Producing, Perseverance, and Power Rangers - an Interview with Erika N. Ewing, from Lionsgate Interactive Ventures & Games (Motion Picture Group)!

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Beyondsoft or Lionsgate Entertainment.

Welcome to this week’s interview of “Let’s Chat” – a series where I meet with individuals to discuss their careers, motivations, and journeys. Today, I have a special guest who holds an M.F.A. from the American Film Institute and a double major in Broadcast Journalism and Theatre Performance. She was a former Frag Doll Cadette with Ubisoft and now currently serves as an Associate Producer with Lionsgate Games! Fun fact for Erika; she once won an entire year’s worth supply of Snapple at a Seahawks game and drank the entire supply in a month - I'm excited to introduce, Erika N. Ewing!

(Interview Begins)

Kip: Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today, Erika, and for being here to discuss your personal career journey.

Erika: Thank you for having me! I am happy to be here and to be a part of this series! Yay! 

Kip: We're very glad to have you on! Can you please share a bit of your professional background with our readers?

Erika: I proudly hail from Seattle where my NES, comic books, and the Saturday morning cartoon lineup greatly influenced who I am today. I moved to Los Angeles in 2009 for my X-Play internship with G4TV. I then worked at GameStop as an Assistant Manager, helped run local SoCal game tournaments, and did various industry temp gigs until landing my first full-time entertainment position as an Executive Assistant to the CFO for the non-profit Entertainment Industry Foundation and Stand Up 2 Cancer (SU2C). By daylight, I assisted the CFO but by moonlight, I was an Ubisoft Fragdoll Cadette, where I traveled all over the country with other amazing women to promote games at places like San Diego Comic-Con, E3, PAX etc.  

Kip: I don't mean to interrupt, but this was a term I was unfamiliar with. Can you please share what a Frag Doll Cadette is?

Erika: YES!! Frag Dolls forever! For those who don’t know the legacy, Frag Dolls were a squad of female gamers, many of them pro-gamers, who advocated girl power with Ubisoft games as brand ambassadors in competitive gaming. Their goal was primarily to educate and to empower women and their careers in the industry. Many of the Frag Dolls and Cadettes have become leaders across the interactive and tech landscape and it has been a blast to watch all of our careers grow and become more and more influential as time passes. 

Kip: That is so cool, I love the concept and that you got to make history by joining their ranks. What a great opportunity!

"I also volunteered as a PA for various movie sets on the weekends. Surrounded by the filmmakers and producers around me, I became inspired to apply to the American Film Institute Conservatory."

Erika: Thank you so much. While I was living that double life, I also volunteered as a PA for various movie sets on the weekends. Surrounded by the filmmakers and producers around me, I became inspired to apply to the American Film Institute Conservatory. I still continued to work with the Frag Dolls on and off while working on my Master of Fine Arts degree; my intention even then to blend cinema and interactive together. While attending graduate school, I interned for Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert at Ghost House Pictures and became an official honorary citizen of the Tromaville family under my acclaimed mentor, ‘Uncle Lloydie’ Kaufman. 

Kip: As a huge Raimi fan, can you indulge my geek-out side and share what working with Raimi is like?

Erika: Sam is extremely kind! I wish that he was able to grace the office more often but at the time, he was in pre-production for Ash v. Evil Dead. I had the honor of making him coffee in the Ghost House kitchen to which he said “This is the best cup of coffee I ever had, Erika” or, at least I think that is what I heard. Ghost House focused primarily on horror movies! All-day long, my job was to read horror script after horror script, watch horror short films, and stay up-to-date with horror news. Overall, it was a great experience and it ended up opening up several professional relationships that are still a huge part of my life today.

Kip: Thank you for sharing, I promise I'll stop interrupting.

Erika: No problemo! While in post for my thesis film Rougarou, I snagged a position at Lionsgate as an Office Floater and learned EVERYTHING I could across all departments. I accepted a role in the Motion Picture Group assisting the Chief Strategy Officer, and then eventually, the COO and learned the inner dynamics of a large studio from the Strategic Planning & Operations perspective. I jumped on any opportunity to get involved with Lionsgate’s Interactive Ventures and Games department, which is where I am today. I love my job! The journey’s far from over, I’m still on the road to excellence and hope to one day be known, not only as a producer of next gen-content, but a Pokémon Master as well.

