About the Instructors

RON RUDAITIS
Producer/Director

A three-time Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker, six-time Emmy® nominee, and international film and video festival winner, Ron Rudaitis has directed and produced numerous national PBS documentaries. His documentary films, which have aired on over 300 television stations across the country, including Farming the Future: Farm Life on Long Island; Suburban America: Problems & Promise; A Bridge Between Silence and Sound; The Puerto Ricans: Our American Story; The Italian Americans PBS series; Alzheimer’s: Is There Hope? Ron has also contributed episodes for the New York The Way It Was series and on the ESPN Classic’s Sports Century series. A storyteller at heart, he brings passion and professionalism to every subject he explores: culture, history, health, science, sports, the environment, entertainment, and lifestyle.

CAMILLA TONIOLO
Film Editor

Camilla Toniolo has been working as a film editor for over three decades and has also taught at Columbia University School of the Arts and NYU Film School. Toniolo has worked with a number of directors including: Jonathan Demme as co-editor on Something Wild; Tom DiCillo on Living in Oblivion, Box of Moonlight, The Real Blonde, and Double Whammy; Stacy Cochran on My New Gun and Boys; Warren Leight on The Night We Never Met; Douglas McGrath on Company Man, Infamous, His Way, and Becoming Mike Nichols; Michael Hoffman on Game Six; Stanley Tucci on Blind Date and Final Portrait. In addition to her work in feature films, Camilla has worked on high profile television projects including In Treatment, a series with Gabriel Byrne; Mildred Pierce, directed by Todd Haynes; The Red Road for the Sundance channel; and two seasons of the TV series Smash.

ELENA SANGABINO
Film Development and Acquisitions

With a renowned track record of success with pre-eminent entertainment industry leaders, Elena SanGabino combines a wealth of television and film content insight and expertise. Elena’s wide-ranging experience at key entertainment channels, such as HBO, Sundance Channel, Bravo, IFC, and BBC America, has produced an entertainment executive skilled in all aspects of content programming, development, production, and acquisitions. From co-producing high impact and award-winning television and film content to the commissioning of genre-busting innovative original programs, Elena’s affinity for both drama and documentaries has lead her to introduce hundreds of hours of robust program content.

ANTHONY PAMPINELLA
Animator/Motion Graphics

Anthony Pampinella instructs the animation classes and workshops at The Plaza. He studied at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, where he obtained a BFA in Animation and Visual Effects. Anthony is also assisting with post production, providing technical advice with editing software, and guiding new students in the process of video editing. As a teaching artist at Imagination Stage in Maryland, he instructs an animation summer camp. In addition to teaching, Anthony specializes in motion graphics. He has worked on animated projects for the YouTube series Ted-Ed and for Pittsburgh’s Toonseum museum.