SAW Uncut Edition DVD
by Lions Gate Entertainment (packaging)
List Price: $19.98

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Design Reviewed July 2006
By Daniel Fogg

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DVDs have rapidly become the standard home video format (no comment on the upcoming HD-DVD/Blue-Ray battle) with dozens of new releases each month vying for consumer's eyes on increasingly crowded store shelves. Differentiating various releases through eye-catching and sales-boosting package design has become a more common tactic among studios. I can only hope the trend continues as this recent SAW Uncunt Edition represents a great example of innovative packaging that combines unique manufacturing and presentation with the theme of the movie.

A little background: The original Saw DVD had a standard Amaray-style DVD case without any unusual design or features in the artwork or packaging. Having already released this movie the studio was undoubtedly self-aware of the buyer-fatigue that can set in when a movie is re-released in several versions and variations. Case in point is the many different releases of the Terminator 2 DVD that vary only slightly. To help set the Uncut edition's release apart from the original DVD, the studio decided to use the new, and still underused clear jewel case DVD packaging. The cool part about this style of DVD case is that it allows for see-through graphics on the front and back of the case as well as a cleaner finish that sports sleeker dimensions than the ubiquitous black-plastic DVD cases. You can order your own jewel cases with pre-formatted templates and insert papers from Coudal Partners at http://www.jewelboxing.com/

The uniqueness of this DVD's packaging goes beyond the jewel case once you take a closer look at the cover. Either squeeze the case slightly or shake it up and you will quickly notice that the front is not a printed insert but a sealed plastic "pocket" with a red liquid meant to simulate blood and a loose plastic saw insert that floats around inside. This is a great idea that is not so easily marked as a gimmick since the theme of the movie including its title is so well combined with the design elements. The interactive nature of the packaging is a big draw as it makes you want to pick up the case, move the saw insert around and figure out how it works.

As much as this is a fantastic packaging design it's not completely flawless. You cannot see it as obviously in the photos here but the artwork for the back of the DVD is actually a printed cardstock piece glued on from the outside. This was done because of the lack of any interior clips to insert artwork on the inside of the case due to the double-dvd swing-arm insert.

The single-disc version of the DVD jewel case packaging normally encases the back insert inside a plastic sandwich and it seems like this could have been done here. This leaves the artwork on the back prone to excessive wear and tear and is not as elegant a solution. Case engineering aside, the bigger issue I have is the lack of artwork on the reverse of the case either on the cover or the inside-back of the DVD.

Once the DVD is open you are presented with an all-white interior which creates a sense of an unfinished design. A simple paper insert on the reverse cover with chapter listings would have helped to continue the design to the inside as well as cover the reverse of the plastic liquid pocket.

What is interesting to note is that the blank interior may have been rectified in later releases as this Amazon.com product image shows additional artwork present on the inside-back of the packaging that is clearly not present in my copy.

Minor shortcomings aside (which seem to have been fixed in later releases) this is a truly fun and innovative packaging design that manages to incorporate a potentially cheesy idea into a perfectly themed product.