When Professor Cecil Felton picked up a camera at eight years old, he knew that production would be his path. His passion for film and camera work sparked the connection for creativity, leadership, and his love for teaching. Today, Felton has a dual position of being the Media Center Director and instructor at St. John Fisher University, where he helps students tell stories through different lenses of media and perspective.
Professor Felton was a licensed producer by the age of 14, and the experience he has gained over the years all started from experimenting with cameras thanks to his sister’s job at Eastman Kodak. Felton received his master’s degree at St. John Fisher University in Organizational Learning/Human Resource Development to further develop his pathway in entrepreneurship. He started Rochester Community TV, a media center that provides local programming to the community of Rochester. He was the executive leader for a decade before joining the Fisher community.
At Fisher, Felton’s Classroom is all about interaction. Students learn to do more than just operate equipment, they work both individually and collectively to produce stories. Felton expresses that it is one thing to tell a story with words, but it is different with images. “I love teaching cinematography because it’s the heart of storytelling,” he says. “A shot is never just a shot. It’s a choice that helps tell the story.” Whether in his studio production or editing courses, Felton’s students walk away with more than just technical skills—they learn the art of visual communication.
His teaching style is to meet students where they are. “Some people need to touch things to learn, others need to hear an explanation. I adjust my teaching based on their needs,” Felton said. “It’s not just about knowing how to work the equipment—it’s about understanding how to use it to create something meaningful.”
For Professor Felton, the reward of being an educator is to see the growth in your students. To push them to succeed, “when a student comes back and tells me they landed a job because they were prepared, that’s everything,” he said.“It is about making a difference in their lives, not just the classroom and that’s how I want them to remember me.”
If production hadn’t worked out, Felton believed he would have stayed in a creative field, potentially taking the route of a dancer. He used to take dance classes with Garth Fagan at Garth Fagan Dance, and it was something he was serious about until he got accepted into Adelphi University. At Adelphi, Felton received a bachelor’s degree in communication with the concentration of film, radio, and television and a minor in studio photography. Art has always been a part of Felton’s life, and it is a form of creativity that has shaped the educator and creator he is today.
