Unknown Film Organization is a new creative agency and production company led by former Crunchyroll exec, but with some heavy comics content as well. The new boutique agency hopes to be lean and nimble as they offer a “full-service team of artistic voices.”
UFO is led by Jesse Gouldsbury, a director and producer and former Head of Production at Crunchyroll and producer of the microbudget cult classic The VelociPastor, as well as director of the upcoming sequel, VelociPastor 2.
Other players on the squad include cartoonist/animator Alex Krokus, who joins as Creative Director. Other teammates: Head of Production Braith Miller, formerly of Crunchyroll; Head of Marketing Adrian Apolonio, another alum of Crunchyroll, Netflix, Frederator and more; and Post-Production Supervisor Nicholas Fung, who has worked with Nickelodeon, Netflix, Pokémon, and Crunchyroll. All are seen in their stylized B&W portrait above.
Another comics connection is perhaps the most surprising: the studio’s seed money was provided by James Tynion. Unknown Film Organization will be producing content for Tynion’s Tiny Onion shingle and the two indie upstarts will be creative partners (and UFO already produced Tiny Onion’s impressive video presentation for ComicsPRO.)
In a statement, Gouldbury announced his intentions to be creative:
“You don’t need a massive crew and millions of dollars to make something that looks amazing. We’re here to prove that with the right people, and the right kind of trust in what they can deliver, a company can flourish.” Said Gouldsbury. “We’re not afraid to show our rough edges. Our biggest influences have always been productions that had to work within their limitations. We love when you can see the handmade craft and effort in a video, we don’t want to make things that polish away that creative intent.“
“YouTube is the greatest accomplishment of modern day. To lose it would be to lose the library of Alexandria. Also, it helped me learn how to fix my dishwasher. It’s amazing. There is real art happening on these platforms. I’m not trying to come in here and say we’re revolutionizing anything,” said Gouldsbury. “I’m saying that it’s happening and we won’t let it get drowned out by AI-slop, bad brand sponsored ads, and wannabe influencers that are trying to get rich. This is a craft. Unlike the early days of the internet, there are now multiple avenues of monetization, making ventures like this actually feasible and even sustainable. You can just make a 3 minute short or a 5 hour long movie and no one can tell you you can’t share it. Whether people watch is another thing, but the access is what makes it so beautiful.”
Tynion is also excited to see what comes of the new agency. “For the last two years, Jesse and I have spent long nights talking about the frontier of digital video, and the seemingly limitless possibilities of what you can do with a robust audience on platforms like YouTube.” he said. “At a certain point, I wanted to stop talking about what might be possible, and start figuring out how to make it all real. My company, Tiny Onion, has ambitious plans for its partnership with UFO, and I can’t wait for everyone to see that ambition come to life.”
So mark it down ! New squad on the scene!
