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From Toy to Toon: G.I. Joe Rocks in 'Valor Vs. Venom'

Janet Hetherington gets a mission report from Reel FX about Hasbros newest G.I. Joe animated direct-to home video/DVD, a Paramount Home Ent. release.

The G.I. Joe hero is back in action. All images Courtesy of Reel FX Creative Services © Hasbro Inc.

The G.I. Joe hero is back in action. All images Courtesy of Reel FX Creative Services © Hasbro Inc.

Time marches on... even for toy icon G.I. Joe, who turns 40 this year. Hasbro launched the G.I. Joe brand back in 1964, giving the world its very first action figure.

Fortunately the Real American Hero has been staying in shape, because Joes company is in for even more action in G.I. Joe: Valor Vs. Venom, an 80-minute computer-animated direct-to-home VHS/DVD hitting shelves September 14.

In G.I. Joe: Valor Vs. Venom, G.I. Joes special mission force must face the greatest threat yet from the evil Cobra organization. Hasbro is producing the original film, while Paramount Home Entertainment is distributing it.

Its really dynamic, says Dale Carman, co-founder and chief visioneer of Dallas-based Reel FX Creative Services, which has brought the G.I. Joe: Valor Vs. Venom adventure to life. Theres an epic cast, 36 significant characters, and huge battle scenes, he says.

Theres also an army of venomous monsters, soldiers of the villainous Cobra. Cobra combines the DNA of humans with the DNA of animals to create all sorts of creatures, Carman says. Through CGI, Reel FX has animated the nightmarish creatures, which have the attributes of scorpions, pythons, wolves and other deadly beasts.

This is not the first time Reel FX has worked on G.I. Joes animated missions. The companys director of entertainment, Chuck Peil, says that Reel FX first worked on a 60-second G.I. Joe trailer for Hasbro. It was so well liked, a 44-minute animated movie was proposed.

We had no budget and no time, so naturally we said, `Lets go for it! Peil says. The resulting animation, G.I. Joe Vs. Cobra: Spy Troops, was released last year packaged with some toys and aired on the Cartoon Network in September 2003.

The Toy Comes First

With Valor Vs. Venom, the challenge was to make an even longer, even more exciting feature. With this kind of project, the toy comes first, Carman says. It starts with the toy. Hasbro had toys it was introducing and wanted to make a movie. Theres a nugget of an idea that has to be developed. The question is, `How do we tell a story with these toys?

It was definitely a team effort, Carman continues. Hasbro tapped Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens as the movies writers as well as Will Meugniot as exec producer. Meugniot previously served as one of the masterminds behind the original G.I. Joe Vs. Cobra animated television series.

As for Reel FX, the company found it needed all the resources of its team in Dallas, plus the capable contributions of animators in the U.K., Canada, South America, Europe, Australia and elsewhere around the world to get the project done on time. Youve heard of the `virtual studio? Well, this was it, Carman says. We had about 100 people in Dallas and another 200 worldwide working on this thing.

The characters, like Cobra Commander and Duke, were formed in 3D, but contain a 2D style look.

The characters, like Cobra Commander and Duke, were formed in 3D, but contain a 2D style look.

To animate Valor Vs. Venom, Reel FX utilized Maya animation software rendered on incredible Dell Poweredge Servers. qube! Remote Control and proprietary rendering software was used, with effects compositing created on Discreet Logics Flame and Inferno, D2 software NUKE and SGIs InfinateStorage NAS 2000 systems for networked storage. The company prefers to use keyframing rather than motion capture.

To achieve production economies, Reel FX implemented proprietary software for project management and real time tracking. We really got smart with improving communications, input and timelines, Carman says. We call our proprietary system GNAT Globally Networked Animation Team.

Carman says that the companys overall goal was to use the same techniques as in Lord of the Rings and Star Wars and apply it to a low-budget movie to achieve top-quality effects. As many of the scenes were set in exotic locales like Antarctica, the film was a rewarding challenge.

Carman is especially proud that in addition to the animation, Reel FX contributed to the design of several characters, which were included in the movie and are also being added to the toy line. We are a creative services studio, so we really enjoy being involved with other aspects as well as animation, commented Carman.

