What's up with the DVD cover? by Ravenhair

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

What's up with the DVD cover?

POSTED BY: RAVENHAIR
UPDATED: Tuesday, April 4, 2006 10:03
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VIEWED: 7008
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Monday, April 3, 2006 4:41 PM

I just recently noticed the DVD cover (really who needs the cover when the DVD is always in the DVD player?) and I don't get it.

What's with the hordes of people (or reavers?)? And is that a llama in there? And is that where the llama references in other posts come from?

And where are the rest of the BDH's?

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Monday, April 3, 2006 4:49 PM

RHYIANAN

Not to mention that river looks nothing like what she usually looks like.

They weren't cows inside. They were waiting to be, but they forgot. Now they see sky, and they remember what they are.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 4:56 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

What llama

me am

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Monday, April 3, 2006 5:04 PM

LAVACHE

I totally know what you mean. You'd think that putting a big picture of Summer on your cover would be a surefire way to pretty it up...but the amount of photoshop work that must have went into making Summer look like that boggles the mind.

As for the llamas, I'd say it's more accurate to say that there are llamaesque shapes.

Also, what's up with the big tagline at the top of the cover, "Experience the Ultimate Action Adventure." As one reviewer pointed out, they could have said "Arrr" or "Pirates" in the tagline and said just as much about the movie itself.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 5:40 PM

JACQUI

This is why you all need the Australian DVD. It's shiny, the cover *makes sense*, and there are better features.

This makes much more sense -->

"Moving, exciting and subversive... the Sci Fi movie of the year." - Filmink.

From the creator of 'Buffy' & 'Angel':

SERENITY.

"THEY AIM TO MISBEHAVE".

*~*~*
"He's hurting a woman, he really *is* a bad guy... and I wouldn't call him a gentleman."
- Kyle, 9, watching 'Serenity'.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 5:46 PM

RHYIANAN

Even on the australian cover, river looks nothing like she does in the movie, although it does make a lot more sense, like you said.

They weren't cows inside. They were waiting to be, but they forgot. Now they see sky, and they remember what they are.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 5:57 PM

NOSADSEVEN

Joss's official comment on the cover art (posted to the UB after a bit of an uproar):

Quote:
Joss_Whedon
Serenity Cast/Crew

Joined: 09 Jul 2004
Posts: 23

Posted: 03 Nov 2005 11:19 am
Post subject: DVD art

Guess what else I'm not the boss of.

And, that's a yes on the llama question.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 6:14 PM

ERIC

I hope I'm not being heretical when I say I cringe a bit every time I look too closely at the DVD cover. If I didn't know better, I'd never guess that was Summer. General consensus seems that that's partly why the BDM didn't do as well as hoped- it was clicheified in marketing to try and appeal to the lowest common denominator: Ooh, look, ANOTHER tough sexy killer female! And guns! And sleek silvery art deco buildings! And no cows!

You know, when I first rented Serenity at random from Blockbuster as a naive young twentysomething (about four months ago

) I read the blurb on the back of the case and was frankly expecting something on the level of Chronicles of Riddick (shudder). How glorious it was to be wrong. But how many people had the same reaction when seeing the trailer (which I never saw, BTW) or reading the case in a video store and just passed on by...we'll never know.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 6:19 PM

RAVENHAIR

Australia definitely got the better cover.

Are there other alternative covers (produced in other countries)?

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Monday, April 3, 2006 7:04 PM

NUCLEARDAY

IIRC, didn't the Serenity cover win Worst Cover Art somewhere? ;p

Yeah, someone dropped the ball on that one...

Somehow, to me, it comes off as someone trying to put a good spin on a movie they either never saw, didn't get, or just plain didn't like.

Yeah, let's take a well-written Science Fiction movie with heart and try as hard as we can to make it sound like Generic Sci-Fi Action-Adventure #4 ;p "You'll pay for the whole seat, but you'll only need the edge!"

________________________________________________
You can take my hope when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 7:20 PM

MATTCOZ

Where are the llamas?

Another thing I don't like, they make it look like Serenity is shooting and blowing up another ship. Damn yokels can't even tell a transport ship ain't got no guns on it.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 7:31 PM

CALHOUN

Quote:
Eric wrote:
Monday, April 03, 2006 18:14

I read the blurb on the back of the case and was frankly expecting something on the level of Chronicles of Riddick (shudder).

What was your problem with "Chronicles of Riddick"? I liked it.

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Monday, April 3, 2006 7:46 PM

NOSADSEVEN

Quote:
Originally posted by Eric:
I hope I'm not being heretical when I say I cringe a bit every time I look too closely at the DVD cover. If I didn't know better, I'd never guess that was Summer. General consensus seems that that's partly why the BDM didn't do as well as hoped- it was clicheified in marketing to try and appeal to the lowest common denominator: Ooh, look, ANOTHER tough sexy killer female! And guns! And sleek silvery art deco buildings! And no cows!

