Experiences that made me Eric Methivier

ShanghaiPeople

October 21, 2025

In this series, we ask Imagination talent all about the experiences that have made them who they are. This month we spoke to Eric Methivier, Executive Digital Producer from our Shanghai studio.

A bit about me…

I’m a French guy who’s made China my home, with a passion for travelling the world and diving into different cultures. I’m a big tech nerd, always tinkering with the latest gadgets and geeking out over video games. Movies from every era and genre spark my creativity, while music keeps me energised, and sports keep me moving. I’m organised, adaptable, and love bringing my global perspective to innovative projects, making sure they shine with quality and purpose.

The creative experience that has influenced me the most…

Visiting Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Osaka was a game-changer for me. I love how it seamlessly blends physical theme park attractions with interactive digital elements, like the Power-Up Bands that track activities and integrate with a mobile app for a gamified experience. This immersive fusion of storytelling, technology, and nostalgia inspired me to push the boundaries of digital production, focusing on creating engaging, interactive experiences that connect with audiences on both emotional and technological levels.

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My industry hero is…

Tim Sweeney, the founder of Epic Games and creator of Unreal Engine. His vision is for pushing the boundaries of digital technology, from gaming to virtual production and immersive experiences. Sweeney’s work in democratising powerful creative platforms like Unreal Engine has transformed how digital agencies craft interactive content with visually stunning content.

The piece of work I’m most proud of…

Leading the digital experience for the Macau Grand Prix Museum, where I oversaw the technical brief, UX/UI design, and deployment of an interconnected interactive system powered by the Pit Pass, an RFID card that lets visitors create profiles and track touchpoints and scores across the museum. Despite the intense challenges of limited time and restrictions during the COVID period, which complicated logistics and collaboration, we delivered a seamless, immersive experience that brought the thrill of the Grand Prix to life, making it incredibly rewarding to see visitors engage with the dynamic, personalised system we built.

The piece of work that makes me cringe…

We learn from all projects, no matter how seamlessly they went, and the JLL Summit in Shanghai is my personal learning/example. I was in charge of the interactive, including a collaboration activity where the audience was split into five teams, each brainstorming answers to questions displayed on a main LED screen, with team leaders inputting responses via iPads. The cringe moment came when the final results appeared on the screen, and they were mostly wrong due to improperly QA’d software, an awful moment if you ask, especially as the client’s eyes turned to me. This taught me the critical importance of rigorous quality assurance and thorough testing, ensuring I now prioritise robust pre-UAT checks to prevent such failures.

The experience I wish I had created worked on…

Sleep No More by Punchdrunk (Shanghai) is an immersive theatre masterpiece I wish I had worked on. This haunting, nonlinear adaptation of Macbeth lets audiences roam a multi-room set, interacting with performers and uncovering stories at their own pace, blending physical environments with storytelling. As a digital producer, I’m inspired by its ability to create a deeply personal, user-driven narrative, and I’d love to have crafted a complementary digital layer, perhaps an app or AR integration, to enhance the experience.

Advice to my 18-year-old self…

Take risks early and don’t fear failure; it’s the fastest way to learn. Build a network of mentors and peers who challenge you to grow.

What’s next?

I’m thrilled to be working on the visitor experience for a premium apartment sales show floor in Bangkok, where two new towers are being marketed. The team is crafting an immersive journey, orchestrating the content, room sequencing (lighting, media, music, and doors), and a cutting-edge iPad sales app that supports the narrative during visits. The app includes innovative features like controlling a physical model of the towers (lights and rotation) and casting content to any screen on the show floor, among other exciting functionalities, and I’m eager to see how this dynamic experience captivates buyers and elevates the sales process.