The Official "Freaks and Geeks" on DVD Thread

[Sascha]

Some official updates from creators Judd Apatow and Paul Feig at the F&G site:

Everything still seems on target for a March release of the DVD. They will probably do preorders a few months before that. We are going to record commentaries in Sept. and Oct. with the cast, writers, directors. Lots of them. We found 27 tapes of backstage video that one of the writers shot, so that should be fun. We are not going to put it out in 5.1 sound because that is not how it was originally presented. We are going to put it out exactly as it was originally shown, with all the music and the original sound mix. Remixing all the shows so you can hear a dog bark on your back right speaker scares me. I would rather let it be true to its original form. And the original mixes are great.

[...]

Obviously we can't put out 27 tapes of backstage footage. We'll cut it down to whatever is amusing. Believe me, most of it wasn't, but I'm sure some of it is great.


[...]

I've posted this before, but if it goes for $120, it will not be discounted to eighty later. That price is the only way we can get it released with the original music, so, unfortunately, if you want the show with all the extras, that will be the price. Hopefully we can make it worth it.

[...]

The show was shot in 1:33, which is the size of a normal TV screen. We never shot the show to be shown in 1:85. So, I'm afraid that the good old fashioned way they used to shoot movies in the old days of Hollywood (the REALLY old days ... you know, before color and everything) is the only way you'll be able to see our show.

I wish it were otherwise, since I like letterboxed stuff way better. But, alas ...

[Natasha (candygirl)]

New info posted at tvshowsondvd:

There hasn't been much to report on the Freaks & Geeks front since August, but show creator Judd Apatow posted this update on the DVD's progress over at the message board of the show's official site:

All is well. The music is clearing. Hopefully it will clear fast enough for a March release. We have a meeting Friday to go over the details of what we want to do. I am also looking into putting out a book of some type. Hopefully we'll have some kind of news for you next week.

Sounds good, and stay tuned here because we'll keep an eye out for Judd's news next week. In the meantime, Judd's also stated that he'd like people to continue to sign the petition for the show (it's just shy of 32,000 votes right now).

[Sascha]

An interesting article about F&G and music clearance in general:

May I see your license, please?
The reason for the high cost of some DVDs is the music inside them.

By Dan Heilman

Fans of the beloved (if short-lived) TV series "Freaks and Geeks" were delighted to learn over the summer that the series would be released in its entirety on DVD in October. What might not have tickled them quite as much is the price tag: $120 for a mere 18 episodes.

Why so steep? According to Paul Feig, the show's co-creator, a significant part of the expense is going toward making sure that all the music used on the original series is also on the DVD set.

Set in the late 1970s, "Freaks and Geeks" contained a healthy helping of vintage music to add flavor to each episode, usually by such stars of the era as Deep Purple, Van Halen, and Ted Nugent. Using those songs in a broadcast episode doesn't come cheap, and attaching them to the episode in perpetuity via DVD is even pricer--and it's one reason why some DVDs are so expensive.

In general, it costs money to use an existing piece of music for any purpose that might generate income for the user. In the case of a network TV show like "Freaks and Geeks," NBC and its affiliates shared an annual flat fee to a music publisher's association (usually BMI or ASCAP) for the right to use recorded music on the network's shows.

But that's just where the expense starts. It also must purchase synchronization rights, or the right to use an existing recording (as opposed to music commissioned specially) in the context of a movie, video, or TV show. That's why most TV shows use incidental music that's written and recorded in-house--and one reason why a show like "The Sopranos," which uses nothing but existing songs for its soundtrack, are so expensive to produce (and why a DVD set of 13 "Sopranos" episodes costs $100).

Another variable is the fact that the cost of licensing music for use in DVDs varies widely. An unknown musician will naturally be thrilled to have a song featured in "The Sopranos," and will allow it to be used for little or even no money. But that seldom happens on such a high-profile show; networks such as HBO routinely pay per-use licensing fees of anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 to feature prestigious musicians in their original programming, and subsequently, their video releases.

