Barry Watson, President & CEO
Before founding Illumitoon, Mr. Watson was one of the original founders of FUNimation Productions, Ltd., occupying the positions of Vice President of Production as well as Vice President of New Business with that company. As Vice President of Production, Mr. Watson determined the direction of the series, setting the “look and feel” of the shows through reversioning and editing the programs so as to appeal to a mass audience in the U.S. Mr. Watson has produced more than 1000 television episodes to date. In his capacity as Vice President of New Business, Mr. Watson headed the company’s latest business venture: launching a 24-hour anime network. Mr. Watson received his BBA in Marketing and International Business from The University of Texas.
Stephanie Giotes, COO & General CounselStephanie Giotes joined FUNimation as its General Counsel in 2000 and has served as the company’s General Counsel, Vice President of Business Affairs and Vice President of Human Resources for six years. During this time Ms. Giotes and her staff negotiated and drafted hundreds of agreements with licensors, licensees, distributors, writers, actors, translators and composers. In addition to her responsibilities for negotiating and drafting contracts, Ms. Giotes created and initiated a comprehensive program to register, maintain, and defend trademarks and copyrights, greatly reducing the impact of piracy and bootlegging.
Richard Ray, Executive Vice PresidentPrior to joining Illumitoon Entertainment, Richard Ray served with FUNimation as Home Video Director in charge of operations. Upon joining as Home Video Director of Sales in 2000, Mr. Ray’s first assignment was to establish the solid sales and operations elements needed for FUNimation’s growing home video department, overseeing the management of all of the distributors that represented the company’s content. This included coordinating the production elements for manufacturing, as well as management of all manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and accounting procedures and policies. As Home Video Director of Sales and Operations, Mr. Ray established key relationships with retailers, distributors, printers, replicators and many other industry service providers. With the rapid growth of home video sales, Mr. Ray focus shifted to operations where he was charged with the responsibility for streamlining the manufacturing and replication process and improving overall efficiency of the company’s distribution arm.
In addition to its executive leadership, Illumitoon has a diversified talent pool, featuring award-winning animators, as well as musicians, writers, directors and actors experienced in ADR and pre-lay recording. Illumitoon’s talent has appeared in hundreds of episodes for numerous series, as well as featured in interviews and appearances around the country and abroad.
Rick Villa, Director of LicensingRick Villa joins the Illumitoon team with a rich Entertainment Industry background. He began his career in 1994 in post production software and equipment sales. His career then shifted into Anime in 1999 when he joined ADV Films in Houston, Texas as an Account Manager and Field Marketing Coordinator. In late 2001, Urban Vision called upon Rick to offer assistance during their Vampire Hunter D "Bloodlust" campaign. This experience led to further opportunities in Anime, and in 2002, he was recruited by FUNimation Productions in Fort Worth, Texas to serve as the Sales Manager. At FUNimation, he demonstrated a remarkable ability to forge alliances with both retailers and manufacturers alike. He was responsible for the launch of the Dragon Ball GT, Yu-Gi-Oh and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Home Video franchises as well as the expansion of the Dragon Ball Z franchise into non-traditional retail outlets. Rick's relationship-building ability was pivotal to the successes of these global brands. During his career, he has sold over 25 million home videos into retail outlets worldwide.
Mr. Villa has had the unique experience of having worked on some of the most recognizable brands of the last two decades - The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter, Dragon Ball Z, and Yu-Gi-Oh. Along with his Film background, Rick has also served with Virgin Records and as a concert promotions manager for Level 9 Productions where he promoted shows for Matchbox 20, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, U2 & many others. |
