WONDER PICTURES
Rich West, of West Production Services and sheri ratick stroud, of It’s Me – sheri!!,
pooled their many years of entertainment experience to form Wonder Pictures.
Their focus is on film shorts with humanistic themes that shine a light on relationships
and range from drama to comedy and all stops in between.
Rich West
CEO, President, Director, Editor
Multi-award winning Rich West, president and CEO of Wonder Pictures, began his career as a Florida radio DJ in the early 1960's before earning a Broadcasting degree at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communication. Professionally, Rich has been involved in media production including feature films, television and a variety of audio-visual program formats. He's been a producer, director and sound designer for local, regional and national productions of broadcast, corporate, government and industrial programs. For almost a decade, Rich served as president of Musifex, Inc. an audio post production facility in Arlington, Virginia. In 1989 he joined Henninger Video (Arlington, VA) as director of their newly formed audio division. Rich and his wife/partner Ellen formed West Production Services, Inc. in 1987. They co-produced the award-winning documentary "The Spirit of Punxsutawney: Groundhog Day" which has been broadcast nationally on The Discovery Channel and on PBS, "Chincoteague: Virginia's Island Treasure" and "Saltwater Cowboys: The Story of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company."
sheri ratick stroud
CFO, Producer, Actor
Multi-award winning sheri ratick stroud, vice president and CFO of Wonder Pictures, has over 40 years experience in the entertainment business. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in Theatre, she performed locally in the dinner theatre circuit and around the DC area. She spent four years in the administrative offices of the Paper Mill Playhouse and upon returning to Washington, D.C., she worked at the Kennedy Center. Leaving there, sheri attracted local notoriety on cable TV as a segment of the Shoppers Club of Virginia. Sheri was also part of a traveling children’s theatre troupe that appeared, among other venues, at the White House and the old Post Office building. More recently sheri has been directing plays, winning the Best Director and Best Production awards for her production of Agnes of God. She is also active with Women in Film and Video, DC. Sheri has also served as a judge for the DC Shorts Film Festival, the American University’s Media That Matters short script writing contests, and the DC Shorts script writing contest, and has been on selection panels for grants for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
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Need a little levity?
We at Wonder Pictures believe that laughter can sometimes be just what we need during these challenging days. In an effort to brighten spirits, we created THE PANDEMIC PLAYHOUSE, featuring the Isolation Players --
a series of brief comedy sketches about life under lockdown. Please click on the following link and enjoy.
We are in this together!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuPc3i8zRQi1-Zlc14f9OZQ/videos?disable_polymer=1
JULIE LEAVES THE NEST
2021
Julie knows exactly how her perfect wedding should feel. No one else in the wedding party has the same idea.
What could go wrong?
This film was done during the Pandemic under strict COVID guidelines. A BIG thank you to cast and crew.
HEROES' HONEYMOON
2020
In October 1938, Burt Kempner’s parents set off on a bus headed for Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. It was the same night that Orson Welles made his infamous War of the Worlds broadcast, throwing America into a panic. It’s hard enough to embark on a new marriage – but when the world is ending, too? HEROES’ HONEYMOON is a love story and a comic fable!
HEROES' HONEYMOON had its biggest challenge in finding a period bus. Thank you to The Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, PA for their assistance in filming this project.
SPANISH LESSON
2010
A short film that points out
the tragedy of cultural misunderstandings.
SPANISH LESSON was Wonder Pictures premier film!
See FESTIVALS and AWARDS page for additional information.
THE LAST PAPERBOY
2010
The final day on the job for The Last Paperboy.
This award-winning silent film touches on life moving into the technology age. It strikes a chord with all of
us whose lives have been changed by “progress”.
Though it is a silent film, it speaks volumes.
SUSPICIOUS DENSITIES
2012
"Suspicious Densities" explores what happens in the doctor's waiting room after getting "the call" for another mammogram.
Written by screenwriter Jane Barbara and based on an actual event, this film has resonated with women
around the world.
NEXT DAY'S NEWS
2015
An old SciFi tale with a new twist. Craig's new phone app gives him the ability to receive tomorrow's news today.
How will he use this new found gift?
DOWNLOADER
2020
Another SciFi project which shows us how life
might be in the not so distant future.
(use right and left arrows to scroll)
Festivals and Awards
Heroes' Honeymoon
Selected for screening at:
* Accolade Global International Film Festival
* 2020 Long Island International Film Expo
* 2020 WRPN.TV Short, Tight & Loose Global Film Festival
* 2020 Charlotte (NC) Film Festival
* 2020 Reading (PA) FilmFEST
* 2020 Your Story Matters Film Festival
* 2020 Land of Enchantment (NM) Festival
* 2020 Wheaton Film Festival
* 2020 Moondance International Film Festival
* 2020 Canada Shorts Film Festival
* 2021 Ocean City Film Festival
* 2021 Laugh or Die Comedy Fest
* 2021 Ohio River Short Film Festival
* 2021 NOVA Fest
* 2021 Qosm Film Festival
* 2021 Cinema Soup Film Festival
* 2021 Clean Shorts Film Festival
* 2021 Southern Oasis FF
* 2021 Over Forty Film Festival
* 2021 Chesapeake Film Festival
* 2021 Franklin International FF
* 2021 Sunnyside Shorts International
AWARDS
* Award of Recognition, Accolade
* Outstanding Excellence, WRPN TV
Global Film Festival
* BEST DIRECTION - Wheaton FF
* BEST SOUND - Wheaton FF
* Award of Merit - Canada Shorts
* BEST COMEDY - Ohio River FF
* Award - Laugh or Die Comedy Fest
* BEST COMEDY - Land of Enchantment (NM) Film Festival
* Award - Moondance International FF
* Best Sound Editing - Chesapeake FF
* GOLD Peer Award - Independent Shorts, TIVA
* SILVER Peer Award - Director, TIVA
* BRONZE Peer Award - Effects, TIVA
Rich West and sheri ratick stroud of WONDER PICTURES develop, create, direct, film, edit, and produce good stories well-told. They manage multiple complex technical roles and tell the story in a fascinating way. A fantastic job producing and directing every short film. On time. On budget. Award winning, And most importantly, from an actor's perspective, an absolute joy to be with.
T. Anthony Quinn,
actor/voice over artist
A Testimonial
