Jennifer Duke Holmes
Education
York University, Disaster and Emergency Management, (Specialized Honours) 2013
Documentary Film Institute (DFI), Seneca College 2009
Trebas Institute, Music Production and Audio Engineering 2000
Email Address
Specialization
Multimedia Innovation and Technology • Digital Communication • Strategy and Platform Development
Biography
Always having loved music and being a musician herself, Jen thought that naturally this would be her course in life. Enrolling at Trebas Institute to study Music Production and Engineering would teach her how to make and produce her own music along with that of other bands. However, her path would lead her into the world of film where Jen started as a live sound recordist and then as a sound editor. She would even produce a feature documentary for the Red Cross. Eventually, the need to explore her interests further led Jen to obtain her first undergrad degree in Disaster and Emergency Management, where she continued to create films and using media in her projects. She became well known in the Emergency Management field as a multimedia specialist, developing a niche and often being advised to continue developing her business ideas. In 2012, Jen developed a film program at the Native Women’s Resource Centre, in honour of her late friend Ellen Monague, that would teach Native women the fundamentals of filmmaking so they may learn to tell there own stories through documentary story-telling. From the program, Seven Sisters Film Collective was born, having made 5 films since it’s inception two years ago. In 2013, Jen developed Hybrid Intuition Media; a company that develops media campaigns related to emergency prevention and education initiatives using film, podcast, live-stream and graphic design for entities such as the Canadian Red Cross, International Association of Emergency Managers and TD Bank.
Why Digital Media?
I feel this may be the last piece of the puzzle for me. There is such a benefit from coming from a completely different background and then entering the world of digital media. That’s what makes the DMZ and MDM so great; everyone see’s things from different perspectives, which shape and guide our ideas and understandings. Being able to do more with digital technology and understanding the context of it in my life will enable me to participate in greater changes for various communities.
Research
Major Research Project: "DEMHUB"
Creation of a social-professional networking platform for the disaster and emergency management (DEM) industry. The intent is to create a “hub” where the global DEM community can learn, network, and problem-solve through knowledge exchange, member interaction, and problem/solution facilitation within the DEMHUB application.