Deleted scene
Encyclopedia
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film (including television serials). It is occasionally, but rarely, referred to as a "cut scene", but due to the usage of "cut scene" in reference to video games, the preference seems to be to call it "deleted" instead. A related term is "extended scene", which refers to scenes (such as fight scenes or montages) which were shortened for the final version of the film. Often extended scenes will be included in collections of deleted scenes, or also referred to as deleted scenes themselves, as is the case with for instance, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
and Serenity
.
This kind of situation is most common in the production of television series, since networks and channels often have to be mindful of how the viewers, critics, and/or censors will react to programming, and may fear losing ratings, incurring fines, or having trouble finding advertisers.
In feature films, sometimes scenes are cut to keep the length of the film's theatrical cut shorter. This appears to have happened with most of the Harry Potter
feature films, including an arguably important transitional/plot-related scene in the second film (involving Harry's overhearing of the conversation in the shop in Knockturn Alley) which was not in the theatrical cut, but was released on the 2-disc DVD along with several other deleted scenes.
In the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day
, the scene showing John Connor reprogramming the Terminator was shortened by deleting dialogue which made other scenes necessary, and these scenes were left out of the theatrical release version (but restored on the special edition VHS & DVD). Also, a scene where the T-1000 kills the family dog was deleted. In interviews, both Schwarzenegger
and Cameron
stress this was done to shorten the film (the theatrical version still ran 2 and 1/2 hours, even without these scenes).
In television serials, however, running time becomes an even greater concern, due to the strict timeslot limitations, especially on channels which are ad-supported, where there can only be approximately 20 minutes of actual show per half-hour timeslot (depending on the station and the particular format of the show, this may or may not include opening credits; closing credits may or may not count towards running time, either, in some cases, because many ad-supported stations now "squish" the closing credits or force them into a split-screen
in order to show more advertising), and the majority of shows are either in a half-hour or one-hour timeslot. This somewhat forces producers of television serials to both break up the acts
in a manner that will (hopefully) make the viewer want to continue watching after the ad-break, and to not go over the stricter running time limits.
TV serials which have had to make such changes include Desperate Housewives
(the "Secret Scenes" that aired on the next morning's Good Morning America
during the show's first season were deleted scenes; they were also included on the DVD box set release of the season) and Firefly
(which had to remove a lengthy scene from the episode "Our Mrs. Reynolds
" due to time constraints; this scene was also included on the series' DVD collection as an extra).
There are at least a few examples of this, including a number of the deleted scenes on the DVD release of the sequel film Serenity
(in fact, the audio commentary on the DVD's deleted scenes collection quite often makes mention of the plot or tension being disrupted or slowed by the inclusion of a scene and/or expositional
overkill being the main reason for the scene in question's non-inclusion in the final theatrical cut). Another well known example is the Cocoon Sequence in the film Alien
. The scene added a lot of information about fate of several crew members, as well as new information on the life cycle of the creature. The scene was ultimately deleted because it slowed down and disrupted the tension of the end of the film.
is a prime example of this, using its "Secret Scenes" as a special, exclusive bonus to the next day's Good Morning America' s programming during season 1, as well as being included as a bonus feature on the DVD release of the series. It is also reported that the 'deleted' scenes in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
are fully produced scenes, marketed for video releaseshttp://www.flixnjoystix.com/index.php?p=513. Similarly, 2 entire episodes of .hack//SIGN
were initially only available on video. The idea is that additional material will provide more of an incentive to buy home video releases (hence their common inclusion on DVD releases) or on rare occasions, as a marketing tool for a separate television show as seen with the aforementioned "Secret Scene" promotions used by Good Morning America.
s (especially in science fiction
and fantasy
films, where visual effects are more expensive), and the film quality may or may not be the same as in the rest of the film, though in some cases this may depend only on how much post-production editing was done.
Additionally, animated films' deleted scenes might not be in the form of a fully animated scene, but rather included in the form of an animatic or a blooper form, as is the case with the deleted scenes on the DVD release of Pixar
's Toy Story
and Finding Nemo
.
Plus, certain deleted "non-finished" scenes can be from TV shows like King of the Hill
.
' s feature film also featured not only a handful of regular deleted scenes, but also two spoof "Really Deleted" scenes.
YTVs ZAPX on occasion makes "deleted scenes" that are not genuine deleted scenes, but rather random scenes of the movie with footage of the host of ZAPX, Simon, inserted into the clip, for this purpose.
On the DVD for UHF
, "Weird Al" Yankovic
provides commentary with the deleted scenes, emphasizing that there are hours of film footage but they were all removed for good reasons.
s.
The original 1993 VHS release of "Raffi on Broadway" contains a deleted song called "Kids for Saving Earth Promise Song" with introduction by Raffi
along with the scene of Raffi singing "Baby Beluga" in a Bob Dylan
imitation.