Add in miscellaneous costs (such as $70 per hour to have an expert run a copyright search on a song); expenses arising from where a song is placed (using it over the credits costs about five times as much as putting it in the background of a scene); and the right to use the song in a permanent medium like DVD instead of in a single broadcast (three times the cost), and it's clear why existing music is used so seldom in TV shows, which are made on a shoestring compared to most movies.

All this expense results in either high prices for the end product or, in some cases, rather tacky shortcuts. People who rented cult favorites such as "Valley Girl" and "Slap Shot" on VHS after originally seeing them in theaters might have noticed that the soundtrack music wasn't quite right. In both cases, generic music that resembled the Elton John and Psychedelic Furs songs that were in the original movies was substituted for the home-video editions (the "real" music was restored to the "Slap Shot" DVD). It's a shortcut not unlike the one record labels use when they want to put out an oldies compilation on the cheap: Skip the original recording in favor a newly-made soundalike version, all to avoid paying expensive mechanical royalties.

It's easy to see why the vast majority of TV shows are accompanied by commissioned scores or ultra-cheap "buy-out" library music. But in the case of "Freaks and Geeks," there can be little dispute that the producers of the DVD made the right aesthetic call, even if the added expense has to be passed down to consumers.

[Guest]

there is a blurb in this weeks Entertainment Weekly in the DVD section....encouraging the release and a hopeful note that it may be available in the spring.

[sirhansirhan]

I was just on http://www.freaksandgeeks.com, and, since the last time that I was there, they have changed the pop-up on the homepage from a sign-up for the Freaks & Geeks on DVD petition to a "click here for details on the Freaks & Geeks DVD" link.

If you click on it (I would have linked it or copied it here, but am retarded with computers), it says that the DVD is definitely coming out in April, that they will announce it officially in January, and that all of the people who signed the petition (which you can still do if you see fit) will have the opportunity to buy some crazy-ass special edition that comes with a yearbook or something. I probably need not mention the parallels to MSCL here, but hopefully I can overcome my gag reflex and order the special edition anyway.

Poop and pee.

[Natasha (candygirl)]

From tvshowsondvd:

Tuesday's edition of the Chicago Tribune ran an article (free registration required) about Freaks & Geeks, and the success story of getting this show onto DVD. Mentioning that it "turned out to be over a million dollars in licensing for the music", according to show creator Judd Apatow, they pointed to tens of thousands of petition-signers who made this release happen in spite of the cost. And Apatow gave the network execs who fought for this show their due: "We did a commentary with the executives from DreamWorks and NBC," he says with a chuckle. "It was one of the executives from NBC who was always fighting for the show to survive, so one of the commentary tracks is all about the politics of why a show like this doesn't make it." The Tribune story by Joshua Klein is a good read; check it out!

Yesterday we received a note from "MB", who saw the latest print issue of trade mag Video Business, and let us know that Freaks & Geeks was mentioned in a sidebar column. It mentioned that the upcoming April release of the 6-Disc set, at an SRP of $69.98 for all 18 episodes of the hour-long show (including 3 that never aired). More was mentioned, but frankly all that was covered with today's press release.

This morning Cory Johnson alerted us to the official Freaks & Geeks press release, which had just come down on the PR Newswire. It loudly proclaimed "The Freaks Have Protested. The Geeks Have Petitioned. Shout! Factory And Dreamworks Television Succumb to the Pressure and Releases to DVD The Critically Acclaimed, Emmy Award-Winning Series." Here it is, for your reading pleasure. This has been a long, hard battle...but the fans have won!

