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HTF SURVEY: What else would you like to see done with DVD? (2 Viewers)

David Susilo

Screenwriter
Joined
May 8, 1999
Messages
1,197
... and after giving thoughts and ideas, suddenly the "studios don't owe us anything" statement showed up.

Well, my 2 cents are

1. to have pan-scan on the fly, not innovative, but should be done to end the P/S and WS debacle,

2. no long-winded menu please. I long for the early days of simple menu. I just want the movie. Also, after you choose "play movie", I don't want to see MORE animation before the movie starts. Again, not innovative, but miss the days of LaserDisc when I can just skip the FBI warning, doesn't have to do setup, just go straight to the movie.
 

Scott DeToffol

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 25, 2000
Messages
244
Real Name
Scott DeToffol
Cool thread.

More ideas...

-- Along the lines of a few other suggestions: for SE movies use the first disk for movie only (with highest possible bitrates) and no supplements at all. Maybe just a quick menu for audio selection only, but by default you would put the disk in and the movie would start.

-- Commentaries are cool, but could be so much cooler. They could be produced like a documentary with branches (click the icon to learn more about what was said here). Maybe have the commentators visible in a split or superimposed window. I think the commentaries have the most room for improvement and innovation.
 

John Watson

Screenwriter
Joined
Jul 14, 2002
Messages
1,936
A lot of comments are in favour of better menus.

So, Perhaps we can look forward to remote "mouse" access to the on=screen menus, and escape some of the limitations and frustrations of the complex menus others prefer?

Programmability of concert DVD tracks, similar to our ability to program cd track sequences. Someone else mentioned this, but I think the lack of similarity from cd to DVD is a drawback.

These may both be "hardware" issues more than DVD, but its my 2 Cents worth...
 

Aaron Thomas

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Aug 14, 2001
Messages
67
Let me steal a couple of ideas here...
A disk should start on a basic menu with PLAY MOVIE, SETUP, and SPECIAL FEATURES.
PLAY MOVIE takes you right to the movie.
SPECIAL FEATURES takes you to them.
SETUP should allow you to select audio, subtitles, and "introduction type", which could be one of three settings:
1. NONE - I went to setup for DTS, now let me watch the movie.
2. TRAILERS - Other films' trailers before the movie, to give you some of that theater feel without going overboard.
3. EXTENDED OPENING - Go overboard. Give me the same pre-show entertainment that you would have had in the theater. Music, advertising, newsreels, cartoons, the works. Keep it timely to the release of the film in question, i.e. trivia games and modern advertisements before modern films only.
Other than a commentary, the "extended opening" should be the only extra on the first disk of a multiple disk release.
I'd like to see casting calls and rehearsals (if any:D ). Not only would it be an insight into the actors' craft, it's neat to see the changes made in the script and other choices made by the director.
Finally, when possible for re-releases of laserdisks or, yes, DVDs, I would find it interesting to have comparisons of commentary (voice tracks or otherwise) of the film when released versus today.
Aaron Thomas
who wants a revoice track for Do It Yourself commentaries, but doesn't have a DVD-ROM drive yet.
 

Bob Black

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jan 16, 1999
Messages
238
I would LOVE to have a demo montage of great film clips from a particular studio's movies. I know Fox and Universal toyed with the idea, but I don't think either got it right. Something along the lines of the THX WOW! disc that I have on LD - accessible right on the main menu.

It would be great to have the clip of Ripley and Bishop blasting from the planet (unknowingly toting the queen Alien) as the colony detonates - next, cut to Obi-Won and Qui-Gon fighting Darth Maul with their lightsabers - then cut to John McLean jumping from the Nakatomi building - Next, the scene in "Speed" where the bus jumps the gap in the freeway! Something along these lines, a solid five to ten minutes of exciting scenes to show off a great home theater system! And I would really highlight this option in the main menu so it wouldn't be overlooked.

I also agree with all the comments related to the start of a DVD. It should go RIGHT TO THE MAIN MENU immediately - no more of these pathetic 40 second FBI Warnings or trailers for other DVD releases. If trailers are included, let the viewer select to see them rather than forcing us to watch them or skip over them.

