Wade J Ramponi

My passion for cinematography started early - I remember coming home from a busy day in second grade and getting out my box of Legos, where I built a makeshift camera and tripod. It was multi-colored, but it was a start. Next, I imagined broadcasting current events to the bowling alley across the street, and I dutifully "broadcasted" each day. I honestly thought they could see and hear me!

As I got older, I started DJ'ing for weddings at the age of 15 - I called my service "McDisc, Inc." By my 30's, I was doing wedding videos - Something that I still enjoy to this day.

I love to tell a story, which drew me to writing and producing documentaries. So I worked on a full-length documentary about the Missouri State Penitentiary, one of the most violent prisons in the American prison system. It housed high-profile inmates like Pretty Boy Floyd, Sonny Liston, James Earl Ray, Firebug Johnson, and more. It was built in 1836 with inmate labor and had a fantastic story!

While filming has always been close to my heart, I have made a living working in the information technology security field for some of the world's largest companies. To name a few, I have worked at Cessna Aircraft, MasterCard International, IBM, Monsanto, Enterprise Holdings (Rent-a-Car), and Bayer. While an expert in my field, I possess a bachelor's degree in cinematography, a master's of fine arts in creative writing, and a certificate in media and communications.

The bottom line is that I love to write comedy, documentaries, and children's cartoons. For example, I have written several episodes of "Rudy the Ruddy Duck," which tells the story of an addle-minded duck and his wife, Rosie, who try to make it south for the winter. Rudy's lack of focus causes consistent challenges that require problem-solving and acknowledgment of life lessons to make their journey successful. In addition, I have written documentaries on some of the world's most exciting but forgotten staples of American history, such as the Missouri State Penitentiary, tuberculosis hospitals, and cornerstones of Superfund projects that helped win WWII.