About the production team

Carvin Eison is the director, director of photography and the editor of July ‘64. Eison is the Creative Director of ImageWordSound, an independent production company, the General Manager of Rochester Community Television and an Associate Professor at SUNY College at Brockport.

Eison has won national recognition for his work for ImageWordSound including a 25th anniversary Classic Gold Telly, gold and silver medals at the Houston International Film and Video Festival and honorable mention at the Columbus International Film and Video Festival.  His work has been screened at the Contemporary Museum of Art in Warsaw, Poland, the International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House, and numerous film festivals nationwide.  His work on July ’64 was recognized with two New York State Emmy nominations, a national Broadcast Educators Association Award of Excellence and a Telly.

Carvin Eison has nearly thirty years experience directing feature-length video, series television and commercials for a wide array of corporate and not-for-profit clients.  Since 1978, Eison has been the videographer for Garth Fagan Dance and has toured internationally with the company.  His work is included in the collection of the National Dance Archive and the Library of Congress.  Eison has extensive experience directing live concert video, including the Frontline Festival concert in Zimbabwe for UNICEF (in association with Harry Belafonte) and Chuck Mangione’s “Friends and Lovers” concert for PBS.

In addition, Eison worked for eight years as a videographer, coordinating producer and producer/director for WXXI–a PBS affiliate in Rochester, New York.  He is the winner of two National Black Programming Consortium awards for work produced in association with WXXI and was the recipient of Rochester’s “Communicator of the Year” award for film and video and a Red Ribbon from the American Film Festival.

Eison directed two seasons of Perfectly Clear, a weekly news and current affairs program with host Curt Smith.  Guests included major national figures: President George H.W. Bush, former Senator Bill Bradley, Governor George Pataki, U.S. Secretary for Transportation Norman Mineta and Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick.  He also directed “The Home Show,” a 12-part television series on affordable homeownership and home buying that was a national pilot project of the Fannie Mae Foundation.

He is presently a tenured member of the faculty of the State University of New York College at Brockport, where he teaches television production, broadcast theory and media ethics.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Eison lives in Rochester with his wife, Ghislaine Radegonde-Eison and son Theron Eison. He is also the father of three adult daughters, Najiyyah, Sumeila and Chinyere; and has six grandchildren. Eison is at work on a high-definition film of Garth Fagan’s masterwork, “Oatka Trail.”

Photo Credit: Marten Czamarske

Chris Christopher is the producer and writer of July ‘64. Christopher is the Managing Director of ImageWordSound, an independent production company; and the owner of Christopher Communications. She specializes in working with not-for-profits and candidates for political office.

Christopher has won national recognition for her work for ImageWordSound including a 25th anniversary Classic Gold Telly, gold and silver medals at the Houston International Film and Video Festival and honorable mention at the Columbus International Film and Video Festival.  Her work has been screened at the Contemporary Museum of Art in Warsaw, Poland, the International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House, and numerous film festivals nationwide.  Her work on July ’64 was recognized with a New York State Emmy nominations and a Telly.

For LIFESPAN, Christopher Communications created the Elder Abuse Prevention Project media campaign (“Shining Light On the Hidden Problem of Elder Abuse”) that resulted in a 300% increase in referrals. The campaign received a 1999 Public Relations Society of America PRISM honorable mention award. Additionally, the television commercial created for the campaign was selected by the New York State Office on Aging as the key component of the State's elder abuse campaign. She is also the recipient of a National School Public Relations Society Award of Excellence.

Prior to establishing Christopher Communications, Christopher spent five years as senior legislative aide and media coordinator for New York State Assembly member Susan John. She was responsible for legislative research and all communications. She authored publications for the Assembly Majority communication service on children in poverty and the stalking law, as well as the majority statement on initiative and referendum for Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin.

As Director of Public Relations for GEVA Theatre, Christopher was responsible for the Theatre’s local, regional and national publicity.

Christopher is a member of the Board of Directors of the Susan B. Anthony House. She is a frequent guest lecturer on political communications at area colleges and universities. Originally from Fairport, New York, Christopher now lives in Rochester with husband Rick Christopher and daughters Zoe Christopher and Kim Pohlig.

Eison and Christopher are the co-owners of ImageWordSound, an award-winning video and television production company. 

About WXXI’s role in July ‘64

WXXI partnered with Eison and Christopher to secure $75,000 from the “Local Independents Collaborating with Stations” initiative of the Independent Television Service. As the presenting station, WXXI oversaw the technical specifications, gave important editorial feedback and will orchestrate national distribution of the film. Learn more about WXXI.

Funding

July '64 is a production of ImageWordSound and WXXI-TV, produced in association with the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support from the New York State Assembly, sponsored by David Gantt, and the Housing Education Fund of Rochester Area Foundation.