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DVD is the gift that keeps on giving.
Even after the fun of seeing the film has passed, some titles are teaching us things about the process we never learned from school or books.
Fine and dandy, but since filmmaking is dovetailed into BUSINESS, it's important to know the pitfalls and reading a book by a guy who's never directed real actors in a real picture seems kind of pointless. Why not just latch on to a director who's doing it for real? That's the power of DVD (and laserdisc before it, but that format never opened this many doors...).
Every once in a while, DVD is used more than a marketing decision. Forget "spotlight on location" bits or interactive menus or actor bios. Those are fun and all, but in the long run tailored towards the people who rent from Blockbuster and aren't hardcore film fans or aspiring filmmakers. It's a few things they can show off on a Sunday while the burgers cook.
"Hey Ted, look at this. I can see the trailer for this film with one click!"
"That's great, Ken. Now, did you see that film the other day?"
Here are just a few examples of filmmakers helping aspiring directors.
From Dusk Til Dawn - The sets really are a cut above the average and can leave you examining for hours. The extras show you how the actors and directors communicate.
Toy Story - Toy Story is a great resource for anyone interested in animation.
Fight Club - It has an excellent commentary track, making for easy listening and it's very interesting. It shows how actor improvisation can influence the final product. Also, a fairly comprehensive documentary about making the film, all the way down to the nitty gritty.
Mission Impossible 2 - Not as comprehensive as it needs to be but hey, a little extras on the side can't do any harm Here, director John Woo talks about several key action sequences and how he approached them.
Gladiator - When Scott Ridley speaks, people listen. His commentary accompanying this DVD is full of tips, tricks, and philosophies from more than three decades of filmmaking. Filmmakers should pay special attention to the three documentaries and 25 minutes of deleted scenes as well.
The problem is that while there is some great stuff on DVD for would be filmmakers; some of the best ones are either out of print or haven’t been ported over from laserdisc yet.
Another problem is that in my case some of the most educational movies out there are simply available in bare bones editions, with no extras to their belt. So, some films will influence you more, and I have excluded all movies with no extras, as they serve no purpose to any Spielberg's out there.
Superman - The making of the big studio epic. There is audio commentary with the director and the “creative consultant”, which covers the process of coming onto a project mid way, dealing with overzealous producers, ego driven actors, the works. You’ll also find documentaries that go deeper into exploring what it is to make a big budget release and the headaches that ensue, screen tests that prove how crucial casting is, and what it is to create a film based something from an outside popular medium.
And the movie kicks bottom with both popcorn munching entertainment and as sprawling epic filmmaking.
The Thing - This is the misunderstood masterpiece. Outside of the film and its audio commentary with the director, John Carpenter and actor, Kurt Russell, we have the feature length retrospective documentary detailing the film’s production and crash dive at the box office to its eventual rebirth as a cult favourite.
Deleted scenes, aborted animation sequences, storyboards, outtakes, and more all help to drive home the making of the greatest special effects monster movie ever made.
So, Spielberg, Carpenter and many other “greats” are teaching us how to make movies, possibly without even knowing it. It only takes watching a certain amount of director commentaries to feel what directors go through. Any aspiring filmmakers, rent of buy some DVD’s (make sure they have heaps of extras) and study the director sequences VERY carefully.
Thanks for reading.
Shaneo.
Even after the fun of seeing the film has passed, some titles are teaching us things about the process we never learned from school or books.
Fine and dandy, but since filmmaking is dovetailed into BUSINESS, it's important to know the pitfalls and reading a book by a guy who's never directed real actors in a real picture seems kind of pointless. Why not just latch on to a director who's doing it for real? That's the power of DVD (and laserdisc before it, but that format never opened this many doors...).
Every once in a while, DVD is used more than a marketing decision. Forget "spotlight on location" bits or interactive menus or actor bios. Those are fun and all, but in the long run tailored towards the people who rent from Blockbuster and aren't hardcore film fans or aspiring filmmakers. It's a few things they can show off on a Sunday while the burgers cook.
"Hey Ted, look at this. I can see the trailer for this film with one click!"
