THE GAME:  THE REALITY OF VIRTUAL REALITY
The "Dead Or Alive" series from Tecmo was called by www.gamespot.com "one of the most visually stunning and deep fighting games to be released with gorgeous environments, dazzling effects and unbelievable character models." Fans worldwide have responded enthusiastically by buying more than 6 million copies, making it one of the best-selling videogame series ever.
Producer Paul W.S. Anderson explains one of the reasons he and producing partner were drawn to the idea of turning "Dead Or Alive" into a movie. "We're huge fans of the video game. I've played it a lot. We find it multicultural, with different people coming together. On this production we did the same: We hired the best crew from all over."
One of the challenges in making a film from a videogame is creating a solid storyline from a source that, by virtue of its human interactivity, is designed to have multiple plots and outcomes. Director Cory Yuen tackles this, as one would imagine, head on. "Because the game itself is controlled by a human being it is amazing, but this movie is actually very ALIVE. It's much more human than the game which is coming from a computer or Xbox."
He says, "The action is the basis of the movie, but the friendship between the girls and how and why they go from competition to becoming friends is also very important."
And then there's the special effects challenge: How can you re-create state-of-the art CGI graphics with live actors on real-life sets? Eschewing the easy route of shooting the majority of action scenes against a green screen, Yuen embraced the unique possibilities offered by real actors trained to do astonishing stunt work against breathtaking outdoor scenery. He refused to be limited by any real or imagined limitations of a live-action motion picture.
Simply put, "If you have the money and the imagination, you can do anything," he declares.
Added to the game-to-movie challenge was the international cast and crew (four languages were spoken on the set - English, Cantonese, Mandarin and German), and the distinction of being the first Western film ever to shoot in China's famed Hengdian World Studios.
Yuen admits it would have been easier to create the dramatic fight action in postproduction.
But for anyone who has ever seen the director's work in the international hit action-thriller The Transporter, the word "easy" is not a part of his vocabulary. "The characters in the game and the film are very similar but the two worlds are very different," says Yuen. "It's relatively easy to make an action film these days if you use CGI.
It's not like when I began in the business when a team of artists would have to painstakingly paint each frame to hide the wires during fight scenes. But there's a bad side to CGI: It's not as exciting as the real thing. When actors have to pretend that a situation is exhilarating or even dangerous, the audience can see the difference - no matter how good the actors are."
"I have played video games all my life, and 'Dead Or Alive' is a great fighting game," states Kane Kosugi. "Compared to other games, this one has a lot of girls and they are really strong. Each character has a different style, and I like making this movie because all the actors look like their game characters and have studied their moves."
Brian White sums up the "Dead Or Alive" game-turned-into-movie this way, "It's a fun game, and I think if we can make a movie that is that much fun we have done it right!"

THE CAST:  BRINGING DEAD OR ALIVE TO LIFE
While Cory Yuen's non-stop signature style of action directing is all over Dead Or Alive, the legions of loyal "Dead Or Alive" game fans need not worry that too much has been changed. All their favorite combatants will be instantly recognizable. "We look exactly like the characters in the game," says Holly Valance. "It's really amazing how the cast was transformed by hair, make-up and wardrobe and became these characters."
Valance admits never having played the game before. "I'm not a big video-game kind of girl," she says, but once she got the role of Christie, she became a huge fan. "I tried lots of other games but I discovered that 'DOA' was actually the one I could play. So I do play it regularly now. I'm pretty good."
Devon Aoki was introduced to the world of "Dead Or Alive" by her little brother. "He was 15 and a big 'Dead Or Alive' game fan. He told me Kasumi was really cool and he'd kill me if I didn't go on the audition! After I got the part I played the game with my brother for the first time, and I could see why there was a huge following for the game. We have tried to make our characters as close as possible to those in the game."
On the set, cast members were given Xbox video game players complete with "Dead Or Alive." "It's really surreal to sit down with the rest of the cast and play as your own character," says Brian White, who plays street-savvy Zack in the film. "You know, it's a fun game - fast-paced and action packed." But there was another purpose in encouraging the cast to play the game. "When I'd played Zack in the game, I started to learn some of his moves, his mannerisms and really got into his character," he says.
Sarah Carter feels she knows the key reason for the game's success. "All the characters are developed with such detail. They all have their own style of fighting, their own style of dressing, and there's a real back-story to everyone's character. So when you're playing, you feel like you know the fighter."
Valance echoes the importance of maintaining the individual look and personality of her character. "I looked up Christie on all the Internet forum sites, and I saw everyone's opinion of her and how they think she should be. It's a challenge because there's a lot to live up to. The fans really know these characters."
Natassia Malthe assumed the role and the unique look of Ayane. "I have long hair and it is black. I was a little skeptical toward having a short purple haircut, but it turned out great. And I love the costumes because they are slick and tight and sexy but you can also move in them."
Standing at 6'10", pro wrestler Kevin Nash confesses it was not too much of a personal "stretch" to play Bass. "The character in the video game also is a pro wrestler. My son and I played the game two years ago, so when they called me to read for the part I knew who Bass was. Five days later I was on a plane to China!"
Matthew Marsden plays the role of Max, a character that is different from the rest. "He's a fun character to play, it's a comedic role, and he doesn't fight! This is great considering the size of the other guys in the movie," Marsden laughs.
One of "those other guys" Marsden is referring to is Derek Boyer, who embodies the role of Bayman. Boyer has represented Australia in the World's Strongest Man Competition for the past nine years, and he also holds a Guinness Book of World Records title for pulling the heaviest vehicle ever (a 52 ton truck). On a whim Boyer decided to give acting a try, and after shooting his first screen test ever, he was immediately cast in Dead Or Alive.
"This is a learning experience, and I am loving it. I am watching everyone, taking it all in, and keeping an open mind. I feel you should do that when you go to a new place." Boyer says, "I know how the video game fans have seen Bayma. Now if I can transform him into my own interpretation of the character, I feel this will be a success."

