Toronto, August 9th, 2023

With over 200 people working in five offices, UNIT9 is a global innovation partner with the sole mission of creating astounding experiences at the intersection of world-class creativity, cutting-edge technology and impeccable craftsmanship. They are experts in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, product design, gaming and many other areas.

Erin Ray is a Senior Producer at UNIT9, based in Toronto. In an interview with TIA, she described her early passion for doing creative things, which eventually led to her role as a producer. Ray highlighted how creativity is encouraged across the team at the agency and explained her approach to the creative process.

To kick things off, as a local, what would you recommend doing when visiting Toronto?

For a “small” big city, there are a lot of amazing pockets which make Toronto special. Walking around High Park is just one of the many beautiful and outdoorsy things you can do. You can always see a local band at one of our many historic venues, or enjoy a drink at one of our craft beer breweries, natural wine bars, or coffee shops in the West End. I always recommend watching the sunset at Riverdale Park to see one of the best views of Toronto’s skyline – lots of good dog watching there too.

What first sparked your passion for creative production, and how has that passion evolved over the years?

I’ve always loved doing creative things; painting, playing music and acting. When I wanted to be an actor, my coach told me I needed to fix the gap in my two front teeth in order to be successful… I didn’t like that one bit, and I thought – well I’m going to make some changes from the inside and work towards becoming a Producer. His comment lit a fire in me to work as hard as possible to get to where I am today. These days, I’ve been grateful to work with teams that are supportive and encourage me to drive even further in my goals as a Producer.

Could you describe to us your role as Senior Creative Producer at UNIT9?

I work cross-functionally with all of our teams across UNIT9, from User Experience + Creative, to Technical, QA and Marketing teams. I have the opportunity to be a part of the entire production life-cycle of a project, from pitch, to execution and final delivery. Being so closely integrated with the project from start to finish, allows me to provide some general creative notes/insights to the team as we work through the production of the project. I am grateful to be working with such a collaborative and passionate group of people to make magic happen.

How would you describe the creative culture of the agency?

UNIT9 is a special place where we encourage creativity in a lot of roles. As many team members work remotely, and have for some time, we champion online company meetings where we can celebrate our successes together, but also keep each other updated on what everyone is up to. The beautiful thing about UNIT9 is that everyone puts their egos aside which allows for creativity to flourish in all aspects of the company – making us better for it!

As a Senior Creative Producer, how do you navigate the fine line between artistic expression and commercial viability in your projects?

It boils down to being able to tell a solid story, which will evidently drive commercial viability in a positive direction. The more impactful the artistic approach is, and then paired with our overall message, the more compelling and interesting the project will be for our audiences. At the end of the day, we want to ensure brands and companies we work with feel good about the type of creativity we’re bringing to the table to elevate their idea – not to only focus on the commercial success.

Could you tell us about the most recent project you’ve worked on?

This is a special one. We worked with Verizon to bring to life a unique experience – a mobile app to use in real life at The Met and a counterpart Roblox game. Our audience can visit the Met Museum, where they collect artwork as “digital replicas” using the AR app. These collected “replicas” can be redeemed into Roblox and worn as avatar skins in our world and others. It was an incredible collaboration between all teams that had some really interesting technical challenges. Specifically, the scanning technology behind the mobile app was crucial for the success of the project.

It involved prototyping and important testing to ensure capturing a 3D object would be successful in AR. The opportunity to dive deeper into the fascinating tech behind this AR experience was incredibly rewarding and brought out my best (nerdy) side. If we’re not learning as producers, what are we doing?

How do you approach the creative process?

I think a big part of the creative process is listening to not only your team, but also the clients that you may be working with too. This is why I love a discovery period, where we can really get into the core details of what our experience can be, getting down to the nitty gritty (the more details the better!). From there, we can head into the rest of production with a decent picture of what we need to build before us, and feel confident to tackle any curve balls because we have a solid foundation. Coming into this industry as a QA analyst, I have a soft spot for the Quality Assurance phase, which is arguably one of the most important phases of them all. Detailed QA test plans, but also ensuring Creative QA is happening sets us up for a successful launch and execution.

