Nothing beats a good quest! SDCC 2020 boasted a wonderful panel on Thursday with the women of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. Moderator Erin Ashley Simon sat down with Megan Ganz, Ashly Burch, Danielle Kreinik, and Liz Loverso to discuss representation in the video game industry and diversifying writers’ rooms in Hollywood.
Now, Ganz, who’s also a writer for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, is a co-creator and executive producer of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet alongside series lead Rob McElhenney. She came to the table with zero experience in the video game world. The team made sure to bring in a bevy of different voices to ensure they were representing the video game industry with the utmost accuracy. “All of these people have different ideas on what needs to happen, so that brought lots of fun conflict and comedy,” Ganz explained.
Loverso delved into the mechanics behind the video game named after the title of the series. Of course, you may see Burch’s character playing said video game, but they could only craft a game that appears functional. Loverso is the VP of product development for Ubisoft Red Storm, so she knows a thing or two about video games. In reality, it actually takes years to curate a fully functional, intricate video game.
Simon asked the women to weigh in on the process behind filming Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet‘s latest episode, which was written and shot during quarantine. “Everyone was elated…it felt like you were making a really expensive project with your friends in college,” Burch said. Burch is a writer and actor for the show. The cast had to do their own hair and makeup, as well as ensure their space was properly lit. Despite the challenges of filming an entire episode while in lockdown, the result was something absolutely splendid and wholly relevant to the times.
Kreinik, an executive producer as well as director of TV development for Ubisoft Film & Television, explained how she was irritated with the repetitive stories being told in Hollywood. “Women like to write action. Women like to write everything! I’m tired of seeing the same stories told over and over again.” She also went on to discuss the need for more diversity in writers’ rooms and the video game industry.
When Ganz started out as a writer, the writers’ room was almost exclusively male. She was the token “woman writer,” merely meant to fulfill a certain status quo. Thankfully, that’s changing for the better. “Women are not ‘diversity,’ we’re half the population,” she said. Loverso added that writers need to create games that women are interested in playing. In addition, they must craft said games that empower women. “This industry is viable. Women are very much valued.” There’s always a fear women have of climbing the ladder in the video game industry because it’s usually a male-dominated field.
Next, Simon asked the panelists to contribute a piece of advice to aspiring female creatives out there. “Become obsessed with the thing you love…really chase it,” Ganz said. “If you see something, you should ask for it,” Loverso added. “It’s okay to ask for help…no one gets anywhere alone,” Burch chimed in.
Lastly, our four panelists at SDCC 2020 shared their excitement for Season 2 of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet. Unfortunately, only one episode was in the can prior to lockdown. They’ve had to tweak some of the writing to cater to current world events. “In general, the really exciting thing about Season 2 is we’ve established our characters,” Ganz said.
Check out the full 40-minute panel here.
RELATED: Keep up to date on GGA’s SDCC 2020 Coverage
You can watch Season 1 of Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet on Apple TV+
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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