TV vs. DVD

What is the difference between the TV film vs the DVD film?

I have been getting this question quite a bit. For starters, the DVD film is 33% longer as it is just over 60 minutes. The TV film is 46 minutes to fit a television hour on Vision's slot with its commercials.

Secondly, I would see the DVD version as more film-like letting the pictures tell the story more often than the TV version does. This is because the TV documentary is shorter and needs to tell the same information in less time, the narration has to push the story along faster.

Finally, I hope the DVD version is one for the shelves...well not that it sits on the shelf but that it is a record and has a shelf-life. Entertainment is part of the objective of the film but I hope it is equally educational through the enjoyment. Part of this can come through the loads of DVD extras such as the full interview with the Aga Khan and others. As the executive producer Bill Nemtin believes, a good film is just the tip of the iceberg. Well said!

And what about the piracy?
I am quite optimistic. Though there is piracy of films such as that of community-related ones, I am under the impression it is because there is a shortage of timely supply or simply its availability. It is analogous to before record companies allowed for their music to be sold on the Internet - there was much illegal mp3 file sharing. With iTunes and the like, piracy has gone down significantly. People want choice at a fair price in a convenient manner. And usually the DVD distribution window is months after a film goes out on TV. We have endeavored to expedite this process to give people the film as soon as possible. Will there still be piracy? Yah probably, sadly. But I hope most people will be fair and ethical (my idealism is probably why I pursued filmmaking)!

Best wishes for the new year and safe celebrating!

SA