Final cut -> Compressor-> DVD Studio Pro

1. Select 'IN' and 'OUT' point on the timeline to the data to compress.
2. File > Send To > Compressor
3. Compressor opens
4. Open, Settings > APPLE > DVD.> Best Quality 90 minutes
5. DRAG and DROP - Dolby Digital Pro 2.0 + MPEG-2 6.2Mbps 2-pass into sequence file.
6. Select MPEG-2 > Inspector > Encoder.
7. Change steam usage - SD DVD.
8. Video format: PAL, Frame rate: 25, Aspect ratio: 16:9.
9. SELECT quality box - Change to; Two Pass V.B.R.
10. Change Max bit rate: 8Mb/s and Average bit rate: 6.8 Mb/s.
11. SELECT G.O.P - Group of pictures. Structure: IBBP - Closed, Size: 12
12. SELECT extras> Add DVD Studio Pro Metadata.
13. INSPECTOR> GEOMETRY - Crop all to '2'.
14. Right click each sequence and set source to desktop or documents.
15. 'Submit'.
16. Close compressor and open DVD Studio Pro
17. SELECT 'Advanced' settings.
18. FIle > Import > Asset
19. Locate assets from documents and import.
20. Drag assets to menu, track etc.
21. Create all links, buttons ect.
22. Check settings are correct then burn.
23. File > advanced burn > Build and format.

DVD FLOWCHART

After we had analysed three DVD's, it was then time to begin planning and learning how to create our own. To start we created a DVD flow chart;

The Avengers 2012

 DVD AUTHORING

The Avengers 2012

The DVD was released in 2012 and has an approx. run time of 137 minutes. It’s a wide screen format (1.78:1) the disk is duel layered making it DVD 9 (8.4GB). It uses various audio choices such as: Dataset, Dolby Digital, and Dolby Surround 7.1. Dolby sound compression is common sound compression source and is used on many dvd’s, games and Blu-ray disks. The format used is PAL (Phase Alternating Line). This also means the reign code is 2, and copyright protected. The disk is fully HD ready and also available in Blu-Ray.

The DVD’s opening includes a futuristic moving blueprint of the layout a hovering ship coming into landing. As the ship lands the camera zooms to an iconic  ‘Shield’ logo/landing pad before dissolving through to a corridor at first person view;  into a lab where two of the main characters spend 70% of the duration of the film. When the camera approaches the lab the doors slide open and a screen extends from the ceiling with the iconic ‘A’ for Avengers logo spinning out into the Dvd menu. 

The menu itself includes series of motion pictures beginning with the avengers themselves, with previews of footage interlocking with sliding panels between each protagonist smoothly after each set of clips; it finishes with an establishing pan of all the heroes in action in the same order shown previously.  Throughout the footage helpers such as shield agents and ‘Director Fury’ are briefly shown along with the main antagonist ‘Loki’ causing some mayhem. The soundtrack played in the background is quiet and diegetic, the pace of the beat increases and as the motion pictures begin a strong heroic and iconic avengers tune plays throughout the scenes and finishes strong as another ‘A’ is spinning and the panels reset, the whole menu is set on a loop.

The menu includes options ‘Play’, ‘Bonus Features’, ‘Scene Selection’ and ‘Set Up’, Each of these options, the ‘Play’ button rushes through a quick montage of VT’s before the screen goes blank and the film begins.

Once the ‘Bonus Features’ option is selected the panels open up from the final pan and again like doors showing a ‘shield’ logo that backs onto the interior of the ship, again in blueprints; With ‘Nick Fury’ standing in his place among his hologram monitors , on the ship’s deck. Below him is the title and a feature called ‘A visual journey’ witch sends off into the creation and makings of the film.

Next is the ‘Scene Selection’ which again uses the panel montage to separate from the main sequence and shows a still from the film of ‘The Hulk’ and an ‘A’ (avengers) sign in the background, during the scrolling between scene selections the numbers will appear green (like the hulk) depending on which number selection you are observing.

The ‘Set up’ uses the same layout as the ‘Scene selection’ however uses the character ‘Iron Man’ and the colour scheme is red like the majority of his suit. The options to return to the film or main menu are along the bottom but are clear enough to see once finished on the option. With the ‘Languages’ and ‘Subtitles’ options in white but appear red if hovering. If the ‘Languages’ option is selected it will change to a still of ‘Thor’ on the left hand side and a identical hovering layout however is blue instead of red, the ‘Set Up’ option is below to guide back through the menus. The ‘Subtitles’ page is identical to the ‘Languages’ just with a still of ‘Captain America’ as appose to ‘Thor’.

Jurassic Park DVD menu Analysis

Jurassic Park 2000

The run time of the DVD is 2 hr 7 min (127 min). The film is formatted as anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 1. 85.1) this is a compressed to fit a regular storage medium to fit the whole TV clearly and to a better quality. With the film being (-R) it also displays 16:9 that is compatible with all devices this is great in the UK at a PAL format.  The disk is duel layered meaning it can hold up to 8.4 GB set at DVD 9, this is possible due to a small red laser burning 21cm underneath the disk, this makes room for all the bonus features on one disk instead of a separate disk. With the bottom layer with the laser and the second layer is tracked then the top layer is an image of the DVD. The audio is DOLBY digital 5.1 and is also available in surround, which is great for the full jungle experience. Lastly the reign code is set at 2 meaning the UK and European areas.

