DVD extras

2001 Productions

2001 Productions

A question for those of you who've had your films distributed: What kinds of extras did you include with the movie?

I have a little time while I'm waiting for the composer to finish the music, so I've been putting together "bonus" material to include on the DVD. So far I have:

Trailer
Gag reel
Storyboard-to-shot comparison (for 1 scene)
Short piece on Coast Guard motor lifeboats (the main character is an ex-Coastie)

Also in the works:

Behind-the-scenes piece on the effects makeup
Short documentary about the true history behind the story

Do you think having this extra material available will help attract distributors? What were your experiences dealing with distributors with regard to extra material? Is there anything else that I should include? Should I record a commentary track, or is that better left until later?

Thanks in advance.
 
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It really depends on the distributor. Some love extras, so don't care at all.

It does NOT hurt to have them and offer them up, but be prepared to have all the same paperwork and deliverables for those too.
 
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2001 Productions said:
A question for those of you who've had your films distributed: What kinds of extras did you include with the movie?

I have a little time while I'm waiting for the composer to finish the music, so I've been putting together "bonus" material to include on the DVD. So far I have:

Trailer
Gag reel
Storyboard-to-shot comparison (for 1 scene)
Short piece on Coast Guard motor lifeboats (the main character is an ex-Coastie)

Also in the works:

Behind-the-scenes piece on the effects makeup
Short documentary about the true history behind the story

Do you think having this extra material available will help attract distributors? What were your experiences dealing with distributors with regard to extra material? Is there anything else that I should include? Should I record a commentary track, or is that better left until later?

Thanks in advance.
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The funny thing is I was asking the very same question a few months back and I got this answer

Somtimes people buy a DVD because they watch the trailer and it pulls them in but mainly because of all the behind the scenes and bonus footage. Viewers love the "how its made" of the film. So just have some people run round with camera during filming etc and throw it all in there its a unique selling point!

Hope this helps
 
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There are very few commentaries that I have liked.

I don't watch them by myself. It's always in the company of film-loving friends who insist.

A question for those of you who've had your films distributed: What kinds of extras did you include with the movie?
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Gonna break this up a bit:

There's a difference between what you provide the distributor with, and what they actually end up using.

On one of my terrible films (Slices - available here), we provided our distributor with a mass of extra material that was never used. Among them was an audio commentary, on top of a tonne of artwork.

We also provided plain text subtitles (sync'd to timecodes) for foreign markets.

Your distributor will likely alter the artwork (in some minor way) to justify fees to offset outgoing payments. In our case, it was a $5K offset to basically change the font and position of lettering on the front case of a disc that we had designed much earlier.


Do you think having this extra material available will help attract distributors?
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Nope. Not for the "attracting" part, anyways.

If they have an interest in your actual film, they'll talk to you.

Once they are talking to you, they'll follow up with whatever else you may have (or what they consider to be available as extras)... but you ain't even gettin' to that point before they have been sold on the film itself.

If you get past this point, either you or the distributor will be making it happen.

:cool:
 
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Thanks, Steve and everyone. Interesting to hear your experiences/opinions.

I have a half-dozen extras ready, but I think I'll hold off on the commentary for now. At this point it would feel a bit hubristic. :)
 
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Yes I know you asked for those who have distributed, and I haven't but lol.

For my shorts I've done a couple of music montages of outtakes during the filming.

I'm tempted to, just for the fun of it, do commentary on them as well.

I think it all depends on what your subject is-for example, because my shorts are done with masks, show the making/painting of them-stuff like that :)
 
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2001 Productions said:
Thanks, Steve and everyone. Interesting to hear your experiences/opinions.

I have a half-dozen extras ready, but I think I'll hold off on the commentary for now. At this point it would feel a bit hubristic. :)
Click to expand...

I am now googling to see if that's a word! ;) That's a pretty cool word :D


I don't think it's hubris, I think it would be cool-you certainly do better than Arnie on his films: "Oh, yea I remember this scene....Oh this scene was fun....oh, yes, remember the day scene was shot" :P
 
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