Ask questions to Blu-ray Special Features Producer Cliff

[iceman]

This thread is dedicated to asking questions of industry insider Cliff (Special Features Producer) who has graciously taken the time to participate here. Cliff and all our insiders do this out of their free time and to try to keep us informed to their best abilities, and therefore are to be treated with respect and courtesy.

Before asking a question, please skim at least the last weeks worth of posts in order to make sure that the question hasn't already been asked or answered. Using the search function is also always a good idea. Please conduct your inquiries in a professional manner and avoid asking "chicken little" questions or asking when unannounced titles will come out.

Cliff - Special Features Producer - Track posts

[Blu Titan]

Hello Cliff, it is great to have you contributing in the forum. I have always wondered how the decisions regarding including an extended/unrated edition are made? Obviously, have profile releases will have a larger budget for the special features and additional consideration can be given to them. When considering the addition of an extended/uncut version what will be the role of the film's director? Under the same scenario what will determine the studio's decision to either use two discs (one disc for each version ala Blade Runner or Close Encounters of the Third Kind) or just one disc (seamless branching)? I appreciate your input.

[pro-bassoonist]

Welcome again, Cliff

Pro-B

[Penton-Man]

A BIG hearty welcome Cliff.
Are you at liberty to reveal what Blu-ray title you are currently working on?

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Are you at liberty to reveal what Blu-ray title you are currently working on?

Or the one's that you worked on in the past?

Welcome, glad to see that the site continues to grow and improve.

P.S> Is this you?

[Jeff Kleist]

Yes, that's him

[Icemage]

Glad to see you've got your own dedicated thread over here Cliff. Welcome (again!).

Have you ever seen a case where a studio has intentionally (to your knowledge) held off special features on a relatively barebones release in order to save them for a later edition?

[neo_reloaded]

Originally Posted by Cliff

I've dealt with two extended/unrated cuts (for Waiting... and Rambo) and the directors were as involved as they were when finishing the theatrical cut.

I know a Rambo director's cut was talked about at some point, but that never ended up coming out and I don't think it was really announced whether the cut had been finished or not. Did you work on this, and do you have any info about whether it's shelved or still pending?

[cjamescook]

Originally Posted by Cliff

...
As to how a studio decides how to encode and present multiple cuts, it's interesting that you sited Blade Runner as an example because it actually does both. Generally seamless branching is done because it takes so much less space than doing two completely different encodes. But sometimes you just can't use branching because the new footage doesn't work with the old and makes branching impossible. With Blade Runner, the archive versions didn't visually match the quality of the completely restored Final Cut. Similarly, the workprint edition was of a slightly different aspect ratio (2:20 vs 2:35), so that wouldn't branch with the final cut or the archival versions. But the three archival versions (the US theatrical, the UK theatrical and the 1992 director's cut) do use seamless branching because they all mirror each other in their visual quality.

Hope that makes sense.

Yes, I wanted to ask about seamless branching in exactly this context, but you beat me to it.

Thanks!

[rosejallie]

Really very nice info, and thanks for sharing this info,

[Q?]

Hello Cliff, I have a simple question and forgive me if you've already answered, what work are you most proud of?
You mentioned Rambo earlier?

[Q?]

Thanks, sounds like a great job you have.
I did see Gamer on BD, but unfortunately never got around to see the special features, I will next time when it borrow it again.

Anyways, this is awesome, provides great insight to an aspect of the movie industry, thanks again!

[Mark Malmstrøm]

hi cliff - a question about encoding format for special features

special features in 480p ON VERY OLD FILMS or just older film where the original dvd features are included - does it always have to be like that or will film that does not have so much special fettures not be better suited with 720p features.

?????????


I like the fact even if it's not much then it's still a bit HD allthough low HD - but it's certainly better than standard defineition and the player don't have to change back and forth between SD and HD

[4K2K]

Originally Posted by Cliff

the chances are almost 100% that the features were shot and completed in SD (480i usually). Presenting these in 720p or 1080 would give you no increase in quality and do nothing more than waste space on the disc.

Why wouldn't encoding an upscaled version allow an increase in quality? There are Blu-ray titles with upscaled SD footage (eg. upscaled to 1080i). Surely that allows you to use a more efficient codec like Mpeg4/AVC instead of mpeg2, as well as allow you to use a higher bitrate than DVD allows (if necessary), and probably do a better job of up-conversion, and the picture that ends up on the display can be made using a lot more (ie. smaller) macroblocks, and allow you to use higher bitrate audio?

[JacobJeans]

The “fiscal cliff” compromise has been heralded as a saving grace for middle class taxpayers, their families and the unemployed.
But buried in the fine print of the 150-page deal are also some lesser-known New Year’s gifts to some of Washington’s favorite industries.
Under the plan, the federal government would eat nearly $100 billion in forgone tax revenue over the next two years by extending special tax credits for select businesses that had been set to expire.

[DGates01]

Originally Posted by JacobJeans

The “fiscal cliff” compromise has been heralded as a saving grace for middle class taxpayers, their families and the unemployed.
But buried in the fine print of the 150-page deal are also some lesser-known New Year’s gifts to some of Washington’s favorite industries.
Under the plan, the federal government would eat nearly $100 billion in forgone tax revenue over the next two years by extending special tax credits for select businesses that had been set to expire.

There are threads for politics. This ain't one of them.