Extras, Extras

Paramount Home Ent. advises that the DVD of G.I. Joe: Valor Vs. Venom also offers special interactive entertainment. Features include an exclusive Venomous Maximus trading card in-pack (also in the VHS); a G.I. Joe trading card game guide, a G.I. Joe CD-ROM game; the making of Valor Vs. Venom, key character profiles, drawing board to film comparison, Valor Vs. Venom music video, Valor Vs. Venom trailer, plus a link to an exclusive G.I. Joe Website.

The Valor Vs. Venom DVD is presented in full screen format and features Dolby Digital English 5.1 and English Dolby Surround. The DVD is sub-titled in English and closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired. The DVD is priced at around $20 in the U.S. and around C$25 in Canada, and the release is encoded with the Macrovision Anti-Copy process.

The violence in this adventure is strictly of the PG variety.

The violence in this adventure is strictly of the PG variety.

The new G.I. Joe feature is rated PG for action violence in the U.S. by the Motion Picture Association of America and is rated PG in Canada. This production is definitely geared towards children, Carman says. We may have ended up doing kids stuff, but our goal is doing good stuff.

And while Reel FX is pursuing other projects with the likes of Disney (past clients have included Coco-Cola, American Airlines, Gatorade, CBS Sports, Showtime, HBO, Sci Fi Channel, McDonalds, Pepsi, Discovery Network and JC Penney, as well as such films as Spy Kids 2 - Island of Lost Dreams and Saving Jessica Lynch), the company is set for another mission involving G.I. Joe.

Were working on Ninja Battles, with characters based on the G.I. Joe ninja characters, Reel FXs Dale Carman says.

Its wonderful to tap into fun properties like this one, adds Chuck Peil, Reel FXs director of entertainment. Its a chance to work on something thats edgy and cool and different and surprising. As a creative based company, we want to bring our best to the development of any animation property. Were storytellers at heart.

Writer/artist Janet Hetherington is a storyteller at heart, with her short fiction appearing in the upcoming anthology Spooks from Twilight Tales, set for October release. Janet holds a degree in Journalism and has covered the animation and comicbook industries extensively. She scripts Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, for Claypool Comics and edits the Toy Report for the Canadian Toy Testing Council. In 1999, Janet received Canadas Aurora Award for excellence in science fiction and fantasy. She shares a studio in Ottawa, Canada with artist Ronn Sutton.

Voice Talents of G.I. Joe: Valor Vs. Venom

Duke - John PayneCobra Commander - Michael DobsonHi-Tech - Mark HildrethLink - Joe MayJinx - Venus TerzoKamakura - Terry ChenMindbender - Jim ForandaDusty - Andy TothTunnel Rat - Doron Bell, JrFlint - Brian DobsonDestro - Scott McNeilScarlett - Lisa Ann BeleySlice - Kevin OhjitsuHawk - Phil HayesHeavy Duty - Blu MankumaOverkill - Colin MurdockShipwreck - Lee TockarBaroness/Granny - Teryl RotheryBeachead - Lee TockarStormshadow - Ty OlssonPolly - Peter KelamisSlash - Brian DrummondWild Bill - Don DavisGung-Ho - Scott McNeilFrostbite - Louis ChirilloChief Torpedo - Phil HayesWetsuit - Phil HayesAce - Alistar AbelWild Weasel - Trevor Duval Venemous Maximus - Frank Salazar

Key Troops: G.I. Joe: Valor Vs. Venom

Key Troops: G.I. Joe: Valor Vs. Venom

Reel FX Creative Studios:(www.reelfx.com):

Dale Carman, Director and Effects CompositorDaley Miller, ProducerAugusto Schillaci, Lighting/Texture SupervisorHarry Michalakeas, Technical SupervisorKeith Osbourne, Supervising AnimatorBarrett Lewis, Compositing/FX SupervisorTim Archer, EditorFrank Salazar, Sound Designer and Sound MixerJuniper Music, Original ScoreJohn Hunter, Senior Composer, Juniper Music

Hasbro:

(www.hasbro.com)

Valor Vs. Venom written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-StevensCarol Monroe, Executive ProducerSteve Drucker, ProducerWill Meugniot, ProducerDerryl DePriest, Director of MarketingBilly Lagor, Senior Brand ManagerGreg Leeds, General Manager, Boys Division

Paramount Home Entertainment:

(www.paramount.com/homeentertainment)

Thomas Lesinski, Worldwide President