GI Joe Fan Film - Operation: Red Retrieval - the epic full film by director Mark Cheng

Larry Hama, the godfather of the GI Joe mythology liked the film! I spoke to him on the phone and he shared it on his facebook wall!! :)

Jon Chu (director of GI Joe 2) tweeted about this film: "Mad respect for the filmmakers who went out and made that fan film! So cool and the sign of true storytellers who just do it!"

Listen to 1 hr interview with director and actor Mack Kuhr (Zartan). Segment starts 5 minutes in:
http://generalsjoes.com/2011/12/02/episode-32-of-whats-on-joe-mind-is-online-...

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Director's Statement
This is NOT the GI Joe movie you've all been dying to see.

This is NOT the GI Joe movie you're dying to unsee.

This is the GI Joe movie I saw in my head more than 25 years ago. I watched the cartoons, read the comics, and collected the toys when I was a kid. Eventually I moved on from GI Joe but from that franchise came my love for war movies - Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Band of Brothers - and my deep respect for the armed services and the men and women who serve.

Through working on this film - a process that took a year and a half - I realized the significance that GI Joe played in my childhood. Batman works alone, X-men was about strength in diversity, Transformers was pure awesome robots. But GI Joe was about a team of heroes working together, taking care of one another, never giving up, and staying until the fight was won. That's what I saw in my head, kept in my heart, and what I've tried to put into this film. As adults we've lost some of our innocence and, tragically, some of our idealism. We know heroes don't dodge bullets by doing cartwheels. Sometimes they get hurt, sometimes they don't come home. But under layers of dirt, grime, and blood, the hero is still there and he still sacrifices. And it's under those same layers of dirt and blood, that the spirit of GI Joe will always live.

The other thing I wanted to capture is that feeling from when I was 8 years old lying the floor with my action figures. I'd line up my GI Joe figures next to my Star Wars figures next to my He-Man figures and next to my Autobot Transformers. It didn't matter that the toys were of a different scale, possessed inexplicable powers, came from different brands, or lived in different universes. The ONLY things that mattered was that Good was about to defeat Evil, and that it was going to be SOOOO AWESOMEEEE.

So in a way, this is not the GI Joe movie I saw in my head 25 years ago. The film started that way, grew up like I did, got dirty like the world around us, but finds itself once again like the inner kid we all have within us.
~mark cheng


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Operation: Red Retrieval is a 20 minute live action GI Joe fan film that was written, directed, and edited by Mark Cheng.

Created over a period of 18 months, the film reflects a new paradigm in filmmaking. New technology gives rise to new techniques which in turn result in professional-level production values and visceral storytelling at a fraction of the studios' costs.

Cheng enlisted professionals- actors, stunt men, make up artists, sound designers, and composers - from the PA, NJ, NY area and filmed the movie over a period of 5 days with a Canon 7D, a digital SLR camera. The production cost approximately $2500.

Cheng single-handedly completed over 180 visual effects shots over the course of a year.


A shot by shot break down of all the visual effects: http://gijoefanfilm.com/visual-effects

WHO DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE SEQUEL? Tell me at https://www.facebook.com/GIJoeFanFilm

Mark Cheng - director/producer/writer
me@markcheng.com


Mack Kuhr - actor (Zartan)
mack.kuhr09@gmail.com

Matt Hayek - actor (Flint)
www.matthayekacting.com

Alex Jones - actor (Road Block)
mrajones@hotmail.com

Joe Barbagallo - actor (Beach Head)
Joe.Barbagallo.nyc@gmail.com

Jae Greene - stunts
jae.greene@gmail.com
www.fearlesshyenasstunts.com

Joey Min - fight choreographer
thatguyjoeymin@gmail.com

Jon Truei - fight choreographer & action supervisor
Jontruei@gmail.com
http://vimeo.com/jontruei

David Campbell - composer
davidthecomposer@gmail.com

Tim Bennett - sound design
timobennett@gmail.com

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Film
• gi joe
• fan film
• epic
• action
• modern warefare
• short film
• canon 7d

[fredericshie12]

Your vid is a favorite on Uganda

[markcheng]

@fredericshie12 How can you tell?

[SteveMcQueen24]

motoko kusanagi or hicks and the colonial marines should be in the next one, great work

[markcheng]

@SteveMcQueen24 Thanks. Would love to have colonial marines team up!! Who would be good against Motoko? She's so hardcore. i thought maybe firefly but even he wouldn't be a good enough match

[LeifEricson123]

I'm 32 and I still play with my toys. You really captured the spirit of playing --if not in the film, then in your words afterward. That list of potential allies may induce nerdgasm. Nerds reading this beware.

[markcheng]

@LeifEricson123 thanks! i really appreciate it!

[markcheng]

@SgtHouse ALL YOUR MINUTES ARE BELONG TO US!

[smutoys]

There's too much to touch for me to comment here, like this. And I'm sure majority of what I'd have to say has been said already. I simply want to say that was an excellent film, as a lifelong G.I. Joe fan and hardcore fan of all things geek, it was a joy to watch. I applaud all the effort that went into the making of this film, and impressed with that it was done for only $2500.

[DARRELLMAYES]

Great video enjoyed it you have great talent

[psybergeist]

Bring on Russ and the Space Wolves.



[wakkaboom1987]

Hell yeah, good show mang.

[TheAlexZayne]

This is incredible. It deserves more Views!!!

[derekwlee]

@leshy69 knowing capslock is half the battle...

[leshy69]

OK, 1ST LET ME SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR STAYING TRUE TO THE CHARACTER AND THEIR APPEARENCES. ZARTAN LOOKED GREAT, THE COBRA TROOPS WERE COOL(LOVED WHEN THEY YELL COBRA!!!!.....3RD, THE THUMBS UP WITH SNAKES EYES EAS RIGHT OUT OF THE CARTOON, SO UNEXPECTED!! SO GREAT

4TH WHY AREN'T YOU DOING THE HOLLYWOOD VERSION.... WITH A BIGGER BUDGET I KNOW YOU WOULD STAY TRUE AND FINALLY BRING THOSE CHARACTERS TO LIFE....PLEASE KEEP DOING THIS MOVIE....LOVE IT

[Nimisiskrash]

Dope as fuck!!! Yoooooooooo joe indeed! Keep up the great work.

[berge9884]

This was AMAZING!!!!

[Dylandog188]

OMG IT PAUSED ON 1:45! WHY WHY WHYYYYYYY