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Cloverway Founder Yasuo Matsuo Launches New Global Production Studio IP Bay
posted on by Alex Mateo
Founder of former U.S.-based licensing agency Cloverway Yasuo Matsuo has launched IP Bay, a new global studio that is focused on producing adaptations of Japanese literature. The studio maintains offices in Hyogo, Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles. The company is making its market debut at the Cannes Film Market, which began on May 12 and ends on May 20. IP Bay also opened an official website.
IP Bay works on introducing Japanese intellectual property of various genres to global producers and studios, representing rights holders, connecting Japanese properties with the staff for projects, structuring co-development relationships across territories, supporting foreign producers entering the Japanese market, building structured production partnerships, and directly producing adaptations. The company's Japan-based staff works directly with the country's publishers and their authors, while the Hollywood side works on packaging, financing and production partnerships. IP Bay opens up Japan's 50% production cash rebate to its Hollywood partners.
Matsuo will serve as the Chairman of IP Bay, and his son Jun Matsuo will be the CEO, responsible for publisher engagement, title curation, legal operations, and linking the company to Japan's major publishers. New York-based film producer Frankie Seratch is the Co-Founder and will lead U.S. operations from New York and Los Angeles. IP Bay's Japan Operations Advisor Shinji Sakamoto is a registered member of the Cool Japan Initiative, and holds direct ties to the Osaka Film Commission and the prefectural government.
Matsuo was the founder of Cloverway, which distributed Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Saint Seiya, Slam Dunk, and more anime in Latin America. The company also produced the English adaptations of Sailor Moon S and Sailor Moon Super S in the U.S. Matsuo has served as the official representative of Toei Animation in the Americas, and he has partnered with Shueisha, Shogakukan, Nippon Animation, and Tezuka Productions.
