June 2nd, 2006

Every avid independent filmmaker has dreamed about making that special-interest documentary, or short film to show off their creative prowess. Many have great ideas and want to “wow” the film-festival scene or video renters with their DVD masterpiece.

But once you have the film ready for the masses, how do you move from a couple of master DVDs with the “Sharpie”-marked handwritten title inside a secondhand CD case to a pile of cardboard boxes full of shiny, retail-ready DVDs, with UPC barcodes and polywrap sitting on your doorstep?

You need to create eye-popping artwork and have your project duplicated. Finding a reputable, full service DVD duplication company to partner with is a necessary task to ensure a professional end result while getting help with your DVD duplication project.

Before covering what to look out for when hiring a DVD duplication company, it’s important to first review the most common steps involved in the DVD duplication process. Below is an outline of a typical duplication job flow:

1. Prepare your DVD master.
To ensure the duplication company can read your master, you either need to create a DVD±R/RW or Mini DVD±R master, or output your project to a DLT (Digital Linear Tape). DLT has been around for years and used to be the only way to create a viable mastering source for DVD duplication. Thankfully, DVD±R technology has advanced so much over the past few years that a pair of DVD±R masters are normally all that is required when working on a standard DVD5 project. Why a pair? Just in case one of the masters gets damaged in transit, you don’t waste time looking for another good master.

2. Create your artwork.
You’ll need to design artwork for the DVD face, the outside of the case (commonly called an insert, entrapment, or wrap), and, if desired, an insert for the inside of the case (postcard, or booklet). All CD or DVD duplication companies will have templates on their respective websites that you can download and use to assist in layout of your art. Just make sure you download the correct template for your project, as there are many variables and you won’t want to waste time with the wrong size or layout.

While on the subject of artwork, it’s important to mention that you need to decide if your project needs a barcode (commonly called a UPC, or the black-and-white dashes inside a box on many products). If your DVD will be sold through retailers, you should have a UPC issued, as many retailers won’t stock an item without one. You should also decide on outside protective wrapping for your finished DVD, which is referred to as poly, cigarette, or shrinkwrap depending on the process that the duplication company offers.

3. Find a DVD duplication partner.
Although there are literally dozens of DVD duplication companies out there (just type “dvd duplication company” into any search engine to see how many companies are competing for your business), not all DVD duplication companies are created equal. You’ll see all kinds of pricing models that will do nothing more than confuse and frustrate you.

Instead, look for a partner who offers good pricing and does their best to simplify the process. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples when shopping around and watch out for hidden extras, like overage (where the duplication company makes an extra bunch of discs and then expects you to pay for the extras). Watch out for setup fees, mastering fees, extra costs for offset-printed discs, and extra costs for 3-color vs. 5-color artwork.

4. Approve check discs and/or artwork proofs.
Once you have found the DVD duplication company, you will be asked to send in your masters, artwork, and payment. Most duplicators want their money up-front, as they start burning materials as soon as the project lands. Some duplication companies only require 50% up-front to get your project started, and then will collect the remaining balance once your order is ready to ship. Flexible payment options like these make it much easier to digest for those on a tight budget.

Now that we’ve described in detail the entire process for getting your your DVDs duplicated, let’s move on to what to look out for when choosing a DVD duplication company.

Within a few days of delivering your masters, you should see either email proofs of your artwork (simple digital prints (PDFs or JPEGs) showing you how your art elements will line up when printed. If you ordered a hard proof, the DVD duplication company will ship you a print proof printed from the actual printing equipment earmarked to print your job. With a hard proof, you know exactly what you’re getting before you print hundreds or thousands of them.

If a duplication company mentions fees for “printer setup” or other bogus charges, you’re probably not dealing with a reputable duplicator. A professional duplication company will offer up-front pricing on their website broken down into quantity levels, and in order to simplify things DO NOT charge setup fees or hidden costs. It’s very important to ask a duplication company for the firm, “out the door” price when getting a quote and before starting any job.

Also, look out for duplication companies that REQUIRE you to purchase hard proofs instead of making it an option. One-off proofs are not necessary for most duplication jobs, and some shady duplicators use hard proofs as a profit center for more hidden charges. Unless your job is beyond the standard packaging and printing that the majority of jobs entail, the emailed digital proof that you sign of on is all you need.

Assuming everything checks out, and you send back your approvals in a timely manner, within a couple of weeks you should hear the beautiful sound of the FedEx truck backing up your driveway. After a quick signature, you’ll be the proud owner of a pile of amary boxes filled with shiny discs–your own professionally replicated, retail-packaged DVDs!

A little homework up front will ensure your DVDs look great when they arrive and you aren’t left with the feeling of being cheated, or have amateur-looking discs that nobody will want to buy.