When Stephen Sommers set out to turn G.I. Joe into a movie, it’s safe to assume he didn’t expect having to deal with camels in his studio. But transforming a toy and animation franchise to live action brings unexpected challenges (and probably shovel-worthy messes).

In the exclusive commentary clip above, Sommers tells Wired.com how a green screen, a couple of camels and a lot of faith made for a cool CG effects shot in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. The movie arrives on shelves Tuesday on DVD and Blu-ray.

Clip courtesy Paramount

See also:

• G.I. Joe, Transformers Super-Huge Megasets Finally Arrive
• Movies: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Launches Stealth Attack
• Training Aside, Making G.I. Joe Was ‘Vacation’ for Actor
• GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra Special Effects Commentary – Video – Wired
• Exclusive: New G.I. Joe Toys Coming Soon