RenFaire: RPFI: News: 1998-01.27-REC-Lucas

News: 1998-01.27-REC-Lucas

Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 16:59:38 -0800
From: Trey Butler 
Subject: ChuckleNews: RenFaire board gets LucasFilm exec!

Tuesday January 27, 9:01 am Eastern Time

Company Press Release

SOURCE: Renaissance Entertainment Corporation

Renaissance Entertainment Announces New Board Director

BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Charles J. Weber, whose extensive career in entertainment included his position as President/CEO of Lucasfilm, Ltd., was elected on December 12, 1997, as director to the Renaissance Entertainment Corporation (Nasdaq: FAIR - news) Board of Directors.

Although Weber's career began in finance and real estate, his most notable and exceptional accomplishments have been in the entertainment industry.

While working at Lucasfilm, Weber's responsibilities involved production, financing, licensing, and merchandising on a number of widely successful movies including ``The Empire Strikes Back,'' ``More American Graffiti,'' and ``Raiders of the Lost Ark.'' Weber is also credited for expanding Lucasfilm from a two-man operation into a film company with over 400 skilled crafts people. He has said he is especially proud of his work on the Harrison Ford adventure, ``Raiders of the Lost Ark.'' ``The production and film distribution of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' is one of the premier film deals ever done in Hollywood,'' said Weber. ``It set a precedent.''

Following his work at Lucasfilm, Weber became President/COO for Embassy Communications--Tandem/TAT Productions owned by Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio. There he continued to utilize his talent and experience in the entertainment field while his responsibilities expanded to encompass film and television. He supervised corporate development, television and feature film production and distribution, cable operations, pay TV services, and broadcast stations.

Weber's innovation in entertainment continued in his work with the Entertainment Company of America where he was President/CEO. At ECA, he was involved with the development of interactive in-flight systems including the distribution, programming, and technical expertise to support in-flight audio/video games.

After ECA, Weber became President and CEO of CanWest International Corp. and then Greenlight Entertainment, Inc. During his work with these two companies he added to his professional expertise the acquisition of companies and strategic investments. He was also a key player in the creation, development, and production of programs for both entertainment and education. Weber is Chairman and CEO of Weber Communications, Inc., an international consulting firm specializing in strategic alliances in the entertainment and communications fields.

``We are confident that Charles, with his vast experience in entertainment, will be a key player in helping Renaissance achieve its stated goals of diversification within the entertainment industry,'' said Charles Leavell, Chairman and CEO.

Renaissance Entertainment Corporation is the only publicly traded company in the Renaissance Faire industry. The company's Faires currently serve five of the largest metro areas in the country including New York, Chicago/Milwaukee, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the greater Washington, D.C./Richmond area.

The Renaissance Faire is an outdoor family entertainment event which romanticizes the ambiance of a Renaissance era marketplace and includes craft shops, period food, dancers, jousters, musicians and historical characters from Elizabethan England.