"That's great, Ken. Now, did you see that film the other day?"
Here are just a few examples of filmmakers helping aspiring directors.
From Dusk Til Dawn - The sets really are a cut above the average and can leave you examining for hours. The extras show you how the actors and directors communicate.
Toy Story - Toy Story is a great resource for anyone interested in animation.
Fight Club - It has an excellent commentary track, making for easy listening and it's very interesting. It shows how actor improvisation can influence the final product. Also, a fairly comprehensive documentary about making the film, all the way down to the nitty gritty.
Mission Impossible 2 - Not as comprehensive as it needs to be but hey, a little extras on the side can't do any harm Here, director John Woo talks about several key action sequences and how he approached them.
Gladiator - When Scott Ridley speaks, people listen. His commentary accompanying this DVD is full of tips, tricks, and philosophies from more than three decades of filmmaking. Filmmakers should pay special attention to the three documentaries and 25 minutes of deleted scenes as well.
The problem is that while there is some great stuff on DVD for would be filmmakers; some of the best ones are either out of print or haven’t been ported over from laserdisc yet.
Another problem is that in my case some of the most educational movies out there are simply available in bare bones editions, with no extras to their belt. So, some films will influence you more, and I have excluded all movies with no extras, as they serve no purpose to any Spielberg's out there.
Superman - The making of the big studio epic. There is audio commentary with the director and the “creative consultant”, which covers the process of coming onto a project mid way, dealing with overzealous producers, ego driven actors, the works. You’ll also find documentaries that go deeper into exploring what it is to make a big budget release and the headaches that ensue, screen tests that prove how crucial casting is, and what it is to create a film based something from an outside popular medium.
And the movie kicks bottom with both popcorn munching entertainment and as sprawling epic filmmaking.
The Thing - This is the misunderstood masterpiece. Outside of the film and its audio commentary with the director, John Carpenter and actor, Kurt Russell, we have the feature length retrospective documentary detailing the film’s production and crash dive at the box office to its eventual rebirth as a cult favourite.
Deleted scenes, aborted animation sequences, storyboards, outtakes, and more all help to drive home the making of the greatest special effects monster movie ever made.
So, Spielberg, Carpenter and many other “greats” are teaching us how to make movies, possibly without even knowing it. It only takes watching a certain amount of director commentaries to feel what directors go through. Any aspiring filmmakers, rent of buy some DVD’s (make sure they have heaps of extras) and study the director sequences VERY carefully.
Thanks for reading.
Shaneo.
Beware the Toads wrote:
> Great topic Shaneo! I was wondering why SR sells DVDs relatively
> expensively for an online store considering how cheap its games
> are.
And also to add to that, they don't sell many of them. Read a DVD mag each month and then look at half of those films reviewed and then look them up on SR, half of them won't be there. Great films like, Platoon, The Usual Suspects, Born on the 4th of July. Please SR do something.
> Great topic Shaneo! I was wondering why SR sells DVDs relatively
> expensively for an online store considering how cheap its games
> are.
And also to add to that, they don't sell many of them. Read a DVD mag each month and then look at half of those films reviewed and then look them up on SR, half of them won't be there. Great films like, Platoon, The Usual Suspects, Born on the 4th of July. Please SR do something.
I think DVD's are certainly worth the money - if they have good extras. The increase in price from VHS is probably too much just for increased picture quality, but with a directors commentary and cut scences, its definitely worth it.
You've got a point here. Director's commentary and other extras do give people an idea of what it might be like.
DVD's also give extras which are just a bit of fun as well though. Snatch for example. The commentary on that by director and producer tells you nothing about the film but it is the most hilarious commentary I've ever heard. They tell you little stories and jokes that they heard and saw while filming and this can also be pretty interesting.
However, some commentary can be really flawed. The Thomas Crown Affair's commentary for example, is done by the director, John Mctiernan. He has such a boring voice that it is difficult to stay with him and listen to what he is saying.
I think Ridley Scott does the best (or most informative) commentary and he doesn't have a boring voice either so you stick with him. You know what he's talking about and his films are usually so good that it's really interesting finding out how they did a particular scene.
