DVD Polizei

I think we need to start a campaign to end BHS. I've emailed a few labels over the past week.

I encourage all of you to do the same or our DVD collections are going to not only lack any kind of artistic merit, but also reduce our special edition collections because of the lack of any interest by the movie labels to give us a reason to buy them.

Cover art is EVERYTHING.

Coral

I always thought the treatment of the actual film was "EVERYTHING".

I'll take great DVD treatments with poor coverart, then the other way around.

There's no rule that says you can't have both, but if we're gonna bombard the studios with e-mails - shouldn't we be confronting them with something more important like the quality of content and the release of catalog titles?

DVD_O_Rama

Panda Phil

Well I wouldn't go that far, but I agree with you on the whole BHS thing. That's just lazy design work.

But remember, http://dvdcoverart.com/dvdcoverart/ is your friend.

reubs82

Pick your battles, dude. If you're gonna be a DVD activist, I think you've too much time on your hands.

BTW, I agree w/ the call about dvdcoverart. A good printer, good paper, and a little patience, and that Children of Dune cover is as good as new.

Jackskeleton

wow.. seems like we are just trying to find something new to complain about..

As long as the quality of the film is good, I'm happy.

Kerborus

Yeah, it's a sad cause, but I hate BH syndrome as well.

Groucho

Another unpleasant side effect of the high unemployment rate.

badger1997

Actually I am getting sicker of all the whining about big-head syndrome than I am of the actual big heads on the DVDs lately.

And DVD Polizei, if you truly think "cover art is everything" I can't wait to see what you think when your more wanted movie comes out on DVD with great cover art......and in pan & scan, with altered mono sound and redubbed audio with no other extras.

SCHMEGGA

Companies pay an actual design department to come up with cover-art; therefore, I hold them as responsible for turning out a quality product as I do the studio for the DVD. I could care less that some people don't care about the coverart and only the movie. I pay money to salary the designers and I expect quality for my money.

littlefuzzy

I thought this was about the Journey arcade game...

DVD Polizei

Ok, I take back the "Cover Art Is Everything" part. However, go to the Cover Art area of this forum and you will be enlightened.

Yes, of course, we need the best-quality of audio and video transfers. I just think that BH Syndrome is a cheap way for a cover to be made, instead of actually using some really cool artwork. Once Upon A Time In America for example.

jough

Of course the film is most important, but why shouldn't we have decent cover art?

It's not like they're giving us the crappy cover art because they're incapable of delivering better art, or because better art is unavailable (personally, I think the film poster art would be perfect 99% of the time) but because the studios think Americans are stupid, and won't buy the discs if they don't see big faces of the stars on the cover.

And you know what: they're right.

No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

-- Jough

Coral

I agree. As much as I hate these crappy covers, the studios are playing it smart with the big head covers.

Theatrical posters can be as artistic as they want, because usually people go to the theatres with a particular movie (or movies) in mind and the TV spots are fresh in their minds.

DVD covers are another matter. Many people don't remember what was playing at the theatres months before and a DVD cover will have to remind them about the film they never got a chance to see. When they go to a DVD shop, they will either be reminded of a film they never got to see at the theatre by the "big head" coverart, or will notice their favorite actor/actress.

I've noticed this many times when people are browsing the DVD section (and I'm in Canada, so it's not just a U.S. thing). They blurt out to the person they're with and say something like "Oh, I remember this was at the theatres - I didn't know it was out on DVD", or "Hey, this ones got Kevin Spacey in it".

Answer me this, how many times have you mentioned a mainstream film to someone who isn't a serious film fan - and they ask you who is in it, or what it's about? These are the people the studios are targetting, and this group of people are pretty large.

And you can't compare Criterion covers with the studios. Criterion DVDs cater to serious film fans, and generally these people already know what the films are, or will take measures to find out elsewhere.

JaxComet

All you can see on the shelf is the spine anyway so I guess spine art is really more important.......

postpunk

Big head cover art falls into the same category as complaining about no inserts. I'm more concerned with the movie, transfer, and disc content. If Moulin Rouge! or LOTR were unlabeled discs that came in brown paper bags, I'd still love what the discs contained.

Pick your battles.

jough

It's not a matter of picking battles.

Let's put it this way - the poster art is already created. They have to go through EXTRA expense and effort to create the BHS versions of the covers.

And the Canadian version of the DVD usually (although not always) contains a more artistic cover, which is *usually* based on one of the poster art concepts.

But Studios think of Canadians as they do Europeans - as art lovers who would accept nothing less.

Americans are blind consumers who care nothing for art - DVD is all commodity here.

-- Jough

JimRochester

As long as there is no spoiler on the cover ala Planet Of The Apes, I can live with a big head.

uteotw

Most of the time Criterion puts every other company to shame in terms of cover art. Of course it's not the most important thing, but I do think a well-designed cover is a nice complement.
A little creativity wouldn't hurt.

SideShow

Yeah, in a way I think studios are showing a lack of care and creativity by putting butchered artwork on their DVDs.

My main concern is treatment of the film of course, but since there IS a cover, they should just keep the original artwork and put some thought into it.

DVD_O_Rama

While I agree there are some pathetic DVD covers out there, you have to keep in mind that the studios could care less about 'art'. They care about $$$, plain and simple. And much like the music industry, the sheep-like mentailty of studio execs regulates that if it's popular...keep doin' it. In other words, don't expect Saul Bass style to make a comeback. The so-called BHS is here to stay, I'm afraid.

Also keep in mind that I keep hearing the term 'original' art used. What original art? The regular US one-sheet? The advance one sheet...one of the 5 advance teasers? The insert art? etc...etc...etc.

I think that some of you that are new to collecting home video products failt to realize that box covers come and go, and usually go through different permeations along with different releases (VHS, Beta, LD, etc).

Box art is just what it implies...something to put on the box, and I for one spend more time looking at the screen then checking out the cover art. YMMV.

jough

Here's the DVD concept art for Matrix Reloaded:



It's just sad. Too many big heads to float.

-- Jough

Coral

Once again, different target audience. If Criterion were catering to the average consumer, then you'd see alot more "big head" covers.

jough

Chasing Amy: CC had a big head cover.

uteotw

My point was not so much the target audience as it was that it is, in fact, quite possible to make some very good cover art. If Universal or whichever thinks that a big head of some star will sell more DVDs, then obviously they'll go with that. Maybe I just don't want to believe that some people would actually NOT purchase some blockbuster because it had a mildly creative cover instead of a big head.

P.S. The Chasing Amy cover was OK because it was the chick.