Paramount Launches Direct-To-DVD Production

[Takara_Soong 4]

From TrekToday:

Paramount Home Entertainment is launching a new DVD Premiere division to produce direct-to-DVD features from franchises the studio believes are underperforming at the box office but have devoted fan bases, like FOX has done with The Family Guy and Universal with American Pie.

 

Variety reports that releasing films directly to DVD to appeal to target audiences has reaped profits for other studios, and Paramount hopes to capitalise on the trend. "We are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the growing consumer demand for original DVD programming by utilizing the strength of all the Viacom brands," noted senior vice president Ellen Pittleman. Pittleman was behind the financing of the direct-to-DVD Bob Dylan documentary No Direction Home and Paramount Home Entertainment's Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure, based on the children's classic and released exclusively on DVD.

 

DVD Premiere department plans to release six to eight original DVD productions per year. Some of the productions scheduled for early 2006 may receive a theatrical release, such as Jonathan Demme's documentary about Neil Young's Prairie Wind tour. There will also be a direct-to-DVD sequel to Save The Last Dance starring Jacqueline Bisset and Izabella Miko.

 

Variety notes that unlike many studios who limit original DVD releases to projects acquired by outside producers, Paramount will develop and produce its own projects. Pittleman said that the facilities mirror the theatrical division, though most of the studio's DVD movies are shot in 21 days.

 

Which begs the question: might Star Trek features be produced by Paramount directly for the home DVD market, which would bypass the expense of a theatrical release and the limitations of a weekly serial?

Edited October 22, 2005 by Takara_Soong

[BakulaBabe 2]

OMG, direct-to-DVD Trek sounds like a fantastic idea! :) As long as it's a quality product, and reasonably priced, I hope they consider doing it.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

My only concern would be that they would release sub-standard work, movies that were made for video release only in the past were usually pretty low grade stuff.

[Kor37 9]

I would really miss seeing Trek on the big screen. It wouldn't be the same.

[Adm.RegBarclay 1]

I agree with Kor, and I believe that it would greatly contribute to Trek becoming nothing more than a cult success, if it isn't already. :)

I wouldn't be opposed to a made-for-TV movie sometime in the next two or three years, a movie that leaves a storyline open for a new series, assuming there is enough interest (preferrably set in the 24th century, unless they can do something with the Excelsior).

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I just had this terrible vision of Barbie as Captain of the Enterprise (there are lots of Barbie direct to DVD's)

[Susan_Delgado 0]

Direct to DVD sounds like a great idea to me. Providing they get back to the basics of Trek and stop trying to appeal to a mass audience with non-stop action and battle scenes. Boring. Trek has a built-in following for every series. Who among Enterprise fans would not relish a few well-written feature-length "episodes" of Enterprise post-cancellation?

 

I for one would like to see a direct to DVD continuation of DS9 using the relaunch books for stories/new characters. Something like that would never make it on the big screen, but for us Niners DVD direct would be a godsend. The only way Sisko is ever coming out of the Celestial Temple will be on DVD ... and if that's all I can get, I'll take it.

Edited November 1, 2005 by Susan_Delgado

[A l t e r E g o 9]

Who among Enterprise fans would not relish a few well-written feature-length "episodes" of Enterprise post-cancellation?

 

I would but I just don't see it ever happening for ENT. If they'd left the sets standing and had not sold them off (rumor) then yeah perhaps but I don't see Paramount shelling out the duckets to rebuild them.

 

If the rumor is false then bring em on! If the rumor is true then perhaps some story with the same crew in different locales could greenlight but imo the next movie has a better shot of spawing a DTV release or two providing tptb have foresight to keep those sets around.

[ddillard 2]

I would definitely be interested in any Direct to DVD trek if it were made. I would just hope that if they do it that they produce a quality production instead of cutting corners on the cost.

[gul_nodrog 2]

I would definitely be interested in any Direct to DVD trek if it were made. I would just hope that if they do it that they produce a quality production instead of cutting corners on the cost.

 

I think that some of the special effects we saw on DS9 and Voyager were quite simply amazing and nothing to ashamed of had they been on the big screen.

 

I saw very little "cutting corners" during the run of DS9. I saw a lot of high-dollar SE, especially toward the end of the series.

 

Direct to DVD would be awesome ... but good luck getting Alexander Siddig back on board now that he's been hanging out with the big boys! (Syriana looks awesome ... I cannot wait!)

[Odie 0]

It would be interesting, but dircet-to-dvd should have a new crew. Maybe on how the Federation governemt and how they run their government.

[Jack_Bauer 1]

I saw very little "cutting corners" during the run of DS9. I saw a lot of high-dollar SE, especially toward the end of the series.

They cut corners on DS9. The whole renaming the Sao Paulo thing was just an excuse to reuse stock footage and What You Leave Behind is full of previously used battle scenes. That Sao Paulo thing really bothers me, I realize they were trying to save money but there were only a few episodes left. Spend the money and change the model and animate new scenes. What can Paramount do? Cut your budget for next year? No.

 

Rant over.

[Matt 0]

I'd buy them.

 

"Paramount Home Entertainment is launching a new DVD Premiere division to produce direct-to-DVD features from franchises the studio believes are underperforming at the box office but have devoted fan bases"

 

Seems perfect for Trek.

[Jack_Bauer 1]

It may work but I still think it feels like Trek is being cheapened. If Paramount can just churn out a movie whenever they want, the movies don't hold the same significance they used to. But yes, I would still buy them because I'm too devoted not to.

[Odie 0]

I believe that happen already with Star Trek when 3 series on air with a movie out every two years. It could be worse. The quilty has to be there or no one will buy it.

[gul_nodrog 2]

I saw very little "cutting corners" during the run of DS9. I saw a lot of high-dollar SE, especially toward the end of the series.

They cut corners on DS9. The whole renaming the Sao Paulo thing was just an excuse to reuse stock footage and What You Leave Behind is full of previously used battle scenes. That Sao Paulo thing really bothers me, I realize they were trying to save money but there were only a few episodes left. Spend the money and change the model and animate new scenes. What can Paramount do? Cut your budget for next year? No.

 

Rant over.

 

You see, now, this is just an example of how unobservant that I am! I never notice "reused" footage until it is pointed out to me :huh: ... I guess because it looked so good the first time around, they figured why waste the money on reinventing the wheel?

 

Did you watch the special features on the DS9 season 7 DVDs? :huh: They were discussing all the things they were having to create in the special effects department for the final episodes of DS9 ... I'll cut them a little slack for using some stock footage here and there.

 

Can you imagine having to come up with completely original special effects and battle scenes for a WEEKLY television series? I'm always more interested in the dialogue between the characters to pay much attention to all that special effects stuff anyway. The only time I really look at it in any focused way is when it is BAD special effects ... then the effect is quite distracting.

 

I just think that so much of what we saw on DS9 and Voyager was fairly impressive ... I've seen worse on the big screen in other movies. If the straight to DVDs were produced with the same quality and effort they put into the cinematography and SE on those two series .... well, I'd be satisfied. Basically, I just want the story to GO ON ... I don't care how they do it, big screen or small screen. As long as they do it and the story is good. :) :( :huh: :)

[Jack_Bauer 1]

The only thing that bothered me is that it was obviously re-used. Like the Sitak and Majestic scene from Sacrifice of Angels. It was a very distinctive scene.