Man with a Movie Camera: BFI vs Arte

[Anonymous]

I now have two DVDs of MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA. The old BFI disc with the magnificent Alloy Orchestra score which was based on Vertov's notes and the new arte/Absolut Medien disc from Germany with far better picture quality. I would now love to rip the Alloy score from the BFI disc and the video (without sound) from the arte disc and then create a DVD-R which combines them. But as I am a complete hack when it comes to computers and technology like that, I would need some help and advice from you. I would be immensely grateful and would provide those who helped me with a copy of this DVD-R.

[Kinsayder]

If the two editions are exactly the same length, swapping the audio would be a 2-step process:

1. You need to demultiplex ("demux") the VOB files on each DVD to extract the audio or video streams you want. On the Mac, you can use MacTheRipper. Select "Title Only" extraction, then click on "D" (for demux), then "Streams" and use the tick boxes to select the streams you need.

2. Once you have the audio and video streams as separate files (m2v for the video and ac3 for the audio), you need to recombine ("mux") them into a new set of VOB files which can be burnt to DVD. On the Mac, Toast will do this. Make sure the two files have the same name before the extension, then drag one of them into the Video window of Toast. Toast will also compress the files if that's necessary to fit them onto a single-layer disc.

Step 2 assumes that both editions are identical in length and have the same lead-in at the start. Otherwise, the synchronisation will be off. That may not matter too much with a silent film where there's no lip-synch to get wrong, but if you want to do it precisely you'll need an application that allows you to fiddle with the relative positions of the audio and video streams. On the Mac, DVD Studio Pro will do this.

For more info and PC tools, see VideoHelp.com

[Kinsayder]

I mentioned this in a PM, but in case others are interested...

The French Arte restored edition has the Alloy Orchestra score as an option (along with a techno score by a group called Volga Select). There is a comparison with the original BFI edition here.

[Arn777]

For what it's worth, I really like the Volga Select score, it makes the film even more dynamic.

[Anonymous]

I ordered the French disc (which is my third DVD of the film so far) and will report about it when I get it.

[Anonymous]

So, I now have the French ARTE disc since a couple of days and it is by far the finest DVD of the film available. The transfer is based on the George Eastman House print which was recently shown at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York and looks splendid. The Alloy Orchestra score is on the disc and sounds absolutely great. Then there is also great bonus material. For one there's a Bernard Eisenschitz's documentary "Un si joli mot: le montage" about Soviet silent cinema as well as a ten-minute analysis of the film by Luc Lagier, which is interesting and actually very good, but due to its shortness quite limited in scope.

The DVD is packaged in a kind of digipack cum snapper case, which one can fold only once in the middle (instead of three times like a usual digi). It looks very nice though. To cut to the chase, this DVD is essential stuff. Presenting Vertov's masterpiece in stellar quality with the finest score there is.

And here's a nice comparison to the lousy BFI DVD.

[jegharfangetmigenmyg]

Does anyone know whether this new French dvd is of the same superior quality as the Arte?: http://www.amazon.fr/LHomme-cam%C3%A9ra ... 004CK6XGY/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is it from another source? It cites "Mikhaïl Kaufman Distribution". I'm tempted to buy it because it's the most recent release of the film, but I just want to make sure that it's not an inferior release that should be avioded...