RICHARD BURMAN - director, cameraman, editor
Richard originally started his working life as an electronic technologist. He decided to add a university degree to his college diploma by taking evening courses in Fine Arts. Eventually, he realized he preferred to work in video production and traded his soldering gun for a camera.
But his technical education has not gone to waste. More than a BOX with Windows is his second documentary on green construction. He enjoys figuring out how things work. He would love to do another documentary in this subject area.
When Richard is not doing video, he is often in his workshop trying to build or fix something. So as a consummate DIYer, it is not surprising that his next project is all about the work we do with our hands, the shortage of people entering skilled trades and bringing industrial arts back into the schools. If these topics resonate with you, check out workinghandsproject.com.
If you want to know more about the services that Richard has to offer go to rjburman.com.
Jon Eakes - narrator, interviewer
Canada's original home improvement expert has been on national TV since CTV's Mr. Chips in 1978 (before Bob Villa and cable TV), Renovation Zone in the 80's and Just Ask Jon Eakes on HGTV Canada and the Learning Channel and DIY Network in the US. Originally from California, he become a cabinet maker and renovator in Montreal, and the accidental migration to TV led him to became an expert on cold climate construction as he helped to develop the R-2000 housing program, even training contractors in Québec in French for the APCHQ. For over 20 years he has hosted the highly successful home improvement hotline radio show on CJAD (AM800) in Montreal - 9am every Saturday morning. He has been a technical and marketing consultant for many manufacturers. He has sat for over 20 years on the technical research committee of the Canadian Home Builder's Association and is a member of the editorial board of the Canadian Apprenticeship Journal.
Although versant in many, Eakes claims only the trade of teaching. He has developed a unique communications position somewhere in-between the construction research bodies such as the National Research Council and the CMHC, the manufacturers, the trade associations and the public. He is the one "media personality" who is invited in to talk about crises problems because of his constant search for useful information, not sensationalists headlines or video clips.
Author of 320 TV shows, 11 videos, 6 books (including J'Isole Mieux, Les editions de l'Homme, Just Ask Jon Eakes, Reader's Digest and Fine Tuning Your Radial Arm Saw, Lee Valley Tools) and 3 DVD's. His web site www.JonEakes.com contains over 3,000 pages of home improvement advice and over 100 videos that he calls "the Learning Curve".