The original 1997 video release of "Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas" contains a deleted song called "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
". It stars The Wiggles
, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus
. This song also appears on the Wiggles' Wiggly Christmas CD released in 1996. The 1999 re-release did not contain this song, instead showing a medley of Christmas carols recorded on their 1998 tour. Both "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Wiggly Christmas Medley" were sung on the Britain video release.
The original "Toot Toot" 1998 videotape shows a Wiggles song called "Bathtime" with skit intro starring Greg
and Jeff
along with the Wiggles rolling down the hill which is after the song "John Bradleum" and before "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes".
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Chris Columbus and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the second instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman...
and Serenity
Serenity (film)
Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...
.
Reasons for removal of a scene
Scenes are removed, replaced, or shortened in films for a variety of reasons, including:Requests that it be altered
The studio or network that is providing funding or support for, owns the rights to, or plans to air or distribute the film or films (usually the prior two) may be uncomfortable with a certain scene, and ask that it be altered or else removed or replaced entirely.This kind of situation is most common in the production of television series, since networks and channels often have to be mindful of how the viewers, critics, and/or censors will react to programming, and may fear losing ratings, incurring fines, or having trouble finding advertisers.
- The 2002 Fox series Firefly
' s original pilot episode ("SerenitySerenity (Firefly episode)"Serenity" is the two-hour series pilot for the American science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon. However, Fox executives were not satisfied with this as a pilot, and so instead, "The Train Job" was created as a second pilot and was the first episode of the series aired....
", parts 1 & 2) had such a change made, with the original, less action-packed scene being replaced in the final cut of the episode but featuring on the later DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
box set release of the series as one of several bonus features.
- A scene in the pilot of 2424 (TV series)24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
involved the destruction of a 747 airplane. Aired just a few months after the events of 9/11, the producers made some creative edits to cut out shots of the plane visibly exploding.
- When the TV series Dead Like MeDead Like MeDead Like Me was an American-Canadian comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for the Showtime network, where it ran for two seasons...
went from Showtime to basic cable Sci-Fi ChannelSci Fi Channel (United States)Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, due to its heavy use of profanityProfanityProfanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, many scenes were altered in order to censor the profanity without removing a large amount of content.
Running time
Concerns about running time can also be cause for removal or shortening of scenes.In feature films, sometimes scenes are cut to keep the length of the film's theatrical cut shorter. This appears to have happened with most of the Harry Potter
Harry Potter (film series)
The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by the British author J. K. Rowling...
feature films, including an arguably important transitional/plot-related scene in the second film (involving Harry's overhearing of the conversation in the shop in Knockturn Alley) which was not in the theatrical cut, but was released on the 2-disc DVD along with several other deleted scenes.
In the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
, the scene showing John Connor reprogramming the Terminator was shortened by deleting dialogue which made other scenes necessary, and these scenes were left out of the theatrical release version (but restored on the special edition VHS & DVD). Also, a scene where the T-1000 kills the family dog was deleted. In interviews, both Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
stress this was done to shorten the film (the theatrical version still ran 2 and 1/2 hours, even without these scenes).
In television serials, however, running time becomes an even greater concern, due to the strict timeslot limitations, especially on channels which are ad-supported, where there can only be approximately 20 minutes of actual show per half-hour timeslot (depending on the station and the particular format of the show, this may or may not include opening credits; closing credits may or may not count towards running time, either, in some cases, because many ad-supported stations now "squish" the closing credits or force them into a split-screen
Split screen (film)
In film and video production, split screen is the visible division of the screen, traditionally in half, but also in several simultaneous images, rupturing the illusion that the screen's frame is a seamless view of reality, similar to that of the human eye...
in order to show more advertising), and the majority of shows are either in a half-hour or one-hour timeslot. This somewhat forces producers of television serials to both break up the acts
Act (theater)
An act is a division or unit of a drama. The number of acts in a production can range from one to five or more, depending on how a writer structures the outline of the story...
in a manner that will (hopefully) make the viewer want to continue watching after the ad-break, and to not go over the stricter running time limits.
TV serials which have had to make such changes include Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
(the "Secret Scenes" that aired on the next morning's Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
during the show's first season were deleted scenes; they were also included on the DVD box set release of the season) and Firefly
Firefly (TV series)
Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
(which had to remove a lengthy scene from the episode "Our Mrs. Reynolds
Our Mrs. Reynolds
"Our Mrs. Reynolds" is the sixth episode of the science fiction television series Firefly created by Joss Whedon.As an unexpected reward for an unpaid job, Mal finds himself married to a naïve, subservient young woman named Saffron...
" due to time constraints; this scene was also included on the series' DVD collection as an extra).
Disruption of narrative flow
Though the quality of initial vs. the final cut of a film is of course subjective, a certain scene or version of a scene in the film is sometimes perceived to have an adverse effect on the film as a whole, serving only to slow the film down, to provide unnecessary details or exposition, or to even over-explain points that might be better left either unsaid or more subtly handled. It is common to remove such scenes at the editing level, though they occasionally are released on the home video release as a bonus feature.There are at least a few examples of this, including a number of the deleted scenes on the DVD release of the sequel film Serenity
Serenity (film)
Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...