And one other minor thing - for those of us with front-projection systems it would be helpful if the main menus were in the same aspect ratio of the film itself. I select the aspect ratio for each movie before starting the DVD, and I have adjustable screens that conform to the aspect ratio of the film. When the menu comes up, the top and bottom are cut off and I can't read everything. If the feature is in anamorphic 1.85:1 aspect ratio, then all the menus and supplemental material should be consistent.

Thanks for the opportunity to voice our ideas. Just keep in mind that the most important thing is to release every movie (regardless of popularity) in the best possible video and audio presentation available (and that means anamorphic widescreen on EVERYTHING)!
 

Eric_L

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2002
Messages
2,011
Real Name
Eric
Why not a family-friendly option for viewing the film? Many films have scenes parents may find objectional which have little impact on the ultimate plot. It would require only a small effort by studios to give consumers with children the ability to watch popular releases with the whole family.

Many movies, Terminator, Matrix, Indiana Johnes, etc. are very attractive to children, but have scenes that parents may not feel comfortable withy letting their children view. A 'family-friendly' edit would be a godsend. I for one am tired of waiting until 9PM to watch certain new releases. Missing 10 seconds of a film is nothing compared to the amount of sleep I miss waiting until the kids are in bed before popping in the DVD!

A PDF of the script would be a cool addition also.

Maybe some notes or comments about the many locations where filming was done.

I love the unusual also, like the 'LEGO' version of Holy Grail, or M. Night Shyamalan's shareing of his early early amateur work. It would be fun to see a star trek version with the second audio track in Klingon with subtitles.
 

Stephen Orr

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 14, 1999
Messages
1,099
I'm all for the feature promised from the beginning where "family-friendly" versions of films using seamless branching could be selected as an option. There used to be a website (circa 97-98) that explained how it worked.
 

Amy Mormino

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jan 16, 2004
Messages
537
This may not be technologically possible or feasible for copyright reasons, but I would like a DVD where I could cut away and add certain scenes. Ever had a movie that you would love much more without a certain scene or line of dialogue? I'd like technology to remove a scene, probably not permanently, but so you wouldn't have to fast-forward when you watch.

And for movies with deleted scenes or endings, the option to add a scene that you like or take away the existing ending and add an alternative one would be great.
 

Casey Trowbridg

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2003
Messages
9,209
I can think of 1 thing I'd like more DVDs to include. Daredevil is one that has this feature, and I wish that others would include it also, not just because of my own impairments but I know many that would take more advantage of DVD if Descriptive video service tracks were included as an audio option.
 

MarcoBiscotti

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2003
Messages
4,799
This is nothing mind-blowing or super innovative, but I'd like to see more documentary features in context to the theme of the film.

For instance, Plattoon: SE could have included a very nice feature documentary about the Vietnam War w/ video footage, stories based on specific events & battles, interviews, etc.

Dances With Wolves: SE could have included a nice extra about the civil war and colonizing of the West, native american tribes and their relations, history, myth, etc.

Films of the post-war depression era could feature many wonderful retrospectives on American life (in relative context to the tone of the film, i.e. - Grapes Of Wrath, etc) based on the economic/industrial revolution; political and social movements of the period, etc.

Classic films, reflecting on the golden age of American cinema and the various Hollywood studios, etc.

I personally much prefer this sort of material to the regular "making of" or "behind the scenes" featurettes which I find grow more generic and insipid with each viewing. Plus it's rare that I'll ever go back and re-watch one of these "behind the scenes" extras because I just find them for the most part to be uninteresting and bland.

I can't think of a single film in the history of American cinema (be it comedy, satire, drama, musical, thriller, action, western, war, horror, sci-fi, film noir, etc) that wasn't in some way inspired by a social, political, historical or cultural event or happening in time. I would love to see more supplemental features included which focus on this aspect of filmmaking, rather than the general "behind the sets" stuff...
 

Matt Rexer

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 3, 2002
Messages
93
Tom Rags wrote:
What if you could play an optional "Intro" to the movie in the style of old movies that includes:
- A newsreel of "current" events from when the movie came out (date specific; i.e. news on the 2000 election for a movie that came out in November 2000).
- An animated short, five minute short film, "3 stooges," or any other entertaining short.
- A commercial for a product that is/was popular when the film came out.
Even for "new" movies, this would be an interesting way to preserve the timeframe and setting and make it even more of a movie experience.
Seconded. This is an awesome idea! Though I'm not so keen on the commercial one. Newsreels and shorts would be very cool.
 