"The moment I realized I wanted to be a producer was at the Laura Ziskin memorial on the Sony lot in 2011 (she was the producer of the OG Spider-Man films and more)."

Kip: (Laughs) Yes, me too! Team Squirtle for life! These interviews are about understanding our peer's growth paths, can you share a bit about what compelled you to become a producer?

Erika: The moment I realized I wanted to be a producer was at the Laura Ziskin memorial on the Sony lot in 2011 (she was the producer of the OG Spider-Man films and more). I had worked for her on the Stand Up 2 Cancer initiative but never had the chance to formally meet her, only being able to see her in terms of a Legendary Pokémon flying overhead. At that time, I truly did not have the fully realized concept of what a producer was. I saw one of my personal heroes, Sam Raimi, talk about her. How she “moved mountains, made the impossible, possible”, a mastermind behind so many of the films I have come to love. You cannot talk about her without recognizing her as one of the most powerful and fearless women in Hollywood (but, with great power comes great responsibility). 

Kip: Excellent Spider-man nod.

Erika: (Laughs) I never could expect to rise to her heights, but it is something I knew I had to try. It felt like a fateful moment. I am supposed to be here. I am supposed to hear this speech and I am supposed to start right now. 

Kip: Very inspirational, your career is very impressive. So, what does a day in the life of an Associate Producer look like?

Erika: It is a battlefield. One day could be all about discussing and addressing a live-ops issue with a currently running game and another could be all about considering pitches from really talented gaming developers anxious to show us an incredible take on one of our properties. Sometimes it is providing thoughtful notes that are constructive and honest. Sometimes it is staying appraised on the industry trends and planning for the big-picture future. Overall, it’s a little bit of business development, using data as ammo, staying true to IP, and the artistry behind it, but it is also about relationships, such as taking time to grab coffee and drinks with people from all over the industry (or zoom drinks these days). You take projects from the beginning, middle, and then the end and beyond! One moment you’re presenting to stakeholders and then, randomly enough, you’re MCing live events at SDCC alongside Jason David Frank. If I really do it right, everyone is having fun. 

"You are worthy and that your voice matters, so speak up more and let my light shine!!! ...Trust your instincts!"

Kip: It sounds like the old phrase, "Work hard play hard," directly applies to the production world! If you were to start over with the goal of achieving your current career in mind from college, what steps would you have done differently?

Erika: If I could sit down and give Lv.1 Erika advice, I would tell her 1) You are worthy and that your voice matters, so speak up more and let my light shine!!! 2) Stay true to yourself and trust your instincts, and 3) Never stop learning and prioritize surrounding yourself with great leadership… and Bonus) Don’t sell your beanie baby collection!!

Kip: (Laughs) I haven't heard about Beanie Babies in such a long time, did you hear about the couple who got a divorce and had to split their collection? Savage. What would you say you love best about your job?

Erika: The mission to serve the stories, IP, talent, and community as well as possible. I think my true job title is Production Paladin. I take this role extremely seriously and will always fight for better quality for our fans and patrons. I also love that gaming takes me around the world to places I have never been before! Also, collaborating with people from all around the world! It is amazing! The talent is amazing, the impact interactive entertainment will make on the universe has just only begun, and I get to be a pioneer in that space! I love that I get to take this fun seriously. 

Kip: As a fan of your work, I can appreciate your devotion to the stories and the community you serve. This is a classic question but I'm dying to know, what would you say is the biggest career decision you ever made and how did it impact your life?