Freaks and Geeks the Complete Series

Deluxe Six Disc DVD Set Boasts All 18 Episodes With the Original Music, 28-Page Collectable Booklet and Over 40 Hours of Bonus Material Including Director's Cut Pilot Episode, 28 Audio Commentaries, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes, Cast Auditions, and Much More - in Stores April 6, 2004

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- The fans demanded it, and so it has come. The award-winning*, most critically acclaimed television series to be canceled during its first season, "Freaks and Geeks" will finally debut as a six-DVD set on April 6th from Shout! Factory and DreamWorks Television. "Funny and tender and often achingly real," (TV Guide) "Freaks and Geeks" continues to receive editorial praise and maintain an active cult following four years after the last episode aired in 2000. Starring Linda Cardellini ("E.R.," Scooby Doo 2), John Francis Daley (View from the Top, "The Geena Davis Show") and James Franco (Spider-Man, "James Dean"), "Freaks and Geeks" follows two siblings and their friends as they experience the trials and tribulations as high school outsiders in a Detroit suburb circa. 1980.

When series producers Paul Feig and Judd Apatow discovered nearly 40,000 "Freaks and Geeks" fans had signed an online petition pledging to buy a future release of the DVD, they quickly prompted executives at Shout! Factory and DreamWorks to brave the music licensing issues and commit to a Freaks and Geeks DVD release. The result is a six disc set containing all 18 episodes, three of which never aired on network television, with original music intact and over 40 hours of bonus material.

Both Apatow and Feig have provided input and pulled materials to create a truly fan-worthy DVD set, and their feelings about the project are clear. "We're thrilled that 'Freaks and Geeks' is finally being released on DVD, but what is most thrilling is that it is coming out with all of the original music. People said it would be impossible to release the show with all those great songs by artists such as The Who, Billy Joel, the Grateful Dead, and a zillion others. Shout! Factory made it happen. I don't know how they did it; I just know I love them for doing it."

Freaks and Geeks - The Complete Series DVD set is packed full of bonus materials, including a director's cut of the pilot episode with behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, outtakes, alternate cuts, blooper reels and no less than 28 audio commentaries by the actors, directors, network executives, crew members, obsessive fans, and even parents of cast members. A 28-page collectable booklet contains a Q&A with Apatow, an essay by Feig and plenty of geeky photos.


About Shout! Factory: Shout! Factory is a multi-platform integrated entertainment company that was started by Richard Foos -- co-founder of Rhino Records, Bob Emmer -- former Warner Music Group and Rhino executive and Garson Foos -- former Rhino executive. It focuses on audio music catalog development and home video/DVD projects and television properties. Conceived as a broad-based retro pop culture entertainment label, Shout! Factory video and DVD projects range from live music and music documentary programs to offbeat special interest titles ranging from animation to sports content. Shout! Factory DVDs and CDs are distributed by Sony Music Entertainment.

* 1999 Emmy(TM) Award for Outstanding Casting in a Comedy Series

[Sascha]

Okay, exactly like this:

The Complete Series DVD set is packed full of bonus materials, including a director’s cut of the pilot episode with behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, outtakes, alternate cuts, blooper reels and no less than 28 audio commentaries by the actors, directors, network executives, crew members, obsessive fans, and even parents of cast members. A 28-page collectable booklet contains a Q&A with Apatow, an essay by Feig and plenty of geeky photos

I imagined a perfect MSCL release... Buena Vista, are you listening? Oh well, maybe 2006, when the studios will re-release all their stuff on Blu-Ray, AOD, EVD, FVD or whatever they call that HD-DVD disc then.

[Natasha (candygirl)]

You can now view the cover art here.

[Sascha]

From the F&G forum, the specifications for the Deluxe Special Edition (8 discs) in comparison to the Standard Edition (6 discs):

6 disc Specs
All 18 episodes with the original music as broadcast.
28 Commentaries featuring virtually everyone that worked on the show.
Auditions
Behind the Scenes footage
Deleted scenes for every episode with commentary
Original NBC promotional clips

8 Disc Specs
The 6 discs as above plus 2 additional discs.
The additional 2 discs will feature approx 7 ½ to 8 hours of additional material which will include…
Museum Of Television & Radio appearance honoring the show
Table readings of episodes.
More deleted scenes
More Behind The Scenes footage
Unseen episode scripts
And lots more.