Jeff R.

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 31, 1999
Messages
175
I don't know if this has been suggested already but I would like to see it more common to have the CD soundtrack bundled with the DVD. I've only seen this done with some of the larger boxed sets.
 

Daniel`D

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
172
I understand that adult DVDs sometimes have multi-camera angles. I would love that with more, non-adult films.

Sorry if this was already said, or wasn't what the people were looking for.
 

Alistair_M

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 11, 2002
Messages
276
Some of my suggestions are based on disk space not being an issue - so multiple disks.

1. Make your own cut of the film.
This is definately require a separate disk or 2!

It wouldn't be that satisfy to just do your own scene - I think it has to be the whole movie - so you're going to need 4+ hours of footage, and multiple audio tracks.
(perhaps 2 extra disks)

Someone will have to get all the available footage from the film and go through it.

There should a breakdown by scene - so eg a film has 50 scenes in it - each should be selectable (or deletable!).

For each scene: multiple takes, angles, audio.
You should be able to trim scenes and extend scenes.

I think its doable on a pc. Design something like Adobe premiere but with all the technical options hidden.

Select, copy, paste, trim, extend - for each of video and audio.

I would also like to be able to control scoring of the film - so you need short and long pieces of score that you can place (together with volume).

They'd need to be a preview window that shows the total sum of layers of video and sound. Plus the option to switch and deselect individual layers. You are the director and editor!

Make your own cut. I'd buy it!

The first time its done it wouldn't be that good but over tme and revisions - the software to make your own cut could be improved. Whoever tries should take the long term view - dvd will be around for a few years and then there will be hd - so start producing the software now.

Also it would be fun to make your own trailer - with your voice over - select footage to go into the trailer and soundtracks etc - edit it. You could do it seriously or make spoof trailers. Sounds like fun to me!

2. A new kind of commentary.
On a separate disk there will be the movie with the screen split into 2. On one side is the movie playing in real time.
On the other - there is space for text, icons and other video. You will hear the movie on one speaker (eg left) and the commentary on the other (eg right). If there is a point of interest the player will stop and other interactions can by either offered or automatically occcur.
On the other side - the screen can show graphics, video breakdowns etc.
The key point - the whole thing is designed by the dvd producer so that its completely relevant, interesting and satisfying. Too many commentaries are rambling.
If the film is too long for the commentary - reduce the length of the movie on the second disk - so this new type of commentary may be 1 hour long. But you should be able to see the movie and hear it, as well as the commentary/clips.


3. Interactive still galleries.

Again will require either using the PC or next gen dvd players.

High resolution still should be zoomable, panned etc by the user.

How about the option of makeing your own - film collage.

Longer still galleries are quite boring - so make sure you have multiple audio tracks in the background from the score, or even - key scenes from the movie.

4. Fun additions eg classics films

Trivia -

see continuity errors (it will describe the error and then show it).

before they were famous - point out people who were soon to be famous

cast biographies - should be video clips - more interactive more interesting. Perhaps with a commentary.


5. Here's a good one.

How about different soundtracks for eg comedies or horror films.

ie
original soundtrack
audience soundtrack (a soundtrack with laughter/screams from a screening).

eg Laurel and Hardy.
Go to their annual convention and record the soundtrack with the movie - I'd love to hear fans enjoying the movie as I watch it. Of course the original soundtrack should be available.

6. How about film hater commentaries.
Lots of films are loved -but many hate the film. Perhaps a differing view - eg why they think the movie is overrated - or bad.
The option to hear differing views (if done correctly) would be interesting.
 

Jeff_HR

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2001
Messages
3,593
I can only think of one mainstream DVD that has used the "alternate angle" capabilities. I think this should be put to use a great deal more.
 

Jim Blackie

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Apr 3, 2001
Messages
110
No automatic trailers of "Other Features you are sure to enjoy!" - I rarely do, and hate being forced to watch these or FF to the menu.

Simplified menus that require nothing more than "point and click." I wantto watch the movie, dammit, not play an arcade or trivia game! (Witness the Memento Menu Maze. PLEASE- ifthere are special features you mean for us to see, allow us to see rather than HUNT for them!

And to paraphrase a famous "Mommy Dearest" line: "No. More. Snapper. Cases!"

The rest has been said: non-use of the revolutionary possibilities of seamless branching being the best gripe.
 

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