Growing up in Ghana, West Africa, Emmanuel Sampene came to the University of Pittsburgh to earn his PhD in Biostatistics. After working for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is Professor of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, and Director of the University’s Data Science Core.
Q. Hello
Emmanuel, it's a pleasure to have you with us for this interview.
Congratulations on your ‘Best Animation’, ‘Best First Time Director’ and ‘Best VFX’ awards at last May's edition of the “Rome International Movie Awards” (click HERE).
Your new animation series is “Turkey Pinky Pants”: in a few words, what is it about?
A. "Turkey Pinky Pant" is animation is a 3D-animated comedy/drama series that uses heart-felt, slapstick humor in the service of universal messages about living in a civil society. The stories have subject matter that is digestible enough for young ones to enjoy, while holding life lessons that older teens can also enjoy. I think the adults really relate to the humor of the series.
Q. Now what got you into screenwriting in the first place and did you receive any formal training on the subject?
A. I don’t have formal training in screenwriting, as most of my writings pertain to academic work. However, I started writing and producing the show after the reaction I received when I first introduced the character and the story to my children at bedtime. I knew instantly that I had stumbled on something special.
A. The process typically involves generating an idea for an episode. Then I make the first rough draft and send it to the production team. We brainstorm ideas to improve the script. This phase of the process involves a lot of back and forth, until we agree on the final script. Once the final script is obtained, it serves as the basis on which the animatics and eventual episode is produced.
Q. Where the inspiration to write "Turkey Pinky Pants" comes from?
A. The inspiration for "Turkey Pinky Pants" came from the bedtime stories I tell my kids (ages 10, 7, and 4 years old). I see firsthand how powerfully they react to these stories. I came to the realization that if my kids enjoy the stories so much, given their age variations, then other kids will enjoy the stories too. Also, some of the stories are tied to folklores I learned as a kid growing up in Ghana. In future episodes, we use African society as a backdrop to show the world the daily lives of the people. But the stories address universal concepts, such as struggles, friendship, perseverance, patience, opportunities, resilience etc.
Q. And what can you tell us about your work prior to "Turkey Pinky Pants"?
A. I am a University Professor, and my formal training is Biostatistics, the statistics used in medical research - which has nothing to do with animation production. It’s been incredibly exciting to tap into my creativity to produce such a beloved show on this scale.
Q. Writers who inspire you?
A. Andy Hamilton, Morwenna Banks, Issa Rae, Joe Brumm, Sam Simon, and David Alan Grier.
A. My two favourite books are "The measure of a man" by Sidney Poitier and "The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando De Soto.
Q. You also work in the production departments, right?
A. Yes, I am the creator and producer of the show. However, as the team expands and the production racks up, I’d bring on board other producers to help manage those departments.
A. On "YouTube" (HERE), "Facebook" (HERE), "Instagram" (HERE) and "IMBD" (HERE).
Q. Thank you for this very inspiring interview, Emamnuel. Here at the “Rome International Movie Awards” we look forward to seeing and appreciating your new film productions!
A. We are genuinely excited about winning the 'Best Animation', 'VFX' and 'Director' categories. It’s been invigorating to the team. This is indeed a shot in the arm to inspire our team to continue to produce contents that pushes the boundary in storytelling and technical excellence. We hope this is the first of many to come. Be on the lookout for Season 2 coming up!
No comments:
Post a Comment