In the upcoming Resident Evil 5, you’ll be introduced to a new supporting character in the series, Sheva Alomar. Sheva is also playable in the co-op gameplay mode. Just what is Sheva’s history and her role in the upcoming survival-horror game? We had the privilege to interview the multi-talented Karen Dyer. Karen is the voice and motion actress of Sheva. What better way to learn more about Sheva than through the actress who helped to define her in Resident Evil 5?
Read the full transcript below.
If you prefer to listen to the interview (and get a sampling of Sheva’s voice), hear it on the GamingBits Podcast interview here.
Resident Evil 5 is scheduled for global release on Friday the 13th of March 2009 for the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360.
Thanks to Karen Dyer and Faimain for making the interview possible!
GB: Tell us a little about your background and how you ended up landing the role of Sheva.
Karen: Well, I come from the South Florida area. I’ve been in the entertainment business as a performer, actress, singer and dancer since I was a child. I’ve also included circus skills along the way. Quite a bit of fire, stilts and juggling in my experience. When I got out to LA, I was primarily working in films and television and live stage shows. I hadn’t really gotten into the videogames industry until this game. Last year I was recommended to the production company to come in and be seen for Sheva. I went through a screen test and some training. After that, they made a decision to give me the role.
GB: What was the screen test like? What did you have to do for that?
Karen: Well, I dressed up as Sheva and went through some acting scenes and action scenes as well. It was sort of a green screen test to see, I guess, how I would adapt to the different environments and being able to react to zombies, even if they weren’t there. For most of the production, it was a lot of pretending on my part. Once we got into motion capture, there were actors that played the parts of some of the zombies that we got to play off too, which was fun.
GB: Could you tell us a little about Sheva’s history and how she got caught up in the underworld of Resident Evil?
Karen: She’s born in Africa and as she was growing up, her parents were killed in an accident. So after that, she is sent to Europe to train and study. She became part of the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance), in wanting to find out what happened to her parents back in Africa. She returns to Africa to get to the bottom of that and get involved on what’s going on there now with her people. She partners up with Chris Redfield to do that.
GB: How was the performance different compare to what you were talking about earlier in your film roles or your onstage performances? What other things, besides actors pretending to be zombies helped to immerse you? Did you get to look at the 3D models, artwork or any environments?
Karen: During the process there are images that have been created that we look at. There are storyboards– it was actually treated a lot like a film because they wanted it to have a movie-like quality this time around. They brought in a movie director, Jim Sonzero, who had directed the horror movie Pulse. He added a lot to making that film-feel happen. A lot of the time, it felt like a film set. We were treating our characters like film characters. We were fully developing our characters along the way. Besides wearing the mo-cap suits with the balls on them, a lot of it felt like what you would do to develop a character on a movie.
GB: Was that your first time being in that kind of environment, in a motion capture suit and green screen?
Karen: I was able to do a couple of motion capture jobs prior to this. Nothing on this level. This is the first time I got to create a character from the beginning to end and do the voice and all the movements for it. This was the first big motion capture role in a game for me.
GB: What kind of a timeline was that whole process?
Karen: I came in last October (2007) and started with most of my training at that time. We went into a green screen shoot for all the scenes and working with Jim and a motion capture process. After that, we went into the voice work. It was several weeks at a time throughout the year. Probably with a month in-between different setups as they were progressing with the game in post. I continued to do voice work on it for most of this year for all the in-game stuff as well, into the summer.
GB: You mentioned you had to undergo some training. I saw that was some weapon and stunt training. How was that experience?
Karen: That was really fun. I had to get certified with pistols and rifles. Being that I am right-handed and Sheva’s left-handed, that was a big challenge to learn everything with my left hand. Now I can shoot with both hands. I hope it comes in handy.
GB: Was that your first time on a shooting range or had you been through that before?
Karen: I’ve been to a shooting range before. Not really training or studying the positions. This time I was with an instructor over the course of weeks. I had to go to the range quite a few times to make sure I was doing everything the way I was supposed to.
GB: Was the actor behind Chris Redfield there with you and any of the stunt training or some of the motion capture?