Commenatry can help clear up misunderstandings in films as well. If your not sure how or why something happens in a film then you just turn on the commentary and (most of the time) you'll be told what and why that thing actually happens.
DVD has given us so much in the last year or so that it's difficult to believe. You may think that 20 quid is a bit too much to ask for a DVD, considering a video only costs a tenner (and older ones only a fiver) but if you think of all the added value and quality you get, then it suddenly seems a lot less of a rip off. And with this little compo SR runs every day, things seem better than ever.
:)
DVD's also give extras which are just a bit of fun as well though. Snatch for example. The commentary on that by director and producer tells you nothing about the film but it is the most hilarious commentary I've ever heard. They tell you little stories and jokes that they heard and saw while filming and this can also be pretty interesting.
However, some commentary can be really flawed. The Thomas Crown Affair's commentary for example, is done by the director, John Mctiernan. He has such a boring voice that it is difficult to stay with him and listen to what he is saying.
I think Ridley Scott does the best (or most informative) commentary and he doesn't have a boring voice either so you stick with him. You know what he's talking about and his films are usually so good that it's really interesting finding out how they did a particular scene.
Commenatry can help clear up misunderstandings in films as well. If your not sure how or why something happens in a film then you just turn on the commentary and (most of the time) you'll be told what and why that thing actually happens.
DVD has given us so much in the last year or so that it's difficult to believe. You may think that 20 quid is a bit too much to ask for a DVD, considering a video only costs a tenner (and older ones only a fiver) but if you think of all the added value and quality you get, then it suddenly seems a lot less of a rip off. And with this little compo SR runs every day, things seem better than ever.
:)
DVD is the gift that keeps on giving.
Even after the fun of seeing the film has passed, some titles are teaching us things about the process we never learned from school or books.
Fine and dandy, but since filmmaking is dovetailed into BUSINESS, it's important to know the pitfalls and reading a book by a guy who's never directed real actors in a real picture seems kind of pointless. Why not just latch on to a director who's doing it for real? That's the power of DVD (and laserdisc before it, but that format never opened this many doors...).
Every once in a while, DVD is used more than a marketing decision. Forget "spotlight on location" bits or interactive menus or actor bios. Those are fun and all, but in the long run tailored towards the people who rent from Blockbuster and aren't hardcore film fans or aspiring filmmakers. It's a few things they can show off on a Sunday while the burgers cook.
"Hey Ted, look at this. I can see the trailer for this film with one click!"
"That's great, Ken. Now, did you see that film the other day?"
Here are just a few examples of filmmakers helping aspiring directors.
From Dusk Til Dawn - The sets really are a cut above the average and can leave you examining for hours. The extras show you how the actors and directors communicate.
Toy Story - Toy Story is a great resource for anyone interested in animation.
Fight Club - It has an excellent commentary track, making for easy listening and it's very interesting. It shows how actor improvisation can influence the final product. Also, a fairly comprehensive documentary about making the film, all the way down to the nitty gritty.
Mission Impossible 2 - Not as comprehensive as it needs to be but hey, a little extras on the side can't do any harm Here, director John Woo talks about several key action sequences and how he approached them.
Gladiator - When Scott Ridley speaks, people listen. His commentary accompanying this DVD is full of tips, tricks, and philosophies from more than three decades of filmmaking. Filmmakers should pay special attention to the three documentaries and 25 minutes of deleted scenes as well.
The problem is that while there is some great stuff on DVD for would be filmmakers; some of the best ones are either out of print or haven’t been ported over from laserdisc yet.
Another problem is that in my case some of the most educational movies out there are simply available in bare bones editions, with no extras to their belt. So, some films will influence you more, and I have excluded all movies with no extras, as they serve no purpose to any Spielberg's out there.
Superman - The making of the big studio epic. There is audio commentary with the director and the “creative consultant”, which covers the process of coming onto a project mid way, dealing with overzealous producers, ego driven actors, the works. You’ll also find documentaries that go deeper into exploring what it is to make a big budget release and the headaches that ensue, screen tests that prove how crucial casting is, and what it is to create a film based something from an outside popular medium.
