erika abrams
erika abrams
PRODUCTION + CREATIVE + CULTURE

career

PRODUCTION + CREATIVE + CULTURE

 

Creative Organization + Operations Consultant

/ SCATTERED GOOD, INC.

2020 - Present

An operations, culture, curation, and impact consultancy with a call to support mission-driven creative organizations.

  • Director / PGA Create Scripted 2022 Fellowship PGA Create

    • Sponsor: Google

    • Client: Producers Guild of America

    • A micro-conference for emerging and mid-career creative producers from underrepresented backgrounds where Fellow’s hone project pitches, attend master classes and build their network of fellow producers.

  • Managing Editor / The Great Discontent magazine [May 2022 / relaunch issue]

    • Including editorial curation and art direction.

    • Featured Creatives: Kamilah Rashied / Monica Ahanonu / PJ Vegas / Sofía Gallisá Muriente / Giorgia Lupi / Demar Matthews / Michael Two Bulls / Jordan Wong / Lucy McRae / Tony Whlgn® / Carly Ayres / Rick Garzon / Zykera Tucker / Meena Khalili and Sheharazad Fleming

  • Project Management, Copywriting, Creative Direction and Social Media Strategy

    • Client: Mayor’s Fund of Los Angeles, LA Original

    • Sponsor: Mastercard

    • 2021 Christmas Campaign

      • Make LA Original reach increased by +591% when compared to previous quarter.

      • Make LA Original engagement increased by +986% when compared to previous quarter.

  • Chief of Operations And Creative [fractional] / we must be bold

    • We Must Be Bold is a statement of intent, a call to engage and a community design studio. We discover, design and launch communities for courageous people and the organizations they love.

  • Co-eventDesigner and creative Producer

    / SXSW 2021 Virtual Production

    • Client: We Must Be Bold

    • Primary Client: Wisconsin Cheese

  • Naming, Branding Research, Strategy, and Ideation

    • Client: Keith & Co.

    • Primary Client: US Bank Tower


Director of Production, North America [Managing Director / Chief of Staff]

/ COMPANY 3 / METHOD STUDIOS [ENCORE VFX]

2016-2020

Drove operations for $55M+ annual revenue and provided C-Suite level leadership of a creatively ambitious studio division across worldwide studio locations that included 300+ employees dispersed between Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Atlanta with an additional 300-600 flex-artist in Pune, India.

  • Implemented operational strategies and creative workflows that enhanced production delivery, improved client management, and mitigated project risks.

  • Collaborated with internal and external partners to increase profitability by double digits in the first 18 months.

  • Partnered with executive stakeholders to support corporate and parent company initiatives by identifying and understanding objectives, issues, needs, key success factors and indicators.

  • Established a foothold in entertainment-friendly Atlanta market in advance of competition, winning key client accounts.

  • Directed, managed, and mentored a production staff, of 50+ people, for both large- and small-scale productions– on time and within budget.

  • Executive level client management throughout the production process, while guiding internal production process to deliver 18k+ shots per season.

  • Provided forecasting of annual CAPEX and OPEX budgets to support overall corporate annual revenue of $50M+, with a double digit increase in profitability within the first year.

  • Oversaw organization wide view of human resource engagement, recruitment, and staffing projections, and offer structures, as well as design the company-wide salary setting program.

  • Assessed organizational and individual staff development needs. Identified, communicated, and consulted with staff for training and career development opportunities. Lead and designed training program. Designed review and feedback procedures and program specific to the organization.


Visual Effects [VFX] Producer

/ FURIOUS FX

2006 - 2016

VFX Producer of 20+ films including Ghostbusters, Deadpool, Underworld: Awakening, Gangster Squad, Spy, Dumb and Dumber To, etc. [Link to IMDB]

Director of Operations

/ FURIOUS FX

2006 - 2016

  • Partnered with internal stakeholders, including business owners and colleagues across the fields of real estate, construction & design, workspace planning, employee technology, and security.

  • Managed annual CAPEX and OPEX budgets, including the provision of speculative forecasting.

  • Created a replicable operations framework and playbook that ensured the company would operate at the highest level of functionality possible.

Human Resources Manager [Western Region United States]

/ KETT ENGINEERING

2002 - 2005

  • Led performance, corrective action, and integrity challenges in collaboration with legal and labor relations stakeholders.

  • Primary point of contact for 700+ employee inquiries regarding compensation, benefits, paid time off, continuing education, etc. in addition to being the companywide 401[k] plan administrator.

  • Coached staff at all levels by offering feedback and advice on HR related issues in a proactive and compassionate manner.

  • Supported and facilitated key HR initiatives including compensation, and performance feedback.

 

Human Resources Director

/ TOMARK SPORTS [BSN SPORTS]

1999 - 2002

  • Built and developed a performance management process in alignment with evolving business goals. Designed review and feedback procedures and program specific to the organization. Provided relevant coaching and guidance.

  • Lead and formed HR operations and administrative functions including talent acquisition, onboarding and off boarding, training, employee relations, and employment processing.

  • Ensured companywide compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and safety requirements.

  • Facilitated payroll processing in partnership with the finance department and third-party payroll vendors.

 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS + ROLES

National Organization of Minority Architects, Southern California / Director of Communications & Public Relations / 2023 - Present

Get Lit - Words Ignite / Advisor - Community Engagement / 2019 - Present

Information Architecture Conference / Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, & Accessibility / 2022 – 2023

The Creative School / Advisor - Culture + Organizational Structure / 2019 - 2022

AIGA Los Angeles / Diversity Equity Inclusion, Advisory Board Chairperson / 2016 - 2021

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences / Peer Group Executive Committee Member / 2018 - 2020

 

TALKS + WORKSHOPS

A CONVERSATION ON DESIGN INSPIRATION WITH RUTH E. CARTER AND JULIA KOERNER [MODERATOR]

Los Angeles Design Festival 2023 / Building for community with hok architects and united way

dauer & orvet ‘practical design leadership’ / culture [podcast]

Los Angeles Design Festival 2020 / Creative Coalescence: Music, Tech and Design

free associates’ worklife@home / ‘Large teams, managing for diversity’[podcast]

USC Iovine Young Academy of Arts, Technology, and Innovation / Guest Lecturer Creative Organization leadership strategies

Lead the Charge - We Are Girls, Los Angeles Sparks

10 Things to Know After You Graduate, USC Roski School of Art & Design FOR AIGA,LA

Pipeline Review & Revision [Workshop SERIES] Deluxe Creative Services

Advisory Boards - How to Build Them & Why / AIGA National Leadership Retreat– Atlanta

 

“
Working with Erika was a real pleasure. She has a direct approach to her work, meaning she gets things done with little fuss and is able to tackle problems head-on. She is a very strong leader and she has in-depth knowledge of the creative industry. Erika has a wonderful sense of humor and a lot of compassion which made her very approachable and put people around her at ease.

/  maria stroka / production manager  /