Vanessa Obioha speaks with screenwriter Emmanuella Amidu about her latest project, the upcoming animated sci-fi series ‘Secrets of the Multiverse.’ Produced by Blessing Amidu and directed by Adebisi Adetayo of 3AD Animation, the project marks a significant milestone for Amidu, who began writing the screenplay at age 16 and completed it at 19. Now, she expands her creative role by stepping into the booth as part of the voice cast, taking on a character in the Hot Ticket Productions series.
You wrote the screenplay for Secrets of the Multiverse and also voiced a character in it. How does it feel stepping from behind the script into the world you created?
It feels surreal. Almost like a fairytale. I got to voice-act my favourite character and in more ways than one, I see myself in her. We’re both creators and not just that, there’s a reason behind everything we do. This specific character is extremely brilliant and I got to feel her brilliance as I voice acted. In another life, I’d probably be her.
Having lived with these characters as a writer, did that make voicing your character easier or did it come with its own challenges?
Writing my characters required me to go inside their heads, feel their feelings. Because I know who they are on a fundamental level, I’m able to properly articulate their emotions and their vocals to the best of my abilities.
Is this your first time voice acting? If so, what did your preparation process look like, and what surprised you most about the experience?
Yes, it was. To prepare, I read my lines over and over again, I imagined the scenes, and put myself in the Kreator’s shoes as I practised. To be honest, I was surprised to find that voice acting is quite hard. It takes a lot of time and passion and you have to be prepared to give it your all.
What was it like hearing your words performed—either by yourself or other cast members—for the first time? Did anything sound different from how you imagined it?
It’s been ecstatic seeing my work being animated. I am grateful I was able to be a part of the process in many ways other than writing. I got to supervise voice recordings and I got to see how excited the cast was as they trained and eventually as they recorded.
What do you hope audiences take away from ‘Secrets of the Multiverse’?
There are multiple lessons in ‘Secrets of the Multiverse.’ I couldn’t possibly list them all but one that’s very important to me is to always have fun. There will always be problems in life. They never stop. You just have to learn to keep enjoying your life as you navigate those problems. Otherwise, you’ll never be happy.
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