Helene Juguet has had a front-row seat to the growing convergence of Hollywood and gaming.
During her over 27 years at Ubisoft, Juguet has had a hand in both the company’s traditional game development work and its ongoing push into screen entertainment. Currently, she serves as the managing director of Ubisoft Film and Television Paris, where she has managed the production of projects including the Emmy-nominated television special “Rabbids Invasion: Mission to Mars” and the Game-Award-nominated Netflix series “Splinter Cell: Deathwatch.” Previously, Juguet led marketing and global brand strategy for Ubisoft’s game development wing, defining the marketing strategy for iconic titles like “Splinter Cell” and “Rainbow Six.”
Juguet was a featured speaker at GamesBeat’s Hollywood & Games event in December — and we weren’t going to turn down the opportunity to record a truly fascinating episode of the BIG Show, GamesBeat’s new podcast featuring industry leaders’ candid opinions and battle-forged insights. During a 20-minute conversation between Juguet and GamesBeat lead news writer Alexander Lee (aka yours truly), Juguet discussed her career and approach to television and film game adaptations, including the dynamic of her collaboration with Netflix and her views on the strengths of animation as a medium for game adaptation.
Juguet’s career provides one blueprint for the future of work in game development and the wider entertainment world. During the podcast interview, she predicted that careers like hers — which span across both gaming and Hollywood production — will become much more common in the near future.
“What’s going to happen is that knowing how to handle community and fandom is going to become the core of the expertise,” Juguet said. “Once you’re in on that, you know how to create a cultural moment.”
To listen to the show, click on the Spotify player above — or, if you’re a premium GB MAX subscriber, you can click here to watch the full video. Stay tuned for more episodes, including additional episodes recorded at GamesBeat’s Hollywood & Gaming summit in December, as well as a full season rollout later this year.