THE TRAINING / STUNT WORK:  'WORK'-OUTS TAKE ON A NEW MEANING
Authenticity has its price, to which the cast can uniformly attest. The actors were put through a grueling training schedule in order to make their real-life characters live up to the extreme martial arts skills portrayed by their videogame counterparts.
All of the actors in the leading roles were already health conscience and physically fit.
Jamie Pressly, who portrays superstar wrestler Tina Armstrong, had trained for several years as a gymnast, dancer and kick-boxer. Sarah Carter, who plays rollerblader extraordinaire Helena Douglas, was formerly a professional dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Model-actress Devon Aoki had a background in martial arts, but is the first to admit, "I've never trained so hard for anything in my life."
Three months prior before the cameras rolled, the actors began their intensive training session. "Each of us had three stunt people assigned to work with us," recalls Aoki. "During the first part of our training, we focused on building our cardio-vascular endurance - jumping rope, running and stretching. And then we'd move into fighting techniques - hitting, kicking and punching with various martial arts moves. At the end we'd do weight-training with a bodybuilder. It was pretty rigorous."
In comparison, on Aoki's last film, Sin City, in which she also did the majority of her own stunt work, she trained for only two weeks!
Pressly embraced the intensive physical training that got even tougher when the cast arrived in China, with workout times increasing to as much as nine hours a day. "I've been an athlete all my life - dance, gymnastics, kickboxing. Still, it has been a very tough training session. But we had to do it. It's like how Hillary Swank had to train be a boxer to look authentic in Million Dollar Baby."
Holly Valance says preparing for her role as the thief Christie was both rewarding - and painful. "We trained for five for six hours a day - for months! I learned about pain in parts of my body I didn't even know existed. Essentially, I was 'crippled' for the first three weeks.
When I'd go out on weekends, I'd spend more time putting make-up on my body to hide the bruises than I would on my face," she quipped. Eventually, she worked through the training and found herself amazed at the results. "It was interesting watching how strength training changes your body. You feel so powerful afterwards."
The fitness regimen paid off. The actors performed most of their own stunt work that included climbing to the top of cliffs, falling off balconies, jumping from airplanes and leaping up to the top of palaces. Sarah Carter was grateful for the training when a scene called for her to fight 24 Ninja guards and geishas on top of 450 cement steps, all in a 100- degree day's work. "I was holding two 15-pound samurai swords, so I had to be on the ball for this fight. It was definitely challenging, but excitement doesn't come without challenges.
The stunts are just fantastic."
Still, the question begs, wouldn't it have been easier to hire professional stunt artists and teach them how to act instead? "First and foremost, our actors had to be actors. Both [director] Cory [Yuen] and I agreed that acting was the number one priority," says producer Jeremy Bolt.
"I allocated a long time for the cast to train. I knew they would all be young, and with Cory's incredible team of trainers, we could get them into shape, " Bolt continued. "But the main thing was the characters. Fans have come to know these characters and their backgrounds, so the actors had to be absolutely convincing in their roles."
Not all the actors were martial-arts neophytes. "Kane Kosugi and Collin Chou are superb martial artists. And Jaime Pressly is probably the best female fighter. All three were trained fighters before. The others had to learn martial arts from scratch," Bolt says. Kane Kosugi, who has a black belt in tae kwon do and karate, confessed that he was caught off guard when he first encountered his female castmates. "When I first arrived in China, we all had a training session together. They were really good, they were really cut and muscular and their punches and their kicks were really nice. I was really surprised and got really worried, and I started to practice even harder!"
Brian White says he also was blown away by the fighting skills of the female cast members. "I think people will be surprised seeing the product. These girls are tough!"