Judd: "I assumed, for the collector's edition, that you would want everything, and that is what you will get. There are a bunch of classic scenes that we put the raw footage on the DVD. So you see a scene you like all from one angle, one performance. Some of them are amazing, like the uncut version of Bill in the closet at the make out party, and Nick dancing in the final episode. But don't worry, you will be shocked at how much stuff is on the collector's version. I think it is between eight and nine hours of stuff not including the commentaries."

[Natasha (candygirl)]

From tvshowsondvd, more details about the Special Edition release:

We have information for you now about the Freaks and Geeks - Limited Edition "Yearbook" version of the upcoming Complete Series release. This very special release contains all the episodes and extras included in the 6-DVD retail edition, but also includes 2 more discs chock-full of extra extras, bringing the DVD count to 8. And it's also packaged in a nifty-looking "yearbook" packaging:

(click here to view the yearbook packaging)

As you can see, that's very different than the retail packaging. And it's noticably more expensive, too, clocking in at $120, including the cost of domestic shipping. Due to the limited availability of this version, and the cost, it will only be available directly from the Freaks And Geeks website. Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, show creators and the driving forces behind both DVD releases, assure the fans that there is no profit to them on this item, and that it was done as a labor of love for their show.

So, what do you get for the extra money? Besides the pictured 80-page yearbook (embossed and with the pictured foil-stamp), which is FULL of remembrances of the show, the 6 hours of additional supplements on the two extra discs are:

* 3 live "table reads" of some of the best episodes
* A 1-hour Q&A with Judd, Paul, and the entire cast at the Museum of Television and Radio in L.A., shot days before the show was cancelled
* Tons more auditions, deleted scenes, promos, and outtakes
* Some of the producers' favorite scenes in the raw footage from a single camera perspective
* Guidance Counselor Jeff Rosso & Feedback live in concert
* The full original Electronic Press Kit (EPK), filled with interviews with the cast and crew
* A script that was never shot
* A special music and photo gallery
* Surprise Easter Eggs!
* Even more behind-the-scenes footage edited by Jason Segal and Martin Starr
* ...and other things that are weird and hard to describe

Hey, that last one sounds intriguing! You can place your orders right now by clicking here. This is a Region 1 DVD, but International orders are available to be placed for an additional charge. Note that placing an order takes you to a secure shopping page that gives people some pause...the URL is "Shopbootlegs.com". Based on that, some people have questioned whether this is a legit release? Let us assure you that it is. That URL is actually owned by Sony, and has been regularly used for special sales items of this nature before. Relax, order it, and enjoy!

[Sascha]

Ohmygod, US$135 for the box including international shipping. That's about 110 Euro . That'll require some serious thinking.

[fnordboy]

Ohmygod, US$135 for the box including international shipping. That's about 110 Euro . That'll require some serious thinking.

That is what I said when I found out the price. I don't think I will be buying the fans only release. It is just too much money for the show IMO.

[sirhansirhan]

Dude, you guys suck. I just ordered mine. I've been waiting for this DVD forever. The fact that I don't have a job, don't have any money, and won't have a job (and by extension, money) until September didn't deter me. Wheee...Freaks and Geeks.

[Sammi]

I sadly have the money to buy the special set, but after the MSCL fiasco I won't buy anything online from a retailer who I don't know and who I haven't had friends say positive things about.

I will be buying this in the store.

[Sascha]

I probably would have spend $135 (or even more) on a MSCL box set with these features, but "Freaks and Geeks" ... I'm not *that* hard core fan of the show. I saw the 6-disc box set now for pre-order at http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemid=SON034820 for $46.54 (plus international shipping =~ $52) - that'll do it. Leaves more money to buy the Gilmore Girls S1 set and the Dead Like Me S1 set and Buffy and West Wing and Party of Five and whatever else they'll throw on the market this year...