The opening begins with a copyright warning then fades into a ‘Universal Studios’ opening sequence, the universal icon slowly zooms into the screen through the text and the globe is left showing mid and south America ,a steady bass line is held. It then zooms quickly to a point in the ocean west of the states as if falling through the air, the pitch rises and becomes dramatic; then an island approaches and the camera keeps falling until it hits just below the tree tops, where it impacts and stops there is one last heavy bass sound (dinosaurs foot stomp). Now there are only jungle noises with the odd bang of a dinosaur in the distance. There is a footprint embedded in the mud of the jungle ground, surrounded by trees the films logo ‘Jurassic Park’ is found on the top right hand side with a selection of options listed below.

'Chapter Select’ once selected the water in the footprint ripples and with a swiping sound the music stops and it zooms into the chapter selection page. The design is basic with the islands forestation in the background and 4 chapters at a time displayed. The font is the same as the title. Once hovered over a picture of a chapter the outer line is highlighted a bright yellow, along with the number groups below. When the page is selected the numbers will be coloured green as appose to the original white. The main menu button is on the end and when selected the screen goes blank and music continues from the title.

‘Bonus Materials’ when clicked the sound of two footsteps are heard and again zooms into the footprint and with the swiping sound it zooms to another set of options. The design is similar to the main menu with another Jurassic park icon however instead the background is a waterfall. Below states different bonus features such as ‘The making of Jurassic park’, ‘locations’ etc. along with a website link to find more information and additional features. Along the bottom of the screen there is a bold menu button to go back to the main titles and there is a red, yellow and black arrow (same colour scheme as the icons/logos) with this you can scroll through another couple of pages containing the entire creation, production and designing of the film. Depending on the feature a group different dinosaur noises will sound. Each slide has a different still taken from the film; once an option is highlighted it will appear as a forest green stripe and once selected the original green. Another feature is the start of each clip will have a sand background, the logo in the top right hand corner and with the same font the titles of each montage.

‘Languages’ the language selection page is another basic design with another movie still as the background and the logo in the centre with the title of the page, with the same fonts. The side headings are yellow, the descriptions green and the options in white, once hovered again it shows a highlighting green stripe and changes colour once selected.

‘Play’ is displayed at the bottom of the options so the consumer might browse before watching, once selected the foot print ripples along with the sound of the stomp, before fading out to a close up of a famous t-rex roaring and fading to black to begin all advertisements or the films content.

Titanic DVD menu analysis

DVD Authoring

Titanic (1997)

Released in 1997 the romantic disaster movie was a gigantic hit, directed by James Cameron and starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio the film set records in the highest grossing film of the year. The film’s plot is based on a true story of the tragedy of RMS Titanic in 1912 and an unlikely love story that evolved along its journey.  The film itself was rereleased in cinemas and digitally re-mastered into HD, Blu-ray and 3D.

The disk I will be analysing is the 2 disk special edition of the rereleased HD version.  The audio used within the DVD was DOLBY Digital Surround sound (6.1) along with many other options in the ‘setup’ for advanced sound. The film is partnered with THX which is a well-known and high rated company for home cinemas. This will also assure consumers when buying that quality is involved. The video quality has also been Improved to 1080p (fully HD ready) however the aspect ratio is 16:9 the same as the menu to give it an all rounded quality.

On the back cover there is a copyright certificate certifying that it cannot be pirated or taken advantage of. The original cost millions of money and the company would lose too much, it is also (-R) meaning it cannot be re-writable or re authored in any way. The twin disk DVD is set to DVD 9 and is also duel layered, the storage is needed for the upgrades and the whole visual effects and features that came with the film.

The main menu itself consists of four basic options, ‘Play Movie’, ‘Chapter Selection’, ‘Special Features’ and ‘Set Up’. The layers behind the options is VTs of the establishing footage from the film, another layer involved a golden title ‘Titanic’ running along the clips. The background sounds includes the iconic instrumental song ‘My heart will go on’ by Céline Dion is running along in sync with the motion picture layers and loops once the transitions have played. The instrumental enhances the love story and the dramatic tale to follow. The other options include the chapter selection which is a basic design with a different mellow background instrumental and still from the film. The chapters are highlighted once hovered and plays a small montage of clips from that particular scene; Once selected it would be highlighted before a cut and fade in to the section.

The special features and the set up both again use different soundtracks and movie stills from iconic scenes. The designs are similar with the title in the generic font at the top of the screen, the set of options are listed below however the set up place on the right hand side and the special features on the left. On Set Up page there is a THX logo along the bottom left hand side to signify the sound qualities available. Then across the bottom of the screens are the options to resume the movie or to go back to the main menu; spectating the options the same colour scheme of gold underlines and turns red once selected. Lastly when either the ‘Play’ button or ‘Resume Movie’ has been selected a quick video of a moving ship along with the sound of a ships horn blasting is played before the roling sequences commence.