Our Team – SIRT Centre

Meet Our Team

At SIRT, we take our partners’ research projects to the next level by providing access to advanced technology including leading edge equipment and studio facilities, a dedicated staff of industry experts, experienced faculty, and up-and-coming student researchers.

John Helliker

Dean of Innovation

John Helliker, founder and initial director of SIRT, led the centre for almost 10 years before becoming Dean of Innovation, collaborating with the Directors of all five of Sheridan’s research and entrepreneurship centres. John joined Sheridan in 2005 to teach Directing after nearly 25 years in film and television. A member of the Directors Guild of Canada, he was drawn to Sheridan by his interest in using motion-captured animation within game engines to previsualize live-action production. In 2012, John received Ontario’s prestigious ORION Leadership Award for Higher Education. In 2014, he was awarded the Association of Canadian Community Colleges National Leadership Excellence Award for his innovative work at SIRT. His current creative and research focus includes the role of digital media in Indigenous language maintenance and revitalization.

David Oppenheim

Director

David Oppenheim is an Oscar-nominated, Peabody Award nominee and multiple Webby award winning Creative Producer and Researcher. His productions have also won multiple Canadian Screen Awards, a Peabody-Facebook Futures of Media Award, and have premiered at major festivals including Venice, Tribeca, Sundance and TIFF. David is currently the Director of the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT) at Sheridan College in Toronto, an applied research lab working with emerging technologies and screen-based industries such as film, television, interactive media, gaming and performing arts. Before joining SIRT he was a Producer / Creative Producer of films and interactive experiences, most recently at the National Film Board of Canada where his credits included Draw Me Close, Agence, The Book of Distance, Otherly, The Space We Hold and To Kill a Tiger. David is a past resident at the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab.

Bronwyn MacDowell

Manager, SIRT Projects

Bronwyn MacDowell is SIRT’s project management expert. As the Project Manager at SIRT, she leads and participates in full cycle applied research processes and ensures accountability for the efficient and compliant management of records and information assets. She graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies and completed a Post Graduate Degree in Project Management at Sheridan College. With over seven years of project management experience, Bronwyn provides coaching and mentorship to project leads and team members to ensure successful project deliverables meet deadline requirements. In addition, she works closely with the Director to develop new research project opportunities that place SIRT at the forefront of Canadian Research Centres.

Kirstin Bourne

Project and Office Coordinator

Kirstin Bourne is the Project and Office Coordinator at SIRT. As part of the operations team, Kirstin provides support to multiple departments, including Finance, Marketing and Project Management. In addition, Kirstin is responsible for the on-boarding of Sheridan students who complete co-op placements at SIRT. Kirstin obtained a Bachelor’s of Science and a Master’s of Science degree from the University of Toronto and has several years of experience working in operational roles for environmental organizations and academic institutions.

Valentina Bachkarova

CGI Specialist

Val Bachkarova is the CG Specialist at SIRT. Her extensive knowledge of asset design and production is essential for ensuring high-quality research results at SIRT. Val’s interest in design began at a young age and led her to become a multi-faceted artist focused on design, creation, texturing, and asset optimization for various platforms. She applies her advanced knowledge of Unity and Unreal engines, as well as a range of 3D modeling and animation tools, both in-house and on external projects.
Val’s academic background includes an Advanced Diploma in 3D Animation Art and Design from Humber College, with a focus on 3D design, along with over three years of postsecondary teaching experience.

Spencer Idenouye

Virtual Production Lead

Spencer Idenouye is the Virtual Production Lead at SIRT. As part of a collaborative team, Spencer is creating an integrated virtual production studio for training, applied research and commercial services. He provides leadership and expertise in applied research and technical research for the movie, television and gaming industries, and is focused on the application of VR technologies. Spencer’s education is extensive: A Masters in 3D animation, BFA in Media Arts & Digital Technologies and two post-graduate diplomas in Directing and Editing in Advanced Television and Film and Computer Animation Digital Visual Effects. His expertise includes directing, editing, VFX artistry, cinematography, digital content production and motion capture.

James Rowan

Film Production Specialist

As a film production specialist and a member of the virtual production team at SIRT, James focuses much of his research work on Unreal Engine and its applications in 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 Master’s in Digital Media (MDM). After nearly a decade of managing the technical portfolio of Sheridan’s post-graduate film program, he moved and settled into a research role at SIRT, where he hopes to leverage his training, experience and status as an Unreal Authorized Instructor to create meaningful and insightful teaching and training engagements for students and professionals.

Kevin Santos

Film Production Specialist

Kevin Santos is the Film Production Specialist at SIRT and his exceptional filming talents make him a key asset to the SIRT team. His specialities include recording, capturing, and editing behind-the-scenes video and photo content of our various research projects at SIRT’s Stage 10 studio in both traditional and 360 video formats. Through his production skills and creative edge for video recording, Kevin captures high quality, anecdotal content that reflects SIRT Centre’s innovative research and development capabilities. Kevin graduated from Sheridan College with a Bachelor of Film and Television Degree, focusing on cinematography and visual effects.

Emerson Chan

Film Post-Production Specialist

Emerson Chan is the Film Post-Production Specialist at SIRT. Emerson has a keen eye for storytelling and uses this to create engaging video content that highlights SIRT Centre’s work with industry partners on innovation and training projects. He is highly proficient with multiple NLE’s including Adobe Premiere, Avid Media Composer and DaVinci Resolve. Emerson has a meticulous work ethic with a love for collaboration, making him a vital asset to SIRT. Emerson graduated from Sheridan College with a Bachelor of Film and Television Degree, focusing on editing and motion graphics.

Mike Darmitz

Software Engineering Lead

Mike takes lead on projects that involve substantial programming, software architecture, or software integration efforts. Mike has an extensive background in virtual reality and augmented reality; he previously served as the Head of Software for Sulon Technologies, a company that created one of the world’s first standalone augmented reality headsets. Years of working as a software engineer in the games industry have also provided him with experience in a diverse range of programming languages and platforms, and have allowed him to express his great passion for delivering compelling experiences to others.

Mohammad Moussa

Software Engineering Researcher

Mohammad Moussa is a Software Engineering Researcher at SIRT. He possesses a strong background in software development and applied research using a variety of game engines and programming languages. Mohammad has worked on impactful projects that blend innovation and immersion. His notable work includes creating dynamic biometric data visualizations in VR, as well as using large language models to develop conversational agents for educational and professional environments. He is also focused on exploring diverse applications of AI models across various domains. Mohammad graduated from Sheridan College with a degree in Computer Science, specializing in Mobile Computing.

Vlad Bronowicki

Software Engineering Researcher

As a Software Engineering Specialist, Vlad Bronowicki specializes in game unity engine projects. He graduated from Humber College with Game Programming Diploma as well as a Software Development Network Engineering Diploma from Sheridan College. Vlad is a vital asset in providing guidance and assistance to SIRT’s Co-op students throughout their work term.

Khalil Shazam

Software Developer

Khalil Shazam is a graduate of the Sheridan College Software Development Network Engineering program.
He has experience in areas including web development, game development, and 3D design.
In addition, he has worked on multiple VR projects in both Unity and Unreal game engines.

Jim DeLuca

Technologist

Jim technologizes the technology.