While running a weekly series on a day-to-day basis, Joss Whedon doesn't have much time to get involved with DVDs. However, when DVD producers ask for something he doesn't like, he will put his foot down.
He kiboshed plans to release Buffy the Vampire Slayer in widescreen, because it was never shot widescreen. However, for the Sept. 2 release of Angel Season Two, Whedon approved widescreen presentations. "Angel is a widescreen show, starting with the second season," Whedon said. "So that is presented widescreen."
Though he is not directly involved with the interview featurettes and overall assembly of the DVD, Whedon recognizes the value of additional content. Tracking the success of DVD from Buffy's first-season release through the latest release of Angel, Whedon sees the demand for extra content driving producers to save more footage.
One extra feature that will have to wait for subsequent seasons of Angel is deleted scenes. Though there are always elements removed from episodes, Whedon cannot think of anything before the third season that would be worth showing on a DVD.
"It was in season three, with [the episode] 'Waiting in the Wings' that I shot, where it was the first time I ever pulled out a scene and said, 'Okay, I just made a DVD extra.' Because I loved the scene so much and had to pull it," he said. "Usually when we pull out a scene, it's because it doesn't belong in there and they're not fascinating subplots that have gone south. It's really just tightening what we have."
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