Surgent Studios’Dead Takeis a game that is unafraid to explore the darker side of the acting industry. InDead Take,friends and fellow actors Chase Lowry and Vinny Monroe (Neil Newbon and Ben Starr) are fighting for the same role in the latest film from legendary director Duke Cain. Creative Director Abubakar Salim based Chase, Vinny, and the rest of the game’s characters on his own experiences in the acting industry, and the actors in turn drew from their own frustrations and triumphs.
Abubakar Salim Drew On Others' Stories And His Own Experiences
At an event attended by Game Rant,Salim and Newbon spoke about what inspired themwhen creatingDead Takeand portraying Chase Lowry, respectively. “The inspiration came from the experience of what I’ve witnessed as an actor,” Salim revealed, “[and] the stories that I’ve heard from other actors and actresses.” He focused on how life in the industry can change an actor, and how they can become someone completely different due to their pursuit of fame and success.
“I have seen, in life, those who have been so close to that big break, but are kind of always second,” Salim explained. “And what that does to an actor is one of the things I focused on.” Salim, who founded Surgent Studios and previously createdTales of Kenzera: Zau,has always been open about his desire to create opportunities for actors in an industry that often fails to do so. He chose Starr and Newbon for the roles of Vinny and Chase because he felt they had been through some of the same experiences and could draw on that to inform their performances in the game.
Chase Lowry Was “Deeply Personal” For Neil Newbon
“You heard it in the trailer - it’s fu**ing hard,” Newbon said when asked how he drew on his own experiences to effectively portray Chase Lowry. The experienced actor has had many triumphs in his career, such as his award-winning performance asAstarion inBaldur’s Gate 3,but he has experienced setbacks as well, and was open about how difficult his path has been and how that helped him embody Chase’s desperation and frustration:
“It’s really hard being an actor, and you do have to sacrifice a lot, and nobody really articulates that until you experience it. People can tell you it’s going to be hard, but you don’t understand what that means until you become a creative in any kind of field. Because at that point, you realize what self-sacrifice for an art, for something that you’re passionate about, ultimately really means.”
However, Newbon also revealed that his portrayal of Chase did not draw specifically from his own experience — a fact that he didn’t truly realize himself until it was pointed out to him by his friends. “There’s a tiny bit of Troy [Baker] in there,” Newbon enthused. “He’s an incredible actor and also a force of nature and really was a huge pioneer for all of us in games” He describedTroy Bakeras “one of the first superstars of games,” and explained that he saw his fellow actor as an inspiration to the point that he unconsciously drew on Baker when bringing Chase Lowry to life.
Dead Takeis a far darker and spookier game thanSurgent Studios’previous offerings — Salim and Newbon advised players to experience the game with headphones on, and to “have a friend on speed dial” for some of the scarier moments. So much of what makes the game an effective horror story is its willingness to acknowledge that with each triumph, there comes a setback, as well as just how much actors will truly sacrifice for their art.
