The new comedy on the block

Son of Zorn is a one-of-a-kind, live animation show, where animated character Zorn, a Barbarian dad leaves his animated world to reconnect with his real human teenage son in suburbia. Actors Cheryl Hines, Johnny Pemberton, Tim Meadows, director Eric Appe of The Office fame and showrunner Sally McKenna speak about the intricacies of creating something this unique.

Hows filming been for you? Can you talk about the logistics of shooting the show?

Cheryl: Well, logistically, it’s challenging. Because, you know, you’re doing a scene with nobody. And it’s also challenging because you know that Zorn is going to be animated, and he takes up a certain amount of space. So, you can’t really cross over into his plane when you’re acting.

Eric: Yeah, it’s very complicated. There’s a reason that there havent been any shows like this on television at this level of integration. Basically, it’s almost like making two shows in one — we make a live-action show that you have to prep to put this animated character into, so we have an actor, Dan Weber, who plays Zorn on set — he’s an improviser comedian from L.A. We shoot a rehearsal take with him and then he leaves, we set eyeline marks, and then he reads all his lines off-camera.

Simultaneously, there’s an animation supervisor on set taking that rehearsal take and drawing all these reference poses for Zorn in so the editors have them, so they’re not just looking at a blank screen. And then I record Zorn’s voice when we do our editors cut and the directors cut of the show. Once we get it to where we like it, we bring Jason Sudeikis into the process, he records Zorns voice. You know, he improvises, he changes things, we rewrite little Zorn moments. Then, finally, once we get it done and lock a cut, the animation part of it can begin.

Was it fun being with an animated character?

Johnny: It’s so nice. I had a whole week, I think, once, where I was hardly ever working with a real, live person. It was one of those things where, to look at someone, I think you and I were communicating. It was like, oh, we can actually express things with our eyes.

What about your character’s relationships?

Cheryl: I play Edie. I play Zorn’s ex-wife, and you know, I want him to have a relationship with his son, although Zorn drives me crazy. Every time you try to get him to do one tiny, normal thing it turns into he’s got his sword out and he’s beheading people!

Tim: I play Edie’s fiance, and so Zorn and I are competing for Edies affection. And my character’s a lot more considerate and caring, and almost a nerd, and square, almost.

Tim: He’s a really likeable person, but as the show evolves, you see that he has his issues, also. He really loves Edie and Alan.

Johnny: Alan’s relationship with Zorn is kind of contentious, and there’s a lot of resentment there because his dad wasn’t there — a relationship with a teenage person who’s already going through enough, then has to deal with trying to negotiate the relationship with an absentee father who’s returning.

Was it difficult to stay on this line where you do have to move your plot forward, but at the same time you do have these characters that have this backstory that people want to see?

Sally: I think the first few stories are just what Zorn would want-he comes in the pilot and he doesnt want to change at all. He moves in, gets an apartment, a job, starts working in a company that makes industrial soap dispensers. The arc of the whole first season is his evolution in trying to change.
(The show airs at 10:30 pm on Sundays on Star World and Star World HD)