Posted March 12, 2009 07:58 AM by Josh Dreuth
I was always surprised and delighted by the positive reception that the film received internationally both at festivals and in commercial release. The film was originally intended as a film for Thai audiences, and it is ironic that Thailand is one of the few countries where the film has been unavailable. I am a big fan of the Blu Ray format. It must always be disappointing for directors to shoot a film on 35mm, to enjoy the detail and visual quality on the cinema screen, and then to see it as many will see it on a small TV screen playing from a compressed DVD. Blu Ray is the closest thing to having cinema quality presentation in your home. Another big advantage is that you don't have difficulties of PAL vs. NTSC format. By producing in 24p, (exactly the format all films are originally shot) you not only get back to the original film speed and quality, but also follow a standard that all players around the world support. And of course, the other big advantage is the increased capacity of a Blu Ray disc. You can pack so much more onto it. So I was delighted to have the opportunity to put ‘P' on Blu Ray, and to learn about the authoring process. It wasn't easy, and took me over two months. Anyone who frequents Blu Ray authoring webforums will have become bored with my frantic cries for technical help. Okay, the menus may not be as whizzy as the latest Hollywood titles, but I think the quality of the image and sound is impressive. I spent a lot of time on the extra features. The production of the commentary/scrapbook involved digging out the storyboards, behind-the-scenes footage, sifting through tapes of outtakes, and pulling them together in a way that I hope gives a real inside view of the crazy process that was involved in this film.