October 31, 2008

Resident Evil 5 Q&A With Actress Karen Dyer
By Louis Bedigian

“It really feels like a movie, and once you're in it you'll feel like you're in this movie.”

Resident Evil was once known as the great horror game with laughable voice acting and dialogue. More than a decade later it is the leading survival/horror franchise and has evolved with new levels of movie-quality storytelling.

When casting Sheva Alomar, the new girl in Resident Evil 5, Capcom chose a woman who was capable not only of bringing the character to life vocally but physically as well. That woman is Karen Dyer. "I've spent most of my childhood and adulthood in the entertainment business as an actress, singer, dancer, circus performer," said Dyer, who is originally from South Florida. "I moved out to LA for the first time and I've been working on films and television as well as music videos and concert tours and whatnot. Up until last year I had not been in the game industry. But then on a recommendation from a friend, I was brought into the screen test for Resident Evil 5."

Karen Dyer, ready to take on camera crews and T-Virus-infected monsters.

You were screen tested and trained for Resident Evil 5. I heard some of the training came before you were officially selected?

Karen Dyer: It was a little bit at the same time. When I was brought in they were still searching for [an actress to play] Sheva. Upon meeting me they felt good about doing the screen test. At the same time they started me on the guns and weapons training. So it kind of started at the same time. As I was doing the training and doing the screen tests, I think they were feeling more confident that I was right for the role.

Were they training others as well?

KD: Not that I know of. I never saw anyone else.

What made Capcom want to bring you in not only as a voice actress but for motion capturing as well? What dimension did that add to the game, as opposed to doing it separately as some games have?

KD: I think as we got into the motion capture process, I had already been working on different aspects and working on my voice. I think they realized that they spent so much time developing the character that when they got into the voice work part of it, separating the work I had done to bring in somebody new would probably make it a little bit different. I mean, I think they liked what I was doing and thought I could bring them [acting and motion capturing] together.

Tell us about your character.

KD: Sheva is a really strong, passionate fighter. She was born in Africa and lost her parents in a mysterious accident. She was then sent off to Europe to grow up and trained with the BSAA in order to come back and find out what happened. Upon coming back she discovers what's going on with the people in her country, and meets up with Chris Redfield.

Sheva Alomar

How far along was your character when you came on board the project? Did Capcom base any part of her appearance on you?

KD: They definitely had a look that they had started with. During the course of the year that I worked on it, there were changes here and there, and they were kind of figuring out the final appearance of her. Obviously, being on the game for a year, there was some influence. But in the end, there is some resemblance, not a whole lot. From what I have seen last October, the final image has changed.

How many revisions did the story go through?

KD: I wouldn't say the storyline itself changed, but when you go into motion capture, especially the voice, you begin to hear the dialogue and there will be minor changes made here and there.

What made this become an eight-month process? Was it primarily the training and motion capturing?

KD: There was training, there was the whole green screen shoot and then rolling into motion capture. Even the voice work, once we started, would be scheduled throughout the year. It wasn't one of these things where you do it all at once.

Did you do your motion capture scenes with other actors?

KD: We worked with a group. That was really fun because you could play off the other characters, the other actors. We got to know each other really well and that helped with the relationship between the characters.

What about the battle sequences? Did you work with other actors who were posing as a monster or zombie?

KD: I did on many occasions have a motion capture actor playing the zombie or playing the creature that I had to fight against. [A hint of laughter in her voice.] A lot of the time I had to imagine that was there, depending on the size of the monster.

Are the guys you're fighting this time officially zombies?

KD: They are zombies. How they become that way, you have to play the game to find out. But they are zombies.

Are you yourself a gamer?

KD: I wouldn't say I'm an expert. I kind of lived through my brother, who is a gamer. But I enjoy the shoot-'em-up games which kind of worked well for me on this one. We did play Resident Evil 4 quite a bit.

You're doing interviews for Resident Evil 5, but what kind of promotion will you be involved with going forward?

KD: I know we're going to be doing a lot of stuff with Capcom before the game comes out, so you'll see not only myself but other cast members as well. What they have planned specifically I don't know, but I know we'll be part of the PR.

What were the hardest and most rewarding parts of working on Resident Evil 5?

KD: The hardest part would've been during the voice work process because you have to match up everything that you've done during the motion capture. You don't have as much freedom to play around. You have to get all your acting done within the movement you've already recorded. That was challenging. Having gone through it, it was quite rewarding as well. Also rewarding was the chance to do a lot of my own stunts and fight scenes and all the action. I'm a big fan of action films.

Did you watch clips of your character while doing the voice work?

KD: Yeah. I had to routinely go back to scenes we had already done, motion-wise, and fill in the voice while it was acted motion-wise. That part makes it quite difficult, but when it's put together it's amazing.

Had you done any motion capture work before?

KD: I had only done a little bit before being called into this game. Having my training, background in dance and circus, it felt like it was a really good fit. I was very comfortable with the movement, very comfortable as an actor, and was excited that there was another medium to perform in.

That's all the questions I have, but is there anything else you'd like to say?

KD: Well, I hope the fans really enjoy the game and get to take a look at how beautiful and how fun it's going to be. It really feels like a movie, and once you're in it you'll feel like you're in this movie.

Awesome. Thank you for your time.

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