You know, when I first rented Serenity at random from Blockbuster as a naive young twentysomething (about four months ago ) I read the blurb on the back of the case and was frankly expecting something on the level of Chronicles of Riddick (shudder). How glorious it was to be wrong. But how many people had the same reaction when seeing the trailer (which I never saw, BTW) or reading the case in a video store and just passed on by...we'll never know.

You're not being heretical. There was much Browncoat hand-wringing after the release of the DVD cover art. In fact, over 1500 people had signed a petition within just a day or two. Some folks felt that people should just be happy - that it was what was in the box that counted. But many folks were concerned about how the marketing-gone-bad design would actively turn away those who would most appreciate what Serenity had to offer.

On another note, there are a slew of fan created replacement DVD covers, some of which are excellent. You can see many of them at Jetflair's site:
http://www.serenityverse.com/images/

Or, you can check out the thread at serenitymovie.org under the Fan Fiction and Fan Art topic called, "Fan-Created DVD Covers":
http://www.serenitymovie.org/browncoats/forums/index.php?showtopic=30&
hl=DVD+art

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ain't. We. Just.

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Tuesday, April 4, 2006 12:43 AM

EMPXENU

The U.S. cover may not be the prettiest thing ever but at least it depicts the movie's darkness. The international one looks better in red (where did I hear that?).

----
Jesus was a spineless pinko-commie pacifist

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Tuesday, April 4, 2006 5:47 AM

ERIC

Quote:
Originally posted by Calhoun:
Quote:
Eric wrote:
Monday, April 03, 2006 18:14

I read the blurb on the back of the case and was frankly expecting something on the level of Chronicles of Riddick (shudder).

What was your problem with "Chronicles of Riddick"? I liked it.

Well, I'm just being melodramatic. I liked it too, but as a self-contained action-adventure-thriller thing that one watches, then moves on. I think Serenity certainly has more depth, and of course, it led to my discovering Firefly

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Tuesday, April 4, 2006 5:59 AM

ERIC

Quote:
Originally posted by nosadseven:

On another note, there are a slew of fan created replacement DVD covers, some of which are excellent. You can see many of them at Jetflair's site:
http://www.serenityverse.com/images/

Or, you can check out the thread at serenitymovie.org under the Fan Fiction and Fan Art topic called, "Fan-Created DVD Covers":
http://www.serenitymovie.org/browncoats/forums/index.php?showtopic=30&
hl=DVD+art

That's some seriously shiny cover art! Very professional, and all better than the real one.

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Tuesday, April 4, 2006 6:04 AM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

after taking a close look at the cover I have finaly found the llama

llama llama llama

BURMA

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Tuesday, April 4, 2006 6:16 AM

AZHEA

I dislike the cover so much, I made up a new one, from one of my wallpapers and slipped it in.

*************************************************
I look out for me and mine... that don't include you 'less I conjure it does.

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Tuesday, April 4, 2006 6:58 AM

OCT0GEN

Quote:
Originally posted by Eric:

That's some seriously shiny cover art! Very professional, and all better than the real one.

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Tuesday, April 4, 2006 9:29 AM

RIVERPHOENIXTAM

in responce to the note about summer not lookin real, i have to say that that is what she really looks like. in an issue of empire mag they have a pic of her and she looks like that in the film she may look a bit rough but in real life she isn't.
i can se why the cover was sexed up slightly becaue firefly (tho an absolutly amazing show) only reached a certain audience however if more people watch the DVD through seeing the cover isn't that good. the film is good enough to stand alone and show off enough it dosn't need a cover that explains the story and full firefly history, it needs a cover that says 'this is serenity and it rocks' and i think the cover says that.

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Tuesday, April 4, 2006 10:03 AM

DUG

Hollywood has an annoying tendency to advertise movies other than the one they actually filmed. It really irks me when the main lines in the trailer are not even in the film. That happens a lot if you pay attention. There is also the tendency to make the trailer as if it were for a different plot. Examples? From the kid-vid world both Sled Dogs and Kangaroo Jack were made to look as if they were about talking animals. Neither were. From the whatever world, White Noise was made to look like a horror movie when it was really....well, nothing. A crappy almost dramatic almost ghost story that almost was a murder mystery at the end but wasn't good? I hope White Noise II is good.....

In regards to the DVD covers, compare River's face on the US cover and the international covers. Exact same pose and expression, just the arms are different. Photoshop is cool.

Same photo, redone in photoshop?

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