DVD extras - What features do you want?
The story about the lack of extras on the new Munich DVD showed that there are huge differences of opinion about what should be amongst DVD Extras, and what you actually want to watch.
DVD's come with all sorts of additional extras, from the lowest animated menus, all the way through to the audio commentary. On the way they'll have featurettes, promotional videos, trailers for itself and other films, photo galleries, storyboards, scripts, maybe spin off material such as a game demo or a comic, alternative endings, deleted scenes, goofs or mistakes on set, etc.
The list is positively huge, but what do you actually want to see on a DVD? Lets take your favourite film and imagine they were about to release the Perfect, Ultimate, Collectors\Directors Edition Uncut with never before seen footage, what would you want to be on that list and what would you rather see left off?
For me, I love the audio commentaries. The ones I particularly enjoy are those that feature the Director, Writer and some of the key actors talking about the behind the scenes of the film itself, how shots were conceived, issues during filming, changes from the script and how they were brought forward, how the actors felt about their scenes, etc. Hearing an audio commentary over additional content can also be very engaging. I'm not interested in more exposition because as Peter said Films talk themselves
, or rather the film should speak for itself.
I also find interesting deleted scenes, but hold on a moment, not all the deleted scenes. As the Director of Crimson Rivers said during his Audio Commentary over the top of the deleted scenes on his DVD, they were deleted for a reason, either he didn't like them or he didn't think they fit in the film, so why show them here? They were bad, a mistake or wrong for the film, no need to bring out those mistakes and highlight them to all. So the deleted scenes I like are those that the creative team wanted in there but couldn't, usually those are the scenes removed down to budgetary or time constraints, or maybe the Studio just wanted them out.
For me the featurettes tend to be lifeless, uninspiring and shallow advertising that I don't really care about. Trailers, teasers, and animated menus are just as weak, they're on every other DVD and are just standard additions as far as I can see.
Unusual interactive content is always a good thing, for instance game demo's or the menu systems for Harry Potter DVD's or those on the National Treasure DVD, and then there's the goofs\mistakes section is always a great thing to see and add an instant human aspect to the stars involved, never mind a damn good laugh no matter what the film is.
So those would be mine. I'd have a few audio commentaries (one for stars and one for the creative team of Director, Screenwriters, Editor), deleted scenes that the creative team wanted to keep along with audio commentaries, goofs reel, and hopefully some unique interactive content.
What do you want on your favourite DVD then? What features do you want to see more of, and which just really annoy you and you don't want to see again?
Promotion