Can you discuss the role of storytelling in your projects and how you incorporate narrative elements to create impactful experiences?

Storytelling is at the heart of a lot of the projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on, and it’s one of my favourite parts of my job. I think people underestimate big brands and their ability to come up with a narrative to drive their message. It’s the small storytelling pieces, like an Easter Egg that nods to the brand’s history, or an audio clip that makes you think of something nostalgic that will bring in our audience and make them appreciate the experience even more.

Do you believe there is a moral responsibility for creative producers to address social or political issues through their work?

I do think it’s incredibly valuable for Producers to look at the work they are putting out, and have a discussion at the outset to ensure we are not creating something problematic. Ensuring the full team and all of the clients are aligned at kickoff is key and sets up not only their brand in a positive light. The internet is an intense place, and not everyone is a nice person, so if we can go out of our way to create an experience that is non-problematic, then we are doing our part.

How do you handle criticism or negative feedback on your projects, and how do you use it to improve your work?

I like to approach criticism or negative feedback by understanding that it comes down to the client wanting the project to be the best it can be. Of course, not everything is as easy to digest as we’d want it to be (especially if it’s vague feedback) – but creating a space on your production that is conducive to listening and learning is important to help improve our work overall.

In your opinion, what are the key factors that contribute to a successful collaboration between creative producers, designers, and developers?

I like to think of producing as growing a garden – we need to create a space for the team to grow, learn, and receive nutrients from one another (be it via positive feedback, or morale boosting). Most of all – it’s key to ensure every team member feels like they have space to flourish and come to work wanting to do their best work. Communication is the most important factor that contributes to successful collaboration, and if you can foster a space where people feel comfortable speaking up, it will only be beneficial to the overall success of the project.

How do you approach user research and feedback in the development of your digital experiences?

Listening to the client’s preferences, and then doing our due-diligence and research to ensure those needs align with our users is an important step. I think that user testing (via paper, in person, or online) is taken for granted in a lot of projects. It truly helps to ensure everyone’s needs are taken into consideration and inherently makes the project more successful because we’re receiving feedback early on, rather than post-launch. Without this step, you could be going too far down the rabbit hole to a point where it’s too late to change your path, and this would be doing a disservice to the client.

How would you describe the digital industry in Toronto compared to other major cities or design capitals?

We’re just as hungry, though I think we have a bit of an underdog mentality when it comes to how we’re perceived by other cities and design capitals. We work hard in order to keep up with a lot of the major cities/design capitals, and I think we do a pretty darn good job. Another thing that sets us apart from others is that we are lucky to have a lot of government grant funding for the arts, and digital production which can be hard to come by. This allows for a lot of work opportunities, but also encourages creatives to put their ideas out to paper because there’s a chance they may be able to get funding via a grant. Yes we work hard, but we play even harder!

What kind of new tech stuff has blown your mind?

What we can do with Unity/Mobile apps – the AR capabilities and fidelity of 3D assets are incredible, and only getting better.

After all these years of dealing with different personalities, cultures and people. Have you had any influential mentor/s?

Too many to count! A lot of them have been fellow Producers I’ve worked with over the years that have taken time out of their busy schedules to ask me questions and see what my interests are – and then we have open discussions on how we can make dreams a reality. The amazing thing about this role is that I am able to meet so many people from different walks of life, and there is something to learn from each of them. I act like a sponge – soak in everything and anything I can to ensure I’m putting my best foot forward.

Which unusual skill do you pride yourself in having?

The ability to type verbatim with roughly 96% accuracy.

Can you share any memorable anecdotes or fun experiences while working on digital production projects?

I had the opportunity to read the scratch track VO for the Domino’s x Netflix’s Stranger Things ‘Mind Ordering’ experience we created, which was a nice nod back to my old acting days. I loved being able to be a part of a creative moment that helped to clarify and inform the official VO recording with our talent, who of course blew it out of the park.

Thanks Erin!

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