About Us
RANDY C. BASSIN
The Grand Rapids Press was right about Randy Bassin, President and Founder of Global Force Productions. After most of his career was spent in the tech sector, Mr. Bassin found himself pursuing the use of technology to express the profound artistic talents of his creative services team. Randy said, “I have felt for years that technology has been under-serving its audiences in quite mundane ways. Finally, we have begun using talent and technology to tell stories in new ways!”
T.A. VANDEN AKKER, CREATIVE CONSULTANT
Global Force Productions couldn’t have hoped for a finer artist than this Fine Artist, Terry Vanden Akker. Mr. Vanden Akker came to Global Force in 2007 originally as a Consultant speaking on Western Design Culture. In those short few days, Terry began a transformation of a team of animators into an international force of talent that Pixar’s John Lasseter would now be proud of.
Over the years, Terry has produced dozens of exquisite pen and inks, and watercolor paintings available in many galleries. However, while Mr. Vanden Akker is a trained, talented Fine Artist, he also commands nearly 30 years of experience ranging from product illustration to animation for broadcast and film production.
In 2005, while teaching Visual Communications as a full-time faculty member at Kendall College of Art and Design, Vanden Akker produced and art directed a full length, animated, feature film, “Ammonite Rising” based on the book by Gordon Freedman and Jeffrey Sax.
After consulting to Global Force Productions, Mr. Vanden Akker joined Global Force as Animation Producer and Director for the combined live-action/CG animated short film, “A Night At The Office”. With a very unusual approach to story-telling, this film was challenging to the entire team. Terry brought it to life with his artist’s approach to telling stories.
While completing post-production work on the animated short, Terry also kicked off his subsequent Global Force project, a pilot kids’ educational TV show. Once again combining live-action actors with digitally animated animal characters, this production was certain to be even more challenging than the last. Mr. Vanden Akker said, “I believe that when we push the envelope of our production capabilities, the work may be more challenging, but audiences are sure to be much more entertained and engaged by the story.”
GEORGE R. SNIDER, III, INDEPENDENT WRITER/DIRECTOR
George, born in 1963, is a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, WV. He is a veteran university and community actor and director with over 60 productions to his credit since 1982. As a writer, he is the author of 2 stage plays, a full length musical (book & lyrics), and 5 screenplays. George studied under his mentor, Esther Luttrell (Hollywood writer-director-producer and author of “Tools of the Screenwriting Trade”) and his coach – award winning screenwriter, Ken Rotcop, founder of the original Pitchmart in Hollywood.
He is the father of 5 children, ages 11 to 1½. George is a Financial Planner with MetLife Securities and has been in the financial services industry for 13 years. He is active in his community and his church. In 2002, he developed the Appalachian Film Festival for the Huntington Regional Film Commission and lobbied for new Tax Incentive Legislation for the film industry for WV in 2007.