Principals Eric Radomski, Ken Duer, and Jay Francis Cater Form phuuz Entertainment
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LOS ANGELES (Dec. 03, 2003) -- Three award-winning veterans of the animation industry have joined forces to form a new media company, phuuz entertainment. Emmy Award-winning producer/director and former Executive Creative Director at Film Roman, Eric Radomski, former Vice President of Production at Warner Bros. Animation, Ken Duer, and former Vice President and General Manager for LEVEL13.NET, Jay Francis, are co-founders of this new enterprise.
According to principal Eric Radomski, "There is no escaping the essential truth that today's audience, especially the young audience, has changed ... they are a generation raised on computers, videogames, and the Internet. We are convinced that the manner and format we employ to tell our stories have to be in sync with the way the audience is requesting their content be delivered. We intend to cater to their voracious appetites for bold, arresting, and entertaining stories." To this end, phuuz will develop original properties for new media (video and computer games, wireless technologies, DVD, internet), traditional media (television, film, comic books/graphic novels), and other ancillary markets (toys, fashion, advertising, music) as well as utilize new media platforms to maximize franchising and distribution opportunities. [an error occurred while processing this directive]phuuz entertainment hits the ground running with an impressive client roster that includes Pioneer Entertainment USA, MTV, Japanese network broadcaster TV Asahi, Japanese game producer Banpresto, Korean animation company Seoul Movie, and Japanese animation company TMS, as well as a production slate of active projects including:
phuuz entertainment's principals bring unique strengths and stellar achievements to this new venture. Eric Radomski, currently producing the action' comedy' adventure series XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN for Warner Bros. Animation airing on Kids' WB, is a three time Emmy Award winner who joined Film Roman as its Executive Creative Director in 1998 to head up that company's restructured animation development efforts. One of the founders of LEVEL13.NET, Film Roman's internet entertainment site, Radomski shepherded the attitude and direction of this innovative development venture, working closely with young creators from around the world discovering, developing, and producing unique and original properties outside the standard Hollywood model. Two short films developed and showcased on Level 13, HAIRBALLS and TRIPPING THE RIFT, were placed into development at MTV and Sci-Fi Channel respectively.
While at Warner Bros., Radomski developed and produced BATMAN THE SERIES (Emmy win). He produced and directed the critically acclaimed animation feature MASK OF THE PHANTASM and directed Steven Spielberg's FREAKAZOID (Emmy win). At HBO Animation, Radomski produced and directed two late night series for the trendsetting cable network: Todd McFarlane's hugely popular SPAWN (Emmy win) and SPICY CITY with the godfather of adult animation, Ralph Bakshi. In addition to his five individual Emmy nominations, Eric was twice nominated for Annie Awards and thrice nominated for the Golden Reel Award.
Japan native Ken Duer has played a key role in series development and numerous animation acquisitions throughout his career with a special expertise in the overseas market. Throughout an 11-year tenure at Warner Bros. Animation, which culminated with his tenure as Vice President of World Wide Production from 1997-2001, Duer played a key role in the production of Warner Bros.' animated series for over a decade including classics, such as BATMAN, ANIMANACS, SCOOBY-DOO, FREAKAZOID, TINY TOONS, JOHNNY BRAVO, SYVESTER AND TWEETY, and SUPERMAN. Career highlights include the building of strategic partnerships with studios in such countries as Japan, Korea, China, Spain, New Zealand, Hungary, England, Canada, and Thailand. He helped acquire the hit Japanese animation series "Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Monsters," for Warner Bros. and, as an independent producer, supervised production on the ANIMATRIX DVD, based on the blockbuster movie, THE MATRIX, for Warner Bros. Home Video, Joel Silver Pictures, Eon Entertainment, and Japan's Marvelous Entertainment.
As General Manager and Vice President of Film Roman's LEVEL13.NET from 1999- 2002, Jay Francis acquired short animated films for development into television series, direct-to-video features, video games, and internet programming. As head of Film Roman's Talent Recruitment program, Francis spearheaded the outreach for young talent while lecturing at hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the United States including Howard, Purdue, Texas A&M, UCLA, Texas, and Vanderbilt. He recruited the development and digital artists behind well-known animated programs, such as KING OF THE HILL, MISSION HILL, THE OBLONGS, THE SIMPSONS, and X-MEN: EVOLUTION.
In 1991, Francis was a founding partner of Lil' Gangster Entertainment, a boutique animation studio with offices in Los Angeles and Paris. The company produced traditional animation, graphics, live action, and designs for prestigious clients, such as Cartoon Network, MTV, Universal, Warner Bros. Animation, Electronic Arts, and Interplay Productions. While at DIC Entertainment, Francis supervised such animated series as DENNIS THE MENACE, INSPECTOR GADGET, MADELINE, and THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS.
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