And the movie kicks bottom with both popcorn munching entertainment and as sprawling epic filmmaking.
The Thing - This is the misunderstood masterpiece. Outside of the film and its audio commentary with the director, John Carpenter and actor, Kurt Russell, we have the feature length retrospective documentary detailing the film’s production and crash dive at the box office to its eventual rebirth as a cult favourite.
Deleted scenes, aborted animation sequences, storyboards, outtakes, and more all help to drive home the making of the greatest special effects monster movie ever made.
So, Spielberg, Carpenter and many other “greats” are teaching us how to make movies, possibly without even knowing it. It only takes watching a certain amount of director commentaries to feel what directors go through. Any aspiring filmmakers, rent of buy some DVD’s (make sure they have heaps of extras) and study the director sequences VERY carefully.
Thanks for reading.
Shaneo.
Even after the fun of seeing the film has passed, some titles are teaching us things about the process we never learned from school or books.
Fine and dandy, but since filmmaking is dovetailed into BUSINESS, it's important to know the pitfalls and reading a book by a guy who's never directed real actors in a real picture seems kind of pointless. Why not just latch on to a director who's doing it for real? That's the power of DVD (and laserdisc before it, but that format never opened this many doors...).
Every once in a while, DVD is used more than a marketing decision. Forget "spotlight on location" bits or interactive menus or actor bios. Those are fun and all, but in the long run tailored towards the people who rent from Blockbuster and aren't hardcore film fans or aspiring filmmakers. It's a few things they can show off on a Sunday while the burgers cook.
"Hey Ted, look at this. I can see the trailer for this film with one click!"
"That's great, Ken. Now, did you see that film the other day?"
Here are just a few examples of filmmakers helping aspiring directors.
From Dusk Til Dawn - The sets really are a cut above the average and can leave you examining for hours. The extras show you how the actors and directors communicate.
Toy Story - Toy Story is a great resource for anyone interested in animation.
Fight Club - It has an excellent commentary track, making for easy listening and it's very interesting. It shows how actor improvisation can influence the final product. Also, a fairly comprehensive documentary about making the film, all the way down to the nitty gritty.
Mission Impossible 2 - Not as comprehensive as it needs to be but hey, a little extras on the side can't do any harm Here, director John Woo talks about several key action sequences and how he approached them.
Gladiator - When Scott Ridley speaks, people listen. His commentary accompanying this DVD is full of tips, tricks, and philosophies from more than three decades of filmmaking. Filmmakers should pay special attention to the three documentaries and 25 minutes of deleted scenes as well.
The problem is that while there is some great stuff on DVD for would be filmmakers; some of the best ones are either out of print or haven’t been ported over from laserdisc yet.
Another problem is that in my case some of the most educational movies out there are simply available in bare bones editions, with no extras to their belt. So, some films will influence you more, and I have excluded all movies with no extras, as they serve no purpose to any Spielberg's out there.
Superman - The making of the big studio epic. There is audio commentary with the director and the “creative consultant”, which covers the process of coming onto a project mid way, dealing with overzealous producers, ego driven actors, the works. You’ll also find documentaries that go deeper into exploring what it is to make a big budget release and the headaches that ensue, screen tests that prove how crucial casting is, and what it is to create a film based something from an outside popular medium.
And the movie kicks bottom with both popcorn munching entertainment and as sprawling epic filmmaking.
The Thing - This is the misunderstood masterpiece. Outside of the film and its audio commentary with the director, John Carpenter and actor, Kurt Russell, we have the feature length retrospective documentary detailing the film’s production and crash dive at the box office to its eventual rebirth as a cult favourite.
Deleted scenes, aborted animation sequences, storyboards, outtakes, and more all help to drive home the making of the greatest special effects monster movie ever made.
So, Spielberg, Carpenter and many other “greats” are teaching us how to make movies, possibly without even knowing it. It only takes watching a certain amount of director commentaries to feel what directors go through. Any aspiring filmmakers, rent of buy some DVD’s (make sure they have heaps of extras) and study the director sequences VERY carefully.
Thanks for reading.
Shaneo.