What I tend to do is watch the film first for pure enjoyment. Then afterwards, (often the next day), I will go to the "extras" section. Usually with the more recent films, there will be an option to watch the entire film again with the directors, actors or writers commentary included. This really is an amazing resource and I can't tell you how much I have learnt over the years from doing this. Plud the great thing is, it doesn't cost you anything extra. If you really want to pick up some great acting tips, then I highly recommend this practice. If you are a film maker you will also discover why certain shots were shot the way they were and how the director managed to achieve the shot they were after.
There will often be some "Behind the Scenes" footage as well, which is another excellent learning opportunity as many of the cast, crew, writers and producers will provide their thoughts and insights, passing on little tid bits of information that you can take away and begin applying to your craft immediately.
I recently watched "The Secret Life of Bees" with Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo and Paul Bettany. What a fantastic film it was. To top it off, this DVD had a fantastic array of "extras" which included many discussions with the writer, the crew and virtually all the cast. It was well worth the money I paid and the time it took to watch everything.
Another fantastic "extra" is the featurettes at the end of "Curious Case of Benjamin Button" starring Brad Pitt & Cate Blanchett. Not only is the film a fantastic cinematic achievement, but the "extras" are well worth any expense for the DVD whether rented or purchased.
There is so much to learn from an acting perspective, a writers perspective and especially a film makers perspective. The insights as to what went on throughout the entire process is a film makers course in itself. This extra is practically a movie in itself. If you do go to watch it, be sure to have a pen and notepad handy, as you will pick up many tips you can apply to your own creative process.
Some other great "Extras" I have watched recently include:
Crank (wow, these boys provide an amazing lesson in guerilla film making)
3.10 to Yuma (recent version with Russel Crowe & Christian Bale)
Casino Royale (always great to learn how they shoot a Bond film)
Pride & Glory (with Ed Norton & Colin Farrell. Find out what it's like to be shooting a film and not have the ending written yet....priceless).
These are just a few of ones I have watched recently. Most DVD's these days will have extras on them. So, any extras you can watch at the end of a DVD will be an enormous investment in your craft. You will be immensly inspired and you will gain a tremendous amount of insight as to what it takes to master the art of screen entertainment. Trust me, start the habit today and you will become better at what you do.
Action = Success!
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