Toronto Film College, Toronto, ON
- Instructed several semester courses: Studio 1 encompassed the production of students’ final video projects, including practical and theoretical instruction of screenwriting, directing, cinematography, lighting, production management and editing. Promotions was an ‘in the field’ practical course that applied theory by working with distribution companies, Mongrel Media and filmswelike, to implement grassroots marketing for two Toronto feature releases.
- Counseled all of college’s students in career centre, provided resources and employment initiatives, internship placements and guidance regarding opportunities in the film industry
Instructor, Digital Video 1, Interactive Multi-Media Jan. 2005 - April 2005
Humber College, Toronto, ON
- Instructed four sections, over a hundred students total, on the subject of video production and post-production, using the non-linear editing software program, Final Cut Pro
- Course topics also included the production process, lighting, sound, video camera theory, scriptwriting, practical editing, proposal writing and overall film/video theory
Guest Lecturer 2004 – 2006
York University, Toronto, ON
- Lecture on the Danish Dogme95 film manifesto and its impact on low-budget, digital and independent filmmaking
How to Get Into the Film Industry in Toronto
- Created workshop format, produced and wrote handbook and instruct all sessions
- Extensive coverage of subjects ranging from networking, career planning and employment in film and TV and many essential aspects of independent filmmaking
- Recruited guest speakers including Oscar-nominated actor, Robert Forster (Jackie Brown)
Romeo & Juliette16 (Drama, Live Action/Machinima Hybrid, HD, 2017)
Screening: Vox Popular Media Arts Festival
Distributed Internationally by: Canadian Filmmaker’s Distribution Centre (CFMDC)
The ‘Making of’ a Machinima Film (Feature Research Documentary, HD, 2017)
Yahrzeit (Experimental Documentary, HD + Hi8, 2013)
Screenings: WIFT Film Showcase, Female Eye Film Festival, Online San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
A Little Global Citizenship Goes a Long Way (Documentary, HDV, 2009)
A Conversation with Lars von Trier (Documentary, MiniDV, 2005)
Screenings: Festival du Nouveau Cinema de Montreal, Aarhus Festival of Arts (Denmark), Cabbagetown Film Festival, ImpaKT (Netherlands), Female Eye Film Festival, Stiffed Film Festival, Lars Von Trier Retrospective, (Germany)
Awards: Grand Jury Award, Stiffed
Distributed by: Seville Pictures (Cdn), VTape Distribution (Intl.)
Mama & Papa (Drama, 16mm, 2001)
Screenings: Toronto Shorts Festival, Amori In Corto (Italy), Montreal Jewish Film Festival
Awards: Best Film, Best Drama, Best Director
Broadcast: CBC television
Distributed Internationally by: CFMDC
Child of Chernobyl (Documentary/Animation, Super 8mm, 2001)
Screenings: Best of Planet in Focus Festival, Vancouver International Documentary Film Festival, Earth Issues Festival, Eco Fest
Distributed Internationally by: Canadian Filmmaker’s Distribution Centre (CFMDC)
One on One with Robert Forster (Documentary, MiniDV, 2003)
The Empress Wears No Clothes (Social Portrait Documentary, MiniDV, 2002)
Fortune (Drama, MiniDV, 2001)
Air Cadet (Documentary, Super 8mm, 1999)
Sara’s Peace (Drama, Feature Film, in development)
Cuba Libre (Romantic Comedy, Feature Film, in development)
FILM & TELEVISION INDUSTRY WORK EXPERIENCE
President, Director, Producer, Writer 1999-2017
Cineva Films Inc., Toronto
- Manage company and its productions from initial development to final exhibition
- Generate story ideas, write, produce, direct and promote high caliber productions
- Perform vast duties, from financing, proposal writing, to editing and camera operation
- Budgeted $4 million feature film budget using Movie Magic Budgeting software
- Produced and hosted podcast as part of Film/Survival educational arm of Cineva Films.
Camera Operator 2006-2013
Romeo & Juliette16 (Tokyo portion), Sara’s Peace, Yahrzeit, music videos (and more)
- Filmed journey on Transsiberian Railway/ Mongolia for hybrid components of Sara’s Peace
- Expertise in shooting documentary, after filming hundreds of hours of footage around the world for various documentaries. As a doc filmmaker, I often shoot my own work.
Marketing Assistant 2004
National Film Board of Canada
- Helped create targeted marketing campaign for documentary film, House Calls, to attract niche-audiences in Canada.
Freelance Story Editor 2002 – ongoing
Various clients
- Extensive story editing experience of film, TV and theatre scripts as well as writing in depth coverage for professional and student writers, using a wide range of script analysis
CAUS: The Canadian Australian Film Festival, Adelaide, Australia
- Created festival mandate, format, business plan and schedule
- Programmed vast film entries from Canada and Australia
- Managed screening panel, submissions, administration and publicity
Feature Film: Biz Buzz, Canadian Film Centre (3 film projects), Toronto
- Managed production office throughout seven weeks of production
- Scheduled shoot using Movie Magic Scheduling and maintained database using Excel
- Organized cast and crew on set. Recruited and trained new employees
Casting Director 1999
Short Film: Avigale’s Room, Feature Film: Biz Buzz, Toronto, ON
- Publicized auditions through various media and liaised with talent agents and actors.
- Wrote character breakdowns for and cast over 20 roles in 2 weeks on a ‘no budget’ film
Production Coordinator 1999-2000
Music Videos and Commercials - Postman Productions, Toronto, ON
- Coordinated pre-production aspects and assisted producer with various duties, such as scheduling, ordering production resources and planning transport.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the-naked-and-the-dane/article18216098/
file:///Users/ziemsen/Downloads/evaspeace_liftfilmprint.pdf
file:///Users/ziemsen/Downloads/themcgilldaily.pdf
file:///Users/ziemsen/Downloads/ekstra_bladet_lars%20(1).pdf
file:///Users/ziemsen/Downloads/week-end-cinema_2005%20(2).pdf
LANGUAGES, COMPUTER AND RELATED SKILLS
- Fluent in English, French, German and can communicate in Spanish
- Computer Skills: Movie Magic Screenwriter/Scheduling/Budgeting and Final Draft, MS Office, Adobe Photoshop, machinima-making, advanced Internet research and electronic communications, social media
- Own several cameras and have extensive cinematography experience
- Wide-ranging knowledge of international film festivals, marketing of short and feature films and festival circuit planning
- Broad database of top Canadian and international film, television and media professionals for the purpose of guest speaking and mentoring
MEMBERSHIPS / AFFILIATIONS
- Former Vice Chair of Board of Directors, Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto, LIFT, (with the emphasized responsibility of bridging film students and the professional filmmaking community). Chair of Marketing/ outreach and education committee
- Women in Film and Television - Toronto, WIFT
- The Film Reference Library, Toronto International Film Festival Group
