MEET THE STAFF
Richard Owen Ransom
President
Executive Producer/Director
Richard Owen Ransom is an American businessman and entertainment professional; a filmmaker and an executive producer with Ransom Rich Productions Co., in Salt Lake City, Utah. Rich was born Richard Owen McDowell, in Columbia City, Indiana, to Patsy Ann McDowell, an artist, and Earl Leon McDowell, a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He changed his last name to Ransom when he married his longtime best friend, Dawn Renee Ransom, taking her last name.
Rich was raised in Indiana. He attended South Side High School in Fort Wayne for 3 years and graduated from Elmhurst High School. He attended Ashworth College for Paralegal Studies and Business Administration. Ransom, a Coast Guard veteran, served 3 years as a Rescue Swimmer/Diver/Aviation Survival Technician (AST). Upon discharge he took a ... READ MORE
Tad Atkinson
Consulting Producer
Kazina Maxine
Production/Office Assistant
Marc Terence R. Soterno
Production/Office Assistant
Management Trainee
Tad Atkinson made his acting debut at the age of 6, and hasn't stopped since! He initially studied under renowned Hollywood and Broadway director Joshua Logan (South Pacific, Mr. Roberts). He has performed the whole spectrum theatrically, from romantic leads to comic characters to villains. The material he's performed is equally broad, ranging from Shakespeare to premiering original works. By the time he moved to Hollywood to pursue a film career, this stage actor had amassed over 90 performance and technical credits.
He attended Taylor University as an English major, achieved a Masters degree and finished all of the coursework towards a PhD in British Literature at Ball State University. He has taught college and was the Director of Drama at Fort Wayne Christian School.
In 2004, he decided to pursue acting as a full-time career and made the move to L.A. He has studied in LA with Richard Waterhouse and Joel Colman.
Sheena Maxine Smith Pruiett is married to Raphael. Sheena dedicates her perseverance and determination to her late mother Virginia Maxine Williams Smith and her father Leon Smith Jr.
Sheena began acting at an early age. She is multi-talented and always found joy in acting, writing, singing in the church choir, dance, school plays, and drama classes. She danced as a "Cavs Kids" for the Oklahoma City Cavalry Continental Basketball Association (CBA) in the 90s. She learned how to play the violin in a strings class.
She is also an avid volunteer and philanthropist for Breast Cancer Awareness & Research, Mental Health Awareness, and Homelessness.
Sheena is also Oklahoma State University Alumni and studied her Master's degree at Southeastern Oklahoma State University at Tinker Air Force Base. Significance is what she hopes to give back and leadership by example is her hope and legacy for the future.
Marc is new to the entertainment industry. He is moving to Utah and will be working with us as a Production/Office Assistant before he starts Management and Production training. Soterno comes to us from M'Lang, North Cotabato, Philippines, where he was born and raised. He attended USeP-CDM Mintal Campus where he earned his Bachelors degree. Marc is very excited about coming to the states and using his business acumen to advance his position in our industry and experience all the new, fascinating things to discover here in Utah - and the United States!