TOM RANSON
DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR
XR PRODUCER
Tom is an award-winning documentary filmmaker excited by XR and the possibilities of immersive storytelling. His science and history films have imagined bold new futures and uncovered the mysteries of lost worlds. He sees huge opportunities to extend these narratives into the virtual world, to produce truly transformative experiences. Driven by an insatiable curiosity, a singular imagination, and two decades of dedication to the craft of filmmaking, Tom is keen to collaborate with creatives who share his vision for twenty first century storytelling.
Selected Credits
POMPEII - LIFE IN A ROMAN TOWN
Producer Director
History Hit for Channel Five
- Dan Snow and Kate Lister explore the spectacular remains of Pompeii to tell the story of working life in ancient Rome.
- First episode to TX in the four part series.
PRIME SUSPECT EARTH - SERIES 2
Series Producer Director
Bigger Bang for the Weather Channel
- Commissioned, storyboarded, and directed presenters within twenty Unreal Engine generated worlds.
- From planes crashing into Antarctic volcanoes to bombers lost over sandblasted WW2 airstrips we hunt for weather related clues within the Unreal Engine worlds to establish the cause of mysterious events.
- Defined the series look and oversaw all shoots.
ROYAL INSTITUTION CHRISTMAS LECTURES
with Dame Sue Black
Series Producer
Windfall Films for BBC Four
- Scripted and produced three, hour long lectures about forensic science,including over sixty as-live ‘factual theatre” demonstrations.
- Lecture 1: Dead Body - one of the highest rating factual shows on BBC 4 in 2022.
ARTEMIS 1: INSIDE NASA'S MOON ROCKET
Producer Director
Windfall Films for Discovery Channel
- Artemis will deliver the first woman and first person of colour to the Moon.
- Shot during Covid restrictions - liaised with NASA to maintain access to NASA's manufacturing facilities, NASA leaders and NASA Artemis II pilot Victor Glover.
- Fast-turnaround delivery after launch to Discovery Channel for the prime-time Sunday slot.
SUPERTELESCOPE: MISSION TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE
Edit Producer
Windfall Films for BBC and Discovery Science
- Quick turnaround reversion of a BBC Horizon rushes in time for the James Webb space telescope’s Christmas Day launch.
- Won a Gold Prize at the New York TV and Film Festival.
THE FUTURE WITH HANNAH FRY
Producer Director
Windfall Films for Bloomberg
- Emmy nominated series.
- Directed show exploring the future impact of nuclear fusion
- Helped establish the series style - a journalistic, data driven investigation of the technologies that will transform the 21st century.
DINOSAUR WITH STEPHEN FRY
Producer Director
Mentorn for Channel Five
- A blue-chip, family friendly, landmark series - Stephen Fry meets with virtual dinosaurs in the Unreal Engine.
- Scripted and self-shot a dozen ambitious insert films within a very short production period.
- Shot “Dinolab” sequences with crew and the phantom high-speed camera.
LOST TREASURES OF EGYPT
Edit Producer
Windfall Films for National Geographic
- Compelling mystery telling the story of Tutankhamun's tomb, narrative largely created in the edit from disparate stories received from the field.
LOST TREASURES OF THE ANCIENT MAYA
Producer Director
Windfall Films for Channel Four
- Stepped in as cover for the series director who tested positive for COVID days prior to the month-long shoot
- Filmed all Maya sequences - shot across Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala.
NASA MARS LANDING: INSIDE THE MISSION
Producer Director
Windfall Films for Discovery Science
- Perseverance Rover searches for evidence of life on Mars
- Produced during lockdown, filmed remotely but interviews directed face to face over zoom.
- Won a Gold Prize at the New York TV and Film Festival.
OCEAN AUTOPSY: THE SECRET STORIES OF OUR SEAS
Producer Director
Pioneer Productions for BBC Four
- 90-minute special - oceanographer Helen Czerski and zoologist George McGavin perform a health check on the state of our oceans.
- Shortlisted for the Grierson Award for Best Environmental or Natural History Film.
- Won the Prize D’Or at the Deauville Green Awards.
DIGGING FOR BRITAIN - IRON AGE REVEALED
Producer Director
Rare TV for BBC Four
- Prof Alice Roberts follows the discovery of an iron age chariot burial unearthed in Yorkshire.
- Highest rating show of series 7. Strand moved to BBC 2 for series 8.
THE NATURE OF THINGS - THE WONDER OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Producer Director
Windfall Films for CBC and Discovery Science
- Canada’s National Treasure David Suzuki joins an expedition of intrepid scientists as they brave temperatures of thirty below to uncover the magical secrets of the Northern Lights.
UNEARTHED
Producer Director
Windfall Films for Discovery Science
- “Unearthed: Seven Wonders of the Ancient World” This 90-minute special digitally recreates the ancient world’s seven architectural marvels.
- “Unearthed: Treasures of the Terracotta Army”” Gained rare unrestricted access to the Terracotta Army, shot sequences in the pit with Chinese conservation teams.
- "Unearthed: Lost Temples of the Jungle” Photo-real CGI and new LIDAR technologies reveal the startling truth behind Angkor Wat.
- “Unearthed: Ghosts of the Great Wall” The Great Wall of China is the biggest human-made structure on the planet -- and one of its biggest mysteries.
HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS
Edit Producer
Pioneer Productions for Discovery Science
- “The Dark Matter Enigma” Dark matter is the puzzle that threatens the foundations of cosmology. Scientists know that it has been vital to our universe since its birth, and that it could create black holes, cause mass extinctions, and might even shape life on Earth itself…. But they don’t know what it is.
- “The Universe’s Deadliest” Between Earth and the edge of the Universe there are a million ways to die, and our crash test dummy is on a mission to reveal the worst. ... These are the Universe’s weapons of extinction.
- “The First Second of the Universe” This is the story of the creation of everything - when space, time, matter and energy burst into existence. It is the most important second in history, which seals the Universe's fate and defines everything that comes after - including us.
Wonders of the Solar System: The Thin Blue Line
Director
BBC London Factual for BBC Worldwide
- Prof Brian Cox’s breakthrough series.
- Filmed across the world - in the deserts of Namibia, on Alaskan glaciers and in Canada and South Africa.
- Assistant Producer on the presenter-led BBC 2 version, directed the BBC worldwide version.
- Series won a Peabody Award for excellence in documentary filmmaking and the RTS award for Best Science and Natural History Series
tom.ranson@ransonfilms.com
+44(0)7540 770862
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