Erika: Classic question will get the classic answer; You’ve got to follow your heart. I grew up with my grandparents encouraging me away from gaming. At Central Washington University, they would not accept game reviews or gaming news as submissions for Journalism class. AFI is an amazing institution, but at the time I attended, the focus was on classic cinema so it was a massive step in a different direction. Gaming was always forced to be a side quest for me when in my heart it was my main questline. It was not until recently where I was finally able to combine both of my dreams into reality. Amazingly enough, entertainment is evolving in that same, new direction! We are all explorers now and I find that to be very exciting. Every day is terrifying because it feels like my daily decisions and consequences seem to scale higher and higher. Looking back, every single job I have ever had has played a pivotal role in what I do now. From GameStop, to finance, to production, and even temp work, there is nothing that does not shape who we become so make sure you become something you love. 

Kip: I 100% agree with you, I myself have had a topsy-turvy career to Technical Recruiter, and honestly everything I've done professionally in the past has ended up tieing directly into my current work now! This may be a tough one, but, what is your favorite project you have worked on?

"I had the honor of collaborating with a female writing team to add the first lady of fighting games, Chun-Li, to the Phoenix Ranger story in the mobile game."

Erika: I do not play favorites but it is always Morphin’ Time! I am very passionate about Power Rangers! I cannot wait for this pandemic to end so I can get back out on the road and back on the tournament scene. That community, the fans of the series, and the FGC of the Battle for the Grid game, and the Legacy Wars players MAKE MY DAY!!!! I had the honor of collaborating with a female writing team to add the first lady of fighting games, Chun-Li, to the Phoenix Ranger story in the mobile game. Working with the nWay and Hasbro team and bringing out the girl power of that short story was extremely empowering and seeing it enter into the scene was awe-inspiring! These are my heroes! However, I always have mad love for Evil Dead IP as well. Most recently, I had a twisted awesome time working on the SAW x CALL OF DUTY collaboration with The Haunting of Verdansk Halloween event. 

Kip: Erika, we are twins in the IP's we are fans of! Pokemon, Evil Dead, Power Rangers, these are all my jam. What is something that others seem to misunderstand about you?

Erika: People sometimes may misinterpret my enthusiasm for naiveté. This is a mistake.

Kip: That would be a huge mistake, I think those who are passionate about their work are the ones we should look to most for inspiration. They are definitely the ones who will know the most about the topics they are working on simply because they care for them. This next question may be a bit personal so please let me know if you would rather not answer, but I think your opinion and experience are very important here. What has it been like to be a female in film and games?

"It can be a struggle to be heard over the louder voices of others, but my patience and thoughtfulness still allow me to make the differences I want to make."

Erika: I am a black woman of mixed race, choosing not only to enter one male-dominated space but two by pursuing both film and interactive in Hollywood. As much as I love our corner of the industry, I cannot deny that it can be a real boys club. It can be a struggle to be heard over the louder voices of others, but my patience and thoughtfulness still allow me to make the differences I want to make. This is changing for the positive every day as more black voices are fast becoming overbooked instead of overlooked. Please note that this is not reflective of the places that I’ve worked at but the reality of working in male-dominated industries my entire life. Fun fact, the Lionsgate Games team has a lot of girl power!!! It is very important to take what I have survived and thrived through and direct that into positive energy for the next generation.

Kip: Erika, I find you so inspiring on multiple levels. You are such a role model for others and I'm proud to call you a friend. What would you say is the single most important skill you have acquired through your work?

Erika: I create a list, categorize them into the main quest and side quest missions, and set out to execute. I am a “completionist” and this has served me well for being a producer. For real, I think of life as an RPG and think of everything in terms of gaining Experience Points (EXP). Therefore, the skills I gain are a collection of well-rounded stats that make up my character chart. +10 charisma for example! There is no limit.

Kip: (Laughs) I should try viewing the world as a videogame for some time, +10 Leisure if I do the dishes! If you choose to pursue any other career outside of your own, what would it be?

Erika: I watch too many murder mysteries on ID! In another dimension, maybe I would have been a producer of the re-enactment videos. I also think it would be super cool to be the Falconry person at Medieval Times.

Kip: Both are great options! What would you say is your greatest professional achievement?