LOST…YET FOUND IN TRANSLATION! CORY YUEN DIRECTS
While each English speaking cast member was assigned a bi-lingual English and Mandarin speaking translator, director Cory Yuen also had a translator to assist him in communicating with his cast. Yuen is not fluent in English. But for Jamie Pressly, that was a non-issue. "I understood Cory without an interpreter. He's very charismatic that way," she says. Once, she says, when they were having a "conversation" on set about an upcoming fight scene, an interpreter arrived and began translating. "I told her it wasn't necessary. I knew what he wanted from his eyes."
Still, to ensure nothing was lost in translation, Yuen created a system of intricate storyboards to illustrate how he would like the fight scenes to be done. "Because much of the cast was new to doing action moves while acting, I felt I needed to use storyboards," says Yuen. "This helps with the communication barriers. Even though you describe an action move, actors don't really understand what it means visually until they see it." Each night, the scripted lines for the next day along with the storyboards would be given to the cast, complete with close-ups of facial expressions. Collin Chou, an actor with a vast background in martial arts, gives Yuen a great deal of credit for planning the fight choreography. "Cory and I go way back. He hired me for my first acting role when I was 18 years old. Our connection is very strong and I can anticipate the kind of performance he is looking for. We make a great team."
"He's a genius and a visionary. He's the most fantastic director that I've every worked with," says Sarah Carter. I've never had a problem understanding him. He's passionate about every shot every day, and he has more energy than any man I've ever seen. When people see this movie, they won't believe the action scenes are real and not CGI."
A champion martial artist and self-described spiritualist, Silvio Simac also shares the sentiments of his fellow actors. "Cory knows how to bring out the best in his performers, work around their strengths, and allow sufficient preparation and rehearsals. I love the way he visualizes and brings magic to the big screen."
Eric Roberts believes Yuen's background as a martial artist, stuntman, actor and especially director reveals itself in his filmmaking. "Not since Bruce Lee's films have you seen marital arts performed like this. Cory Yuen and his army of stuntmen are incredible. He is making this movie really about the beauty of martial arts, as well as what the video game 'Dead Or Alive' is all about. The action scenes are breathtaking. In the hands of a master choreographer like Cory Yuen, it's understandable why they call it martial arts. It's like watching art."

