"Red Sand: A Mass Effect Fan Film" stars the voice of Commander Shepard himself, Mark Meer.
The students and faculty of the Digital Video Program at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe, Arizona produced the short. It was directed by grad Caleb Evan and takes place before the events of the original game. The film takes place during the discovery of the ancient Protheans ruins and how the detection pushes humanity towards journeying away from our solar system.
The young film director said that making a Mass Effect based film was a dream for him and the entire class was supported the idea.
"'Red Sand' was a dream for me, thinking back on my school career I never thought I'd get to make a movie based on a franchise as incredible as Mass Effect," Evans said in statement on the film's official site. "When the time came to decide what to make a film on we had played around with several ideas, but as soon as I said Mass Effect, the entire class was behind the idea. That momentum and excitement snowballed into an extremely dedicated group that made an incredible film."
Here is the official synopsis of the film:
"Serving as a prequel to the MASS EFFECT game series,"Red Sand" is set 35 years before the time of Commander Shepard and tells the story of the discovery of ancient ruins on Mars. Left behind by the mysterious alien race known as the Protheans, the ruins are a treasure trove of advanced technology and the powerful Element Zero, an energy source beyond humanity's wildest dreams. As the Alliance research team led by Dr. Averroes (Ayman Samman) seeks to unlock the secrets of the ruins, a band of marauders living in the deserts of Mars wants the ruins for themselves. Addicted to refined Element Zero in the form of a narcotic nicknamed "Red Sand" which gives them telekinetic "biotic" powers, these desert-dwelling terrorists will stop at nothing to control the ruins and the rich vein of Element Zero at its core. Standing between them and their goal are Colonel Jon Grissom (Mark Meer), Colonel Lily Sandhurst (Amy Searcy), and a team of Alliance soldiers tasked with defending the ruins at all costs. At stake - the future of humanity's exploration of the galaxy, and the set up for the MASS EFFECT storyline loved by millions of gamers worldwide."
You can watch the full 14-minute film below. What do you think of "Red Sand?" Would you like to see the director make another film based on the Mass Effect series? Comment below...