Erika: We recently launched a Rambo Clicker game where I was able to contribute creatively as a writer and producer and I am very proud of how it has turned out. I am even more proud of working with the great talents of everyone on the Rambo: Last Click team. I have always had in my bio the goal of working in both film and gaming and was proud to have contributed to the narrative design for a game based on such a well-known film IP. 

Kip: That is a project that really marries both of your talents! Now I have to ask for any fans, what games do you like to play in your free time?

Erika: Part of my job is playing all kinds of games every day but in the mainstream, I love Pokémon, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Fallout: New Vegas, Elder Scrolls, and of course anything ZELDA! I am heartless playing Magic: The Gathering, I Love D&D and all sorts of board games, I enjoy escape rooms, I love narrative-based games, scary survival horrors, I love Leon Scott Kennedy in Resident Evil 2 & 4, I still play with Tamagotchi, Death Stranding is my jam, of course, Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, I’m pretty good with Soul Calibur, I loved Spore, love The Sims, and… Age of Empires!! In addition to that, I play multiple indie titles like Little Miss Fortune, and Layers of Fear. Social impact gaming is also something important to me and hopefully something we’ll see a lot more of in the coming years. I highly recommend Papers, Please. I also love scouting for upcoming talent and having games on my radar like Genesis Noir, Corner Wolves, and more…

Kip: I know half that list, I will have to google the others! At the end of a hard day, what makes you feel inspired or like your best self?

Erika: I am inspired by people who are as graceful in failure as they are in success. The people who get ahead are the people who learn to treat defeat as a learning experience and always keep a strong attitude. (Like Ash Ketchum) Sometimes when I have major meetings ahead or know I need to make major strides, or if I am afraid of the challenge ahead, I listen to Russell Wilson. QB for the Seattle Seahawks! His champion mindset and his positive energy is what I want in myself to shine through too, so I can get others to shine with me. Under pressure! He is one of my biggest heroes in the universe and brings out the best Paladin spirit in me! Characters from games, cartoons, films, also inspire me. I am inspired by the Triforce and try to live my life with courage, wisdom, and power. Also coffee! Actually… What inspires me most is coffee.

Kip: Coffee is what keeps me going as well!

Erika: Kip! You are amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to ask such thoughtful questions!

Kip: Erika, thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions and shed some light on your career path for our readers. Stay safe and healthy, and let’s chat again soon!

(Interview Ends)

Erika N. Ewing, M.F.A Producing, B.A. in Broadcast Journalism, B.A. in Theatre Performance. With one foot in the gaming industry and the other in film, Erika hopes to be at the forefront of visual storytelling as it continues to grow and change. After her internship at G4TV's X-PLAY in Los Angeles, Erika graduated from Central Washington University earning a BA in Broadcast Journalism and Theatre Performance. Since then, she has fulfilled multiple roles within the offices at Comcast Entertainment Group (E!, Style, FearNet, G4) and for a time worked with Ubisoft Entertainment as an advocate for women in video gaming with The Frag Dolls.  Her former role as Assistant to the CFO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) has given her a financial perspective behind large-scale multimedia projects such as STAND UP TO CANCER and the JOHN LEGEND: SHOW ME CAMPAIGN. In 2013, Erika enrolled in AFI’s prestigious producer MFA program where she was a Development Intern at Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert’s horror genre production company, Ghost House Pictures, and produced over eight short films. In addition to her grounded origins in the business of entertainment, Erika holds a passion for storytelling through horror, action, and fantasy that is well suited to her current placement as a creative lead at Lionsgate Games & Interactive department, under the Motion Picture Group, with the honor of collaborating on projects such as POWER RANGERS: LEGACY WARS and POWER RANGERS: BATTLE FOR THE GRID, JOHN WICK HEX, and EVIL DEAD: THE GAME.

Ewing remains committed to achieving her missions and dedicated to sharing stories with the world to make it a more colorful place. 

Kip Brookbank, B.A. in Fine Arts, is a Technical Recruiter with Beyondsoft based in Bellevue, Washington. He has an interest in helping candidates get placed in their dream roles, supporting the LGTBQIA+ community, and assisting where he can.

Looking for your next big opportunity? Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brookbank to learn about our openings.