(in fact, the audio commentary on the DVD's deleted scenes collection quite often makes mention of the plot or tension being disrupted or slowed by the inclusion of a scene and/or expositional
Exposition (literary technique)
At the beginning of a narrative, the exposition is the author's providing of some background information to the audience about the plot, characters' histories, setting, and theme. Exposition is considered one of four rhetorical modes of discourse, along with argumentation, description, and narration...
overkill being the main reason for the scene in question's non-inclusion in the final theatrical cut). Another well known example is the Cocoon Sequence in the film Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
. The scene added a lot of information about fate of several crew members, as well as new information on the life cycle of the creature. The scene was ultimately deleted because it slowed down and disrupted the tension of the end of the film.
Marketing
As of late, more television series seem to have started to allow for more scenes even when they cannot possibly be fit into the strict running times, specifically as a bonus to fans at a later date - ABC's Desperate HousewivesDesperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
is a prime example of this, using its "Secret Scenes" as a special, exclusive bonus to the next day's Good Morning America
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the sixth and final film released in the Star Wars saga and the third in terms of the series' internal chronology....
are fully produced scenes, marketed for video releaseshttp://www.flixnjoystix.com/index.php?p=513. Similarly, 2 entire episodes of .hack//SIGN
.hack//SIGN
.hack//Sign is an anime television series directed by Kōichi Mashimo and produced by studio Bee Train and Bandai Visual, that makes up one of the four original storylines of the .hack franchise...
were initially only available on video. The idea is that additional material will provide more of an incentive to buy home video releases (hence their common inclusion on DVD releases) or on rare occasions, as a marketing tool for a separate television show as seen with the aforementioned "Secret Scene" promotions used by Good Morning America.
Formats
Deleted or extended scenes can come in any of several different formats. They may or may not feature finished special effectSpecial effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s (especially in science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
films, where visual effects are more expensive), and the film quality may or may not be the same as in the rest of the film, though in some cases this may depend only on how much post-production editing was done.
Additionally, animated films' deleted scenes might not be in the form of a fully animated scene, but rather included in the form of an animatic or a blooper form, as is the case with the deleted scenes on the DVD release of Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
's Toy Story
Toy Story
Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
and Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
.
Plus, certain deleted "non-finished" scenes can be from TV shows like King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
.
Parody
The DVD release for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 comic science fiction film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. Shooting was completed in August 2004 and the movie was released on April 28, 2005 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and on the following day in Canada and the United...
YTVs ZAPX on occasion makes "deleted scenes" that are not genuine deleted scenes, but rather random scenes of the movie with footage of the host of ZAPX, Simon, inserted into the clip, for this purpose.
On the DVD for UHF
UHF (film)
UHF is a 1989 American comedy film starring "Weird Al" Yankovic, David Bowe, Fran Drescher, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards, Gedde Watanabe, Billy Barty, Anthony Geary, Emo Philips and Trinidad Silva, in whose memory the film is dedicated.The title refers to Ultra High Frequency...
, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
provides commentary with the deleted scenes, emphasizing that there are hours of film footage but they were all removed for good reasons.
Examples
The deleted scenes on Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends are seen in lots of places, including the music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s.
The original 1993 VHS release of "Raffi on Broadway" contains a deleted song called "Kids for Saving Earth Promise Song" with introduction by Raffi
Raffi (musician)
Raffi Cavoukian, CM, OBC , better known by his stage name Raffi, is a Canadian-Armenian singer-songwriter, author, essayist and lecturer...
along with the scene of Raffi singing "Baby Beluga" in a Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
imitation.
The original 1997 video release of "Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas" contains a deleted song called "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
". It stars The Wiggles
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. This song also appears on the Wiggles' Wiggly Christmas CD released in 1996. The 1999 re-release did not contain this song, instead showing a medley of Christmas carols recorded on their 1998 tour. Both "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Wiggly Christmas Medley" were sung on the Britain video release.
The original "Toot Toot" 1998 videotape shows a Wiggles song called "Bathtime" with skit intro starring Greg
Greg Page
Gregory John "Greg" Page AM is an Australian musician and actor. He is best known as the original lead vocalist and a founding member of the children's band The Wiggles...
and Jeff
Jeff Fatt
Jeffrey Wayne "Jeff" Fatt AM , is a Chinese Australian musician and actor. He is best known as a member of the children's band The Wiggles and the 1980s and 90s band The Cockroaches...
along with the Wiggles rolling down the hill which is after the song "John Bradleum" and before "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes".
See also
- Director's cutDirector's cutA director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
- Alternate endingAlternate endingAlternate ending is a term used to describe the ending of a story that was planned or debated but ultimately unused in favor of the actual ending. Generally, alternate endings are considered to have no bearing on the canonical narrative...
- Multiple endings