Faculty & Staff

Barbara Overton (Film)

Barbara Cook Overton, MFA is the chief creative force driving BCO Media Productions and Overton Medical Media and a new lecturer at Humboldt State University. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Mass Communications from the University of Charleston and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television Studies from the University of New Orleans. Overton’s production resume includes The People’s Court, Real Sex for HBO, many award-winning narrative and documentary productions, training and corporate videos, music videos, television and web commercials, a brief stint as a news reporter, and post-production credits for ESPN and the Travel Channel. Perhaps of greater distinction are the six years she spent as a Professor of Film and Television at the University of Memphis. Her principle area of academic research dealt with health communication and documenting third world medical environments.
Overton is a skilled videographer and editor, as well as an award-winning producer and director. In her many years of film and television work, she’s been a grip, a gaffer, a production coordinator, a script supervisor, an assistant director, a location scout, an associate producer, and a production assistant. She’s also an actress, having appeared in several films, commercials, and theatre productions!

When she isn’t hard at work on a production project or grading term papers, she’s active in Arcata Rotary, chairing the World Service Committee and she’s a member of the Arcata Main Street Board of Directors. Overton is also a published food and wine reviewer!