Neuropsychologist originally from Fredericton executive producer on new Amazon hockey romance

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A new Amazon show premiering Wednesday has a Fredericton face behind the scenes. 

Leanna Billings is an executive producer for Off Campus, a new romantic drama released on Prime Video.

Billings grew up in Fredericton, went to Leo Hayes High School and, while she lives in Boston now, she comes home around three times a year to visit.

“I absolutely loved growing up in Fredericton. I love the small town feel, and it really is what inspired my love of film and TV,” Billings said.

Off Campus follows Hannah, a quiet songwriter and music student, and Garrett, the all-star hockey player for Briar University. The show is based on a five-book series by Toronto author Elle Kennedy.

The first book is called The Deal. It was released in 2015 and tells the story of Hannah and Garrett, while the other books follow other college romances. 

Billings was a huge fan of the book series when it first came out and while re-reading it in 2020, she noticed that it was gaining popularity on the social media site TikTok via a subculture of the platform called BookTok where book fans talk about their favourite reads. 

“Off Campus” follows Hannah, played by Ella Bright, a quiet songwriter and music student, and Garrett, played by Belmont Cameli, the all-star hockey player for Briar University. (Liane Hentscher/Prime)

Seeing this, she assumed the books were only going to continue growing in popularity, so she optioned some properties and, with other producers, made a pitch deck and wrote a couple of scripts for a TV show pilot and a feature film.

“Then we took it out to shop it,” Billings said. “Amazon, in the interim, had heard about the Off Campus series because of the popularity on BookTok, and so we kind of met, and then it went off from there.”

The show filmed in Vancouver, and when Billings was required on set or in meetings, she had to take a sabbatical from her day job as a neuropsychologist. 

If I could tell my seven-year-old self that this is what I would be doing, I think she would be jumping up and down screaming– Leanna Billings, executive producer

Billings said she always loved film and TV and originally wanted to act, which is why she moved to the United States. She ended up falling in love with the behind-the-scenes aspect of it but didn’t have any connections in the industry so knew she had to come up with a back-up plan.

“I fell in love with neuropsychology,” she said. “I went all the way through while doing a little bit of indie stuff, independent filmmaking, on the side. And then in 2020, once I had graduated with my doctorate and COVID happened, I decided why not just start my own company and try to get my foot in the door that way?”

That’s how Billings Productions was started. 

Billings said the making of “Off Campus” was a long process. After years in development, the show premiered Wednesday on Prime Video. (Amazon MGM Studios)

As a neuropsychologist, Billings said she studies behaviour and the mind, which includes working with people who have symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders, psychiatric disorders, traumatic brain injuries or epilepsy.

And while working in a private practice allows Billings to do both careers successfully, she said there’s more crossover between the professions than people might think.

“You really have to know how to work with people, especially, you know, being up in the producer role,” she said. “So part of, you know, our job as producers is to put every piece of the puzzle together.

“And that’s kind of also what I do in neuropsych.”

On top of that, Billings is also a mom of two.

While Billings isn’t sure if it will ever come to a point where she might have to consider giving up her neuropsychology career, she said the most important thing is having supportive people in her life — her family, friends and colleagues.

And the work with Off Campus isn’t over yet. The show has already been confirmed for a second season.

“Coming from a small town in Canada, not having any connections in the industry, you know, just as a little girl dreaming — if I could tell my seven-year-old self that this is what I would be doing, I think she would be jumping up and down screaming.”