Terminator 2 Diary - Back in 3D


	In this exclusive section we will follow the development of Artisan Entertainment’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day Special Edition.” In irregular updates we will keep you informed whenever new developments occur and new information becomes available, so make sure to check by frequently to keep up with the latest development on this highly anticipated title.

		by Guido Henkel May 15, 2000


	s we mentioned in our previous installment of this diary, already, the soundtrack for “Terminator 2” has been completely remixed by Gary Rydstrom, the original sound designer and re-recording mixer who had won two of his four Oscars for his work on

T2. As we had pointed out before, the disc will contain a Dolby Digital Surround EX audio track that adds an additional center channel to the mix, and since the release also contains a DTS audio track, it will also feature an additional rear center channel encoded in the DTS ES process. “When we remixed the film for the DVD, we created a new center surround channel,” Van explains to me. “So the mix was actually in 6.1, and we had that center surround channel matrixed into the left and right surrounds so that it came out as your standard 5.1 channels. When we encoded it to 5.1 with the EX specification, it preserves the matrixed

center surround channel so that if you have a Dolby Surround EX decoder, it will extract the matrixed data to recreate the center surround channel.”

Enough of the techno-lingo, though. You came here to hear about the development of the DVD in general, and what is going to be on it. One area we had not really touched upon yet is the DVD-ROM content you will find on the special edition of “Terminator 2.”

“We are still hammering out the exact details for the DVD-ROM side,” Van Ling tells me. “Especially with DVD-ROM material we are coming a gray area where licensing is becoming more of an issue. Some companies have certain exclusive computer game rights to the movie for example and it becomes a question of where their rights end and Artisan’s begin. Especially since Playstation 2 will also play DVD, it’s becoming even trickier and we have to be very careful not to infringe on existing gaming licenses.”

However, there is material that can safely go onto the DVD-ROM portion of the release. The movie’s script is one of them. Like on “The Abyss,” Ling has prepared the entire script so it can be read from a set top DVD Video player as well as a DVD-ROM drive.


	ver the past weeks, Van was mostly working on many of the text and menu screens for the release. “I am trying to create a continuous environment for the menu system,” Van notes. “We won’t be going to the extremes that we took for “The

Abyss” this time because we are a little strapped for space on the first side of the disc, and ultimately the video quality of the movie is more important than fancy menus. On the second side however, we will have a labyrinth of information and we are playing around with the whole Cyberdyne/Skynet theme for these menus. It will be very cool!”

Although you would think there is plenty of room on a DVD where an entire dual-layer DVD side is dedicated to extras, Van also tells me that space is always something to keep in mind. “If you have room, you can add a lot of interesting things, like the text commentary we did on “The Abyss.” Here, we have more supplements that require more room and as a result we have to cut down on some of the text-only content.”

However after another long night’s work until 5:30 in the morning, Van also tells me that his focus is currently on some exciting material regarding “Terminator 2: 3D” that will also be part of the release. As most of you certainly know, “Terminator 2: 3D” is an exciting 3-dimensional thrill-ride at Universal Studios Florida. The footage for the ride was directed by James Cameron himself and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator. However, the ride does not only consist of filmed content, but also includes live action elements, such as stunt people playing Sarah and John Connor. They are stalked by the T-1000, who in turn is facing off against the Terminator. With live explosions and theatrics, the ride is a breathtaking spectacle, and the material on the DVD will give everyone the chance to experience some of its thrills.
Over 250 pages of text and images regarding “Terminator 2: 3D” will be part of the “Terminator 2” Special Edition as Van tells me excitedly. “The entire Cinefex article is there,” he points out, speaking of the incredible making-of article “Battle Across Three Dimensions” that appeared in the December 1996 issue of the magazine. “We also have a lot of pictures from the production and a full 20-minute featurette.”

While Van is busy toiling away at the elaborate content of the disc, I am sure you are eagerly anticipating this masterpiece in the making. With all the extras and features, it is easy to predict that “Terminator 2” will be one of the hottest DVDs in the market by the time it hits the streets later this year. While still no exact release date has been determined for this DVD, we will let you know as soon as this changes. Make sure to come back for our nest installment in the “Terminator 2” Production Diary, where we will shed even more light on this large-scale production.


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