Re-edited film
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A re-edited film is a film that has been edited from the original theatrical release.
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[edit] Types of re-editing
Films edited for format, length, and content.
- Format: movie theaters typically show films in either a 1.85:1 aspect ratio or 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Television currently has two screen formats. There is the more standard 1.33:1 (or 4:3) aspect ratio, and the growing standard of 1.78:1 (or 16:9) aspect ratio.
- Length: Films may be shortened for television broadcasting or for use on airlines. DVD releases of films may also contain longer cuts. In a growing trend, more and more films are being released in an Unrated cut of the film.
- Content: Some films have content objectionable to "family audiences": sexual content, obscene language, and graphic violence. To make these films suitable for younger or more conservative audiences, alternative versions are created with such content removed. Oftentimes, profanities are replaced with minced oaths. For example, in the edited version of Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson uses the minced oath "screw" instead of "fuck".
[edit] History
The first theatrical film to be re-edited for television was the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch.
Re-edited films have existed for several decades for usage on television and in airlines. Since the advent of VHS films being readily available in the mass consumer market, many consumer groups have asked films studios to make the airline version of films available for wide release. The MPAA, in contrast to the RIAA, have refused to release the TV/Airline versions of films on DVD as yet.
[edit] Re-editing techniques
There are two main techniques for re-editing films:
[edit] Manual re-editing
Purchased film content is downloaded onto an editing work station hard drive and third-party editors manually re-edit the video and audio tracks, removing objectionable content. The re-edited version is then copied onto media (VHS or DVD) and made available for rental or purchase provided an original version has been purchased in correlation with the re-edited copy. Some manual re-edits are done by fans (see The Phantom Edit) to cut a film to their own -or their peers- specifications.
[edit] Programmed re-editing
Programmed re-editing occurs when DVD player software is used to skip portions of the video and/or audio content on-the-fly according to pre-programmed instruction sets which are knowingly used by the consumer. ClearPlay, Inc. was the first to begin to market such technology. Others have sprung up, including one who claimed patent infringement against ClearPlay.
[edit] History of manual re-editing
In response to consumer demand, families began to re-edit purchased VHS tapes literally by making cuts and splices to the tape. A hotbed for this activity has been Utah with its conservative yet entrepreneurial population. When "Titanic" was released on VHS, a video store owner in Utah began offering to re-edit purchased copies of the movie for a $5 service fee. The service became very popular. Before long, several video rental businesses purchased VHS tapes and had them re-edited for their rental club/co-op members to watch.
When DVD technology emerged, the re-editing industry began offering for sale or rental a disabled DVD accompanied by a re-edited version of the film on a coupled DVD-R. Several companies attempted this business. First, some tried to do it via physical brick and mortar stores, the most successful being the deal model and properietary stores owned by CleanFlicks, Inc. of Utah. CleanFilms, Inc. later became the largest and most successful company in the business by employing an online rental model (similar to Netflix) and avoiding any physical stores. CleanFlicks and CleanFilms were recently sued and have stopped offering the rental service. Some argue that the rental companies were clearly violating copyright law since the original was not sent with the edited version.
As soon as the DVD aspect of the re-editing industry emerged, the Directors Guild of America and the Motion Picture Association of America sued most of these industry players for copyright infringement and claims regarding derivative works. In 2006, Judge Richard P. Matsch of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado ruled that unauthorized manual re-editing constituted copyright violation. However, one particular company, Family Edited DVDs, still provides a service of Edited Movies to consumers who already own the original DVD.
[edit] History of programmed re-editing
ClearPlay, Inc. launched early software versions of its player which would skip video and audio content on DVDs playing on PCs. Eventually, this tecnhology was embedded into a DVD player. CustomPlay (Nissim Corp) claimed patent infringement, but that case has recently settled and ClearPlay continues to market a programmed re-editing player.
ClearPlay was also sued by the DGA and MPAA, but the case was rendered moot by the The Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005, which made programmed re-editing legal and an exception to copyright law.
[edit] Future of the industry
It is unclear where this industry is headed. There is large demand (some studies show almost half of American families want re-edited films [1]). Programmed re-editors like ClearPlay have been saddled with challenges stemming from legal issues, but now they seem to have clear path if enough capital can be raised.
[edit] References
- ^ "ABC News Poll". (2005, April 22). Poll: Mixed Reviews for 'Sanitized' Movies.