Karen: Yeah, Reuben Langdon, who portrays Chris Redfield was quite present during the training, the green screen shoots and the motion capture. We were with all the other actors and the other cast members frequently. We would be working with them on set. It really wasn’t until we got into the voice work that we’d be alone in the booth, putting in all the voice with the motion we recorded. Reuben was a great help, because he’s been doing it a while now. He has many credits under his belt. It was great to have him there to guide me.
GB: Yeah, he’s been involved in other Capcom games like Devil May Cry and Dead Rising. He’s experienced with zombies, huh?
Karen: He’s pretty experienced with zombies, yeah. Our two characters are pretty much attached at the hip for most of this game, as you’ll see when you play it, because of the co-op feature. So you know, I really didn’t make a move without Chris (Reuben) being there. It was good to have that experience.
GB: I heard that Capcom thought that you both made such a great combination that they’re thinking about making some kind of action trilogy or film possibly?
Karen: There are things in the talks. I’m not allowed at this moment to say anything about it. Yeah, they were pretty excited about our pairing and the chemistry that we had. It’d be great to do another project with him.
GB: Cool so you may be involved in more action stuff?
Karen: Yeah, and I’m a big action fan, so that’s definitely up my ally. It’s definitely something I’d like to do.
GB: It looks like the initial sentiment out there from the gaming community is very positive that in this Resident Evil there’s a stronger lead female character. Rather than the last one where you played Leon as a main character and primarily helped Ashley out. With this game you have a very tough character. Do you think in this game the undead forces are tougher and it takes the combination of you and Chris to take them on?
Karen: Yeah, I think Capcom definitely upped the stakes with what the player has to play up against with these zombies. They are meaner. They are tougher. They are much more complicated than in the past. It does take teamwork to defeat them. I think it’s such a great addition to the series. Whether you are playing it by yourself and you have the other character helping you out or you’re playing it with another person. I think it adds that next level of difficulty and challenge to the player. The zombies have gotten a little bit brighter on this one. They’re a little quicker on this one.
GB: On the Resident Evil website, it says that your character’s "highly conditioned body allows her to pull of some attacks" that Chris couldn’t do. What are some of those attacks? What do you think Sheva brings into the mix that Chris can’t?
Karen: Her frame alone allows her to be a little bit more physical as far as acrobatics. She’s much more of a gymnast than Chris is. She still knows her way around the artillery, but there are times when you’ll see her being thrown on top of a building or she’ll be able to hike up on something a little bit quicker than Chris does. She’s lighter. She’s more agile. She’s got a lighter speed on her.
GB: What are some of the other benefits she provides in the game? Is there anything she helps out the main player with?
Karen: In most of the scenes that I’ve been able to play, which I was able to play in the Tokyo Game Show, she definitely knows her way around a gun which comes in handy when you need her to back you up. Also, the territory. This is her country, so it’s good to have someone who knows the territory where Chris is kind of coming in. She’s coming with a history already attached to the area.
GB: How do you think her composure is throughout the game? Is it somewhat along the lines of the Resident Evil films? Like Alice, the main character in the Resident Evil films? Is she kind of cool and calculated?
Karen: She’s younger than the Chris Redfield character and she comes in very passionate and youthful. There’s a little bit more of a hope coming from her because she really wants to do good. She really wants to save her people. I don’t think that makes her cool. I mean, she’s competent so she’s very confident. But I think she is also driven, heart-wise. She’s got an emotional attachment to being there.
GB: Is your work with Capcom on Resident Evil 5 pretty much complete at this point?
Karen: As far as I know, I would say 99%. We finished all the voiceover segments earlier on. I haven’t been called for anything more. I’m guessing right now they’re just working on post. My part is pretty much complete.
GB: From working on this role, what’s one of your most memorable moments on Resident Evil 5?
Karen: Wow, there’s so many. I would have to say it’s the action/fights scenes cause like I said before, I’m a big action fan and it was fun getting to do a lot of my own stunts. You know, high falls or fight scenes with weapons and the zombies. I got to be very physical, which I don’t always get the chance to do in some of the characters I play.
GB: On behalf of the GamingBits community and myself, thanks for joining us and thanks for making this possible! We look forward to seeing Sheva next year in Resident Evil 5.
Karen: Have a good time making Sheva kick ass!
