Dr. Eva Ziemsen
Virtual Production Professor & Program Coordinator
Dr. Eva Ziemsen is a Professor and Program Coordinator of the Virtual Production Graduate Certificate at Humber Polytechnic. She is a researcher, educator, and filmmaker with 20 years of experience. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, an MA in Feature Film Development. Eva teaches courses in Virtual Production and has been developing and implementing new innovative VP curriculum at Humber Polytechnic for several years. Eva is an early adopter of Virtual Production, AI and Metaverse technology and has made films in virtual worlds and has taught in the Metaverse. Eva co-led the research of two applied research projects related to the Metaverse in 2022/23, including SoTL, “
Harnessing Higher Education in the Metaverse" and the NSERC-funded Applied Research and Technology Partnership (ARTP) grant, “
Metaverse-Based Virtual Simulations for Virtual Production and Customer Engagement, Education and Training” with APG Media Group. Eva Ziemsen received the joint
President’s Research Excellence Award 2023 for these collaborative research projects. With a vision to democratize filmmaking and innovate in online curriculum delivery, Eva previously initiated a collaboration called,
“In-Engine Virtual Production - A Collaboration between GAME and FILM," for which the team won the
2022 League of Innovation of the Year Award. Eva Ziemsen is honoured to receive the
VPG 2026 Education Professional Award, as part of a seminal international VP event where she will present on “Virtual Production Strategy in Post Secondary Education.” Eva continues to connect curriculum to industry via partnerships and applied research in virtual production, simulation, the Metaverse, real-time filmmaking, and ethical AI-augmented media creation.
Mitsyann Sitcheron
Instructor / Film Producer & Mocap Expert
Mitsyann Sitcheron is a dedicated educator and industry professional, currently teaching in the Virtual Production Program at Humber Polytechnic. With a strong foundation in film and television she has built a robust career as a production manager, expertly overseeing both traditional film shoots and cutting-edge motion capture projects. Her unique combination of hands-on experience and academic insight enables Mitsyann to seamlessly guide students through the intersection of storytelling, technical workflows, and immersive media. In the classroom and on set alike, she champions creativity, collaboration, and the next generation of immersive entertainment.
Shaun Ansari
Unreal Engine Gold Authorized Instructor
An Authorized Unreal Engine Instructor Partner Gold with a distinguished track record in developing comprehensive educational programs and training ecosystems. As a Gold Instructor Partner with Epic Games, the focus has been on creating high-quality, industry-standard curriculum for game development and interactive media education.
Through RealityForge, significant contributions have been made to the Unreal Engine educational landscape, developing authorized training modules that bridge academic learning with cutting-edge game development technologies. The training programs have been designed to equip students and professionals with practical, industry-relevant skills in Unreal Engine development.
Currently serving as a Visiting Faculty Instructor at Humber Polytechnic and Unreal Engine Lead at MI Concept + Design Inc., there is a continued commitment to advancing game development education. The professional journey demonstrates a passion for transforming technical education through innovative curriculum design and hands-on instructional approaches.
James Rowan
Virtual Production Technologies Researcher / Educator
James works full time as a researcher at SIRT, where he focuses on emerging technologies and their place in the media and entertainment, especially Unreal Engine and its growing role across the film, creative, and live performance industries. A lifelong learner, he holds a BA in Information Technology, a BEd in Adult Education, a post-graduate certificate in Film Production, and a Master’s in Digital Media (MDM). Alongside his research practice, he is a leader in the teaching and training of ICVFX and virtual production, lecturing on VP and emerging technologies at Sheridan College, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Humber College. An Unreal Authorized Instructor, he is connected and committed to creating meaningful and insightful training experiences to support of the next generation of digital creators and industry professionals.
Dr. Carlos Vilchis
Unreal Engine Authorized Instructor
In 2014, I co-founded my first company, HCG Tech, the official and exclusive reseller of Vicon Motion Systems and Faceware in Spanish-speaking countries. In 2020, I co-founded Eugenia Digital Humans, a Metaverse company to offer services for AI-based avatars and scanning digital doubles. In 2021, we received an Epic Megagrant and joined Nvidia Inception. In 2022, I joined Industrial Light & Magic as senior mocap TD and moved to Vancouver to work in virtual production with the same team and technology used on The Mandalorian. I spent a year working with the most advanced methodologies and workflows in a 10-episodic TV show, Percy Jackson & The Olympians. After my contract with ILM, I have worked as a consultant worldwide to develop virtual production workflows and ICVFX stages. In 2024, I completed my PhD related to AI and digital humans facial animation using real-time with Unreal Engine. Some of my papers have been published in well-recognized scientific magazines. My last project is the Virtual Production Academy, the first Epic Games-Authorized Training Center focused on ICVFX in the Spanish speaking market.
Cory Avery
Instructor & Mentor – 3D Animation
Cory Avery is a 3D Artist, instructor and Program Coordinator for the 3D Animation program at Humber Polytechnic. With extensive industry experience in graphic design and 3D production, Cory has contributed to award-winning projects as a graphic designer, motion capture artist, and educator. His expertise includes 3D modeling, motion capture/tracking, compositing, and virtual reality.
He holds an Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design from George Brown College and completed his studies in 3D Animation at Humber Polytechnic. His freelance work includes collaborations with Ford, Wyeth, Gap Canada, and Fox Sports. In recent years, Cory has played a key role in shaping Humber’s curriculum in Virtual Production, with a focus on in-camera VFX techniques.
Cory has twice been part of teams recognized as Humber Polytechnic's Innovators of the Year—first for a VR training experience designed to help first responders prepare for mass casualty events, and more recently for a research project exploring Virtual Production and in-camera VFX.
As a mentor on Sapped, Cory supported the motion capture and character animation for the film’s digital character, helping students bring expressive movement and technical precision to their storytelling.
