Owen Dennis (Among Us)

Owen Dennis, creator of *Infinity Train* and the animated series *Among Us*, reveals how he transformed a viral video game into a TV show that balances absurdity with emotional depth. He emphasizes that the key to making a successful adaptation isn’t slavish fidelity to source material, but instead creating something that stands on its own—where every joke, character, and moment works without requiring prior knowledge. Dennis shares his unique process: starting with a central theme (like trust in *Among Us*), then building characters from archetypes but grounding them in real human contradictions—like a socialist water delivery driver. He also breaks down the art of the 11-to-14-minute episode, where every second must multitask: advancing plot, deepening theme, and layering emotion. His secret? Deliberately misaligning emotional arcs from physical plot arcs so viewers are pulled into the next episode not by danger, but by unresolved feeling. This approach, he says, makes serialized storytelling feel inevitable and deeply satisfying. As he looks ahead, Dennis is stepping into live-action horror comedy—a bold pivot from animation—driven by a hunger for creative risk and the belief that now is the perfect time to experiment. His inspiration? *Backrooms*, *Taskmaster*, and the timeless magic of *Ocarina of Time*.