'Act of Valor' to Take Extreme Action Fans to New Extremes

The adrenaline junkie seems to always be looking for what’s next. What’s the next big thrill? The next event that pushes the envelope? The next star who will elevate the blood pressure? the new genre that will inspire and forge new territory?

Anyone who falls into that group should be anticipating “Act of Valor,” which will open nationwide on February 24, with high hopes.

The film is a dream for the fan of action sports, MMA, competitive gaming, strategy or even the military. Directed by the Bandito Brothers, “Act of Valor” will be the first of a series of films telling the story of Navy SEALS, only this film will have a twist.

Instead of over-tattooed, over-acted, over testosterone-driven action stars, “Act of Valor” has the real deal; it stars actual active duty Navy SEALS and their families, in a 90-minute adventure that reminds viewers of a documentary but is actually a well-scripted, carefully played out fictional tale of what goes into a SEAL rescue, based on actual events.

The directors of the film, Scott Waugh and Mouse McCoy, are no strangers to anyone who enjoys the action space. They have worked on video game integration, NASCAR and surfing films and a host of high-energy promotions, videos and short films that the male genre craves. 

Bleacher Report caught up with the directors to discuss “Act of Valor,” and their other thrill-seeking work.

Bleacher Report: In the film, one of the guys talks about being a Muay Thai fighter, which is part of MMA and has a big place in military training. Have you guys worked on MMA projects and what do you think of the sport and what the UFC has done?

McCoy: We think MMA is fantastic—we love it. It was great to work with Navy SEALS in the movie, but unfortunately we haven't had the opportunity to work with MMA, but we're looking forward to doing so in the future. It is clear the ties in strategy and the MMA are strong, and we think anyone who is interested in the UFC or trains in the sport will really enjoy seeing the amazing action scenes in the film.

BR: Many of your projects over the years have involved some pretty high-level athletes like Shaun White and Roger Federer among others. What is it like working with athletes vs. working with guys in the military. Neither are trained actors; is either group easier to work with in front of the camera than others?

Waugh: What is really great about working with pro athletes or Navy SEALS is that they are both very professional. The mindset and discipline in their vocations is inspirational. Our background is in documentary films, so we're used to working with real people, to flying in with a Navy SEAL and film them being themselves. That's what we say, be yourselves—we're not asking them to play a character.
 
BR: You have worked with a wide variety of athletes, from big names in the NFL to NASCAR drivers. Any one or two stories about athletes that you want to pass on?

McCoy: When we had the opportunity to work with the Pro Bowl guys; Clay Matthews, Jared Allen, Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Brees, we put them in a live operation for the Battlefield 3 video game. It was live ops training for 12 hours, and they had no idea they were going to do it. It was really fascinating to watch these men who are so incredible, who have earned so many accolades, put themselves in the special ops world. It was a whole other level of operation, non-stop, not stop-and-start play; it's a continuous 30 minute fight. It's interesting to hear them talk about the Navy SEALS; they have so much admiration for them.

BR: “Act of Valor” is obviously a guys movie. How intense was the action, were there points when you thought it had gone too far?

Waugh: We were really just trying to honestly communicate what these guys do for a living. It was their operational planning—legitimate in how it goes on. The human heartfelt story within the action really comes out in the film.

BR: The SEALS are obviously in great shape. Were there any particular routines or special training they had to do to get camera ready? Did they all have their own workout routine? Anything interesting come to mind?

McCoy: They were just being themselves, exactly what they do. We're proud that we used real guys and will let the world see how they operate. It's like working with the New York Giants on a football movie. The American public is ready for this dose of reality. The NFL does well because it's real players, not actors playing football. What is fascinating about the SEALs is that they train at this level every single day so they are ready for any fight at any time. They train for life.

BR: We are seeing more and more the gaming world intersect with sports and celebrities and you guys have worked in the gaming world a bit. How much more do you think that cross-over from gaming into movies and into reality is going to go in the next few years?

Waugh: For us, we want to make sure for those watching the film that it is true, not a video game. You can't just press restart. We're adamant about it not coming across as a video game, though it may seem like the viewer is immersed as if in first-person combat.

BR: What's the next project? Are there any athletes, storylines you would like to plan out going forward for a new project?

McCoy: We are committed to this type of new authentic action films, heartfelt stories immersed in action. We are bringing back the real action films, which slowly died out in the 80s and 90s.  We are getting away from the CG world—everything is on camera, all of the action.