Knowing what is behind the scenes...

[Stanton21]

When you watch a film or TV show, do you prefer to know how all of the technical/insider things are done (stunts, special effects, etc.), or is it better for your enjoyment to not know how certain movies are made?

Unless the movie was really good, or the special effects blew me away, I don't usually bother checking out those commentaries or "Making of" featurettes on a DVD. I like to see film as a means of escapism, and somehow knowing how certain stunts or sequences were performed in real life kind of diminishes that value.

[Danderson]

Usually the first time I watch a movie, I really focus more on the story...(though, there have been times where I've watched a movie becuase of I heard the soundtrack first....this is how I was introduced to M. Night Shaymalan and James Newton Howard...)....

....But considering Film is what I'm planning on "going into" then heck YES!!! Especially if I love the movie, I always love watching behind the scenes stuff as it just gives me more stuff to learn from. And I absolutely hate it if I just watched a very good film (like Iron Man or Transformers) and I get the version that does NOT have any featurettes or making of stuff.....

[Raiden no Kishi]

I don't find that "behind-the-scenes" knowledge hampers my suspension of disbelief. I love "Making of" featurettes and commentary tracks! I find the film is just as useful as an escapist fantasy with them.

.rai//

[Nate]

Man...I remember when "Making of" features were awesome. Like for E.T., they showed the puppets, the animatronics, how it all worked together...it was so cool and interesting.

Now "Making of" features are boring. It's always "How did you do this?" "We used computers."

[ChristianKitsune]

I sometimes watch them...

I was impressed that in the Movie Wall-E they used Slinkies to make Eve's laser gun sound.. XD

[Mithrandir]

My office at work is (literally) in a corner of a full-stage studio. I get to see a lot of what goes on in a studio (and in some cases, I assist with the foley and chromoakey stuff.) I don't know that it effects my interest in the movies one way or another. *shrug*

[Raiden no Kishi]

Man...I remember when "Making of" features were awesome. Like for E.T., they showed the puppets, the animatronics, how it all worked together...it was so cool and interesting.

Now "Making of" features are boring. It's always "How did you do this?" "We used computers."

Would someone please get the movie industry some aloe for that burn?

Seriously, don't. The pain builds character.

.rai//

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I watch the movie/tv show and then the behind the scenes and they don't diminish my enjoyment of the movie/tv show (they often enhance the enjoyment).
I sometimes also listen to the commentaries (but that's more of a rarity).
I also get really annoyed if a dvd has little to no special features (and it warrants them).

[Scarecrow]

Meh it does... but concidering I'm also aiming to get into film, I used to like to eat it up. Now though, like someone above said... its boring most of the time anymore. I love watching the making of on stuff like Aliens, Terminator, and the like. And one of my favorites, The Dark Crystal. I wish they would make more films like that or Jim Hensons The Storyteller collection. Even Aliens and Terminator. But stuff like the Behind features on something like King Kong or even LotR is absolutely boring. Oh and I did like watching the special features on each of my James Bond movies Those were cool (my favorite from those would be the one from one of the Roger Moore movies where they showed them setting up the bridge so Bond does a barrel roll across the broken bridge).

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

The special features on Lord of the Rings were great! (unless you're talking about the Theatrical version, that wasn't all that great).

[ShiroiHikari]

I like to watch special features if I've seen the movie enough times. I like to watch the "making of" things for older movies, because like Nate said, they were so much cooler.

[the_wolfs_howl]

I didn't use to care about behind the scenes (though I found the little featurette of how they made the trees move in Bambi rather intriguing), until I got the Extended Editions of the LotR movies. That was SO AWESOME. I mean, two whole DVDs of special features after special features after special features. And it was fascinating, too - watching Weta people making "bigatures", hearing actors' comments on what it was like to film such an awesome movie, seeing documentaries on Tolkien's life and how it affected his writing.

Those Extended Editions spoiled me, a bit. I watch behind the scenes of every movie I can now, but usually it's incredibly disappointing because they don't go into half as much detail as I wish they would. Especially Harry Potter movies. They could go so much more in-depth than they usually do. There are a few movies with good behind the scenes, but usually I end up disappointed. That never seems to stop me from trying again, though.

[Danderson]

Those Extended Editions spoiled me, a bit. I watch behind the scenes of every movie I can now, but usually it's incredibly disappointing because they don't go into half as much detail as I wish they would. Especially Harry Potter movies. They could go so much more in-depth than they usually do. There are a few movies with good behind the scenes, but usually I end up disappointed. That never seems to stop me from trying again, though.

Same hear...it was actually the extended LOTR behind the scenes stuff that made me want to be a filmmaker....

[Scarecrow]

Honestly... I think it was the LOTR SE is what burnt me out. I used to watch the special stuff on everything. Then I got those and I liked kinda felt overwhelmed, got burnt out watching it all and just stopped caring. Since then I don't tend to watch the special stuff on something unless its an actor/actress I really like to hear talk or something or commentary from a director I REALLY like.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Well, you aren't meant to watch it all in one sitting! (lol)

[Song_of_Storms]

[SIZE="1"]I loved the LOTR behind the scenes goodies! Just seeing how much work they put into the trilogy... amazing. No wonder Lord of the Rings is my all time favorite movie/book.

It was hilarious watching the Van Helsing Behind the scenes. Watching their props break, telling each other this is the sort of thing that happens on a cheap set, trying to hide broken props.... *sigh* X3[/SIZE]

[mechana2015]

I like behind the scenes stuff, and if I enjoyed the movie I tend to watch any commentary or making of things, and the same applies to television shows as well.