Biographies and documentaries are the most conventional ways of honouring legends and admiring the work they have done in their fields. This company in South Africa, however, took an unconventional route.
In a revered tribute to the Nigerian soccer legend Augustine Azuka Okocha aka ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, South Africa-based streaming platform Showmax, showcased the tales of his life in their first animated series, Jay Jay: The Chosen One. The makers delved into the childhood days of the football star in this work of animation, paying special attention to details like the African flora and fauna.
Jay Jay:The Chosen One follows the life of 11-year-old Augustine who dreams of representing his school at a prestigious football tournament with a team made up of his rag-tag group of friends. The series charts Jay Jay’s passion for football. A subplot explores Jay Jay’s love for animals and how his fight against illegal poaching grants him superpowers.
Nihilent Limited has produced Jay Jay: The Chosen One in partnership with the production studio 5th Dimension as well as animation studio i-Realities. In an interview with Animation Xpress, Aditya Shastri, a consultant working with Nihilent, gave a glimpse of the making of the biographical show.
The show is made on a native of Africa, and for the audience in the continent, making it of utmost importance to create characters that are relatable for the people in the African countries. Shashtri revealed how the characters in the show are uniquely crafted to reflect West African body, skin, and hair types. “The character designs were created in India with the intention of being relatable to the people in Africa, incorporating elements like walk cycles, appearance and skin texture.”
Since Okocha is the protagonist of this show, the 5th Dimension team and the series director Jairaj Padmanabhan dedicated over a year to conducting an in-depth research on the footballer. They delved into various aspects of his life, including his educational background, family dynamics, and the cultural context of his birth place Enugu in Nigeria, three decades ago.
The creation of the town of Enugu is a testament to the attention to detail in this series. “From the background plates to the vegetation, including the iconic baobab tree and local flora, no effort was spared to ensure authenticity and prevent any generic elements from creeping in,” Shastri highlighted. “Furthermore, the series features a diverse range of animals native to African geography, each meticulously designed and created.”
Regarding Okocha and his family’s assistance on building the footballer’s character, Shashtri shared, “Obtaining Jay Jay Okocha’s approval on his character’s appearance was crucial. Since there were limited colour pictures of him as a child, the team had to rely on references from his son, AJ, to accurately portray his childhood image. The team’s commitment and hard work paid off when Jay Jay Okocha witnessed the lifelike portrayal of himself and his brother Emma in the artworks and animations.”
5th Dimension played a significant role in the creation of the series. They took Nihilent’s brief and developed the idea, which was pitched to the client. As the show’s executive and line producer, 5th Dimension was responsible for assembling a team of talented individuals, including the director and key department heads. The director and line producer from the studio worked closely with Jay Jay Okocha throughout the character’s development. Okocha expressed immense satisfaction upon realising the high-quality product being delivered, especially regarding the conservation of wildlife, which is a central theme of the series.
A promotional video featuring Okocha was shot in South Africa, showcasing the interaction between his real-life and animated versions.
With this series, streaming platform Showmax has ventured into the world of animation, marking its first foray into the genre. Even for production company Nihilent, it is their debut animation project.
Nihilent collaborated with 5th Dimension and iRealities owing to their expertise. 5th Dimension, known for projects such as The Man Who Knew Infinity and the blockbuster film Hotel Mumbai, brings a wealth of international production expertise and talent to all their content. As for iRealties, it is an innovative animation studio in India known for producing animated works – like Sheikh Chilli & Friendz and Chaar Sahibzaade – since 1994.
Sharing about their experience of bringing this series to life, Shashtri concluded, “Bringing a story to life is always exhilarating, but having the chance to depict the childhood image of a globally renowned football superstar is an extraordinary and rare opportunity.”
The animated series Jay Jay: The Chosen One consists of 13 episodes. It is currently streaming on Showmax and is available in the entire African continent.