SHOOTING IN CHINA: WEST MEETS EAST
Cory Yuen realized that Dead Or Alive could have been shot in a variety of locations, such as the U.S. or Australia, but he decided to shoot the film in China for several reasons. "In the game a lot of the characters have Asian backgrounds and the costumes are Oriental or Japanese," he says. "Plus, I know China and I can control the quality and the budget much easier here."
The desire to maintain Eastern authenticity, to give the movie an Asian and Oriental touch, is the primary reason the shoot took place entirely on location in China and Hong Kong. The majority of the filming took place at The Hengdian World Studios, the expansive 25.6 kilometer lot that boasts 13 sets, including a massive reconstruction of Beijing's Forbidden City where the acclaimed feature film Hero was shot.
Another breathtaking location was The Yuzi Paradise, located on the outskirts of the city of Guilin, a region known for its stunning landscapes, verdant vegetation and strangely shaped hills, or karsts. The Yuzi Paradise is an enclave for world-renowned sculptors, whose works are strategically placed throughout the pastoral grounds, integrating art and environment.
Production designer James Choo set out to achieve a look combining Western and Eastern styles, with enough familiarity so game fans would know they were watching Dead Or Alive, but with a fresh mix of cultures. "We purposely contrasted scenes of grand palaces containing timeless Oriental motifs with sets that had a distinctly contemporary Western look, such as the interior of a jet plane or the high-tech DOA headquarters," he says. "We have done this to carry the attention of the audience from the past to the present, and on to an imaginative future."Costume designer Frank Helmer had a crew of 10 dedicated tailors who were responsible for sewing his original designs. Approximately 80 percent of the costumes were made from scratch and designed exclusively for Dead Or Alive. "The materials were primarily silks (charmuse, dupioni, china silk, and brocades) and linens. The 200 Ninja fighters' costumes were created from a mixture of cotton robes with leather and molded plastic armor painted with period details, and silk sashes and headbands."
Helmer based his costume designs on the ones donned by the "Dead Or Alive" video game characters. He had countless challenges to meet when he set out to modify these designs to fit real human actors working in extreme circumstances. "We had to make sure the costumes would accommodate the intense action sequences, and the heat and humidity of China in the summer was something we could not overlook. Some fabric choices had to be rejected because they would have been ruined in seconds. On one day five of the Ninja actors fainted from the heat," he sighed.
The cast discovered several pronounced differences between Hollywood and Chinese filmmaking and culture. For example, there were no craft services (food on set), only water, tea and coffee. "Everyday was lost in translation," says Holly Valance. "It's a real eye opener, a complete change of culture. The food, the beds, even the air is different. For those of us who never have been to China, it was like turning the world you know completely on its head. You learn to adapt and to lean on one another."
For China first-timer Sarah Carter, it was an opportunity to be immersed in a culture different from anything that she had ever experienced before, yet strangely familiar. "You may not understand the language or completely understand the culture, but you can connect with the Chinese people's humanity. They speak from the heart and that's a universal language."
Eric Roberts recalls the stark contrast between reote areas in China to the U.S. "I saw whole families living in clay huts, who work together in the rice fields, and if they are not happy, they at the least content. I really learned here how hard life can be. Yet the people just carry on. It gives new meaning to dignity."
For Steve Howey, who plays Weatherby, the appeal of filming overseas was quite simple: "I'm paid to hang out in China. How cool is that?"
Producer Jeremy Bolt shares his personal secret to successfully making a Western film in China. "As a Western producer, you're used to things operating in a certain way. But here in China, you have to be flexible. Things get done but not always the way you expect it. So you have take quite a relaxed approach while at the same time being prepared for anything. If you come here with a demanding must-have-it-now attitude, you'll be very unhappy," he says.
One of the greatest rewards of producing Dead Or Alive in China was working with such a devoted crew. Bolt says, "The passion of this crew comes from working with this director, Cory Yuen. They are all very dedicated to him, they want to work for him, and it's very much about the movie - not their selfish interest. They are very passionate about film."
"This is a new type of film that brings the whole Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sensibility to a younger generation," Devon Aoki explains. It's the first time younger people will be able to see the concept: East meets West. The movie is like a blend of two different sides of the world, as was making this movie. It made me see how driven and dedicated the crews are here and how much they love Cory."

DIRECTOR
Cory Yuen has more than 30 Hong Kong feature films to his credit and has mastered every aspect of filmmaking as a director, actor, writer, producer and action choreographer. His first U.S. project was the hit action comedy Lethal Weapon 4, for which he served as martial arts choreographer. He also was martial arts choreographer on Romeo Must Die, starring Jet Li.
The first English-language film Yuen directed was the action hit The Transporter for Twentieth Century Fox. He directed the second unit production for Twentieth Century Fox's sci- fi action film X-Men.
An alumnus of the prestigious Chinese Opera Academy, Yuen was one of the Seven Little Fortunes, a performing troupe that included fellow classmates Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. By the late '70s, he and the others had all gravitated toward film.
For the next two decades Yuen was involved in some of the most popular films ever produced in Hong Kong, including The Black Rose, Mahjong Dragon, High Risk, My Father is a Hero, The Bodyguard from Beijing, Fong Sai-Yunk I and Fong Sai-Yunk II, the latter four films starring Jet Li, and the critically-acclaimed So Close for Columbia Asia.

WRITER
J. F. Lawton was born Jonathan Frederick Lawton in Riverside, California. His father, Harry W. Lawton, a historian and novelist, is the author of Tell Them Willie Boy is Here, which became the basis for the 1969 feature film starring Robert Redford. Lawton attended California State University at Long Beach where he studied film-making.
After graduating, he worked for eight years as a film editor. During this time he wrote a number of screenplays including one called Three Thousand, which was selected by the prestigious Sundance Institute for their screenwriting workshop.
Three Thousand was purchased by The Walt Disney Studios. The title was changed to Pretty Woman, and the film was directed by Garry Marshall and starred Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. It became the largest grossing live- action film in Disney history with over $400 million in worldwide box office. Lawton was nominated for a Writer's Guild of America Award and a British Academy Award for this screenplay.
His next original screenplay became Warner Bros.' hit action film Under Siege, starring Steven Seagal and Tommy Lee Jones, which he also executive produced. It broke records for a fall theatrical release and spawned a successful sequel: Under Siege II: Dark Territory. Under Siege III is currently in development.
Among his other credits, Lawton co-wrote Mistress, a comedy starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and Martin Landau; wrote and directed The Hunted, which starred Christopher Lambert and John Lone for Universal Pictures; created and executive produced the Sony Television hit syndicated show "VIP," starring Pamela Anderson in a successful five year run, and co-wrote the screenplays for 20th Century Fox's Chain Reaction and Columbia's Blankman.

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