The document provides guidelines for designing still screens for DVDs at Zuma. It discusses naming conventions, file formats, and technical specifications. Designers should create layered Photoshop files at 720x540 pixels and scale elements down to 720x480 for the final artwork. Text and graphics must stay within the title safe area. Overlays must use a limited palette and be non-anti-aliased. Motion menus should be designed at D1 resolution of 720x540 and scaled to 720x486 for output. Final artwork is delivered as flattened TIFF or PSD files within the specified dimensions and color values.

1. Zuma Artwork Specification
Introduction
DVD artwork conventions have analogies to Broadcast and Web or CD-ROM design, but still
remain very specific to DVD. The design process is both methodical and meticulous. The pur-
pose of this document is to demystify the process of designing still screens for DVD. This docu-
ment represents Zuma’s conventions for the delivery of still screen artwork. Also included is a
Guide to Naming Conventions and Formats. It is important to name all files and folders accord-
ing to this convention, as it simplifies the identification of the material once it is delivered.
In order to begin designing for DVD, the designer should have an understanding of the basic
functionality and purpose of the disk. The producers at Zuma will deliver a zip disk to the
designer. The Zip Disk contains the Project Folder and a Stills Folder and any other files (spe-
cific to each job) that may be helpful in the design of the DVD.
Project
Project Folders are created by the producer and provide the designer with a detailed over-
view of the project. Contained within the project folder are two kinds of layout files: The
Flowchart and the Content Files.
The Flowchart
The flowchart shows the designer the layout and interactivity of the project. The flowchart is
necessary because it shows the navigation between the menu screens. It determines the
number of menu screens, the button controls within each menu screen and the filename of
the assets for each screen.
Notes:
Fbi/ Client Logo 1. FBI Warning & Client logo are locked out
2. First play after FBI/Clientlogo is feature
PROJECT FLOWCHART 3. Return to Main Menu after feature
4. Return to Trailer Menu after trailer plays
5. "Play All" plays from the first trailer to the last and
CLIENT: Zuma Digital Interstitial then returns to the Trailer menu
TITLE: Program Title
DATE: June 26, 2000
Filmographies Subtitle Menu Scene Access Production Credits Trailers Program
& Awards filename: Sample01Sub01
filename: Sample01Prod01 filename:
filename: filename:
Subtitle On Sample01Scene01 Sample01Trailer01
Sample01FilmMenu01 Subtitle Off 2 audio tracks
Main Menu
Main Menu Main Menu 1 subtitle track
Main Menu 6 scene access points Play Movie
Play Movie Play Movie Play movie
2 names Main Menu Next
Filmographies Production Credits Trailer 1 Trailer 6
Filmographies filename: Sample01Prod02
& Awards & Awards
filename: Sample01 filename: Sample01Menu01
SampleMenu01 Main Menu
Main Menu Play Movie
Main Menu Filmographies & Awards Back Trailer 2 Trailer 7
Filmographies & Awards Filmography
Selected Filmography Awards
Awards
Filmographies Filmographies Filmographies
& Awards Filmographies & Awards & Awards
Trailer 3 Trailer 8
filename: Sample01 & Awards filename: Sample01 filename: Sample01
SampleAward01 filename: Sample01 Sample 01 Sample01
SampleFilm01
Main Menu Main Menu Main Menu
Filmographies & Awards Main Menu Filmographies & Awards
Filmographies & Awards Filmographies & Awards Next Trailer 9
Back Trailer 4
Next Next
Filmographies Filmographies
Filmographies & Awards
& Awards & Awards
filename: Sample01
filename: Sample01 filename: Sample01
Sample02
SampleFilm02 Sample02
Main Menu Trailer 5 Trailer 10
Main Menu Main Menu Filmographies & Awards
Filmographies & Awards Filmographies & Awards Next
Next Next Back
Back Back
Filmographies Filmographies Filmographies
& Awards & Awards & Awards
filename: Sample01 filename: Sample01
filename: Sample01
Sample03 TruFilm03
SampleFilm03
Main Menu Main Menu Main Menu
Filmographies & Awards Filmographies & Awards Filmographies & Awards
Back Next Back
Next Back
Filmographies Filmographies
& Awards & Awards
filename: Sample01 filename: Sample01
SampleFilm04 Sample04
Main Menu Main Menu
Filmographies & Awards Filmographies & Awards
Back Back

2. Content
A content file is delivered to the designer for each menu screen of the project. Each content
file specifies the filename, major controls, minor controls and the content that will appear
on each screen.
The Filename
The filename is the filename used in the assets file.
Major Controls and Minor Controls
The major and minor controls are the button controls for that screen; major button
controls should be more visually prominent on a screen than the minor controls.
Content
Content of the screen refers to all the text that will appear on that screen. The designer
should not make any changes to the punctuation, grammar or spelling of the text.
Text can appear on a screen as a “heading”, a “subheading”, a “footer”, or in the
main “body” of the screen. Generally these terms are useful because they provide the
designer with an idea of how the text should look on the screen (e.g. a “heading” is
usually at the top of the page and more prominent than the “subheading”).
HEADING Heading
Sub
Note: Graphic Major control
elements that
reside out of
Text Body
Major control
action safe are
not guaranteed
to be visible on Note: All text and con-
every television. trols reside within title
safe.
Minor Control Minor Control
Stills
The Stills folder contains stills taken from video elements that exist on the DVD. These
stills can be an integral part of a motion or still menu design.

3. Designing for DVD
Layered Files
Designing is usually done in Photoshop. Scaled type; interface elements are combined with
stills and other graphics to create the screens.
Since menu screens often have similar button controls, it is a good idea to have each button
control on a separate layer and then duplicate that layer for use on other similar screens
within a project. It is essential to keep all original layers, so that you can make any last
minute changes easily.
Designing for NTSC TV Display
Certain colors do not reproduce well on DVD. In general it is best to avoid over-saturated
colors because TV color displays make colors look even brighter than on a computer moni-
tor. Over – saturated colors will bleed and the image will lose sharpness and definition.
Photoshop has an NTSC color filter that will pull colors into acceptable color range. Many
designers use maximum RGB values of 234 or less. For example, the RGB value 234,0,0
would be pure red on a TV color display. Another useful tip is to adjust the brightness and
contrast. High contrast images may cause jittering around edges, thin lines and text.
Working with Text
All the text that appears on each screen should first be created in Illustrator as a vector Note: The later ver-
file. Text should be created on a canvas size of 720 x 540 pixels then scaled down to 720 sions of Photoshop,
x 480 using vectors. It is essential that all type elements be scaled as vector objects so Adobe Photoshop 5.0
as to ensure clean type on interlaced monitors. The scaling is to compensate for the dif- and onwards, uses vec-
ference between square pixels of the computer monitor and the rectangular pixels of an tors for transforming
NTSC monitor. If the text is not scaled down, it will appear out of proportion on an NTSC images and text. If you
monitor. are using this version,
you do not need to
create vector files in
It is important that all text remains within the inner NTSC title safe boundary. Text should
Illustrator. You can
not be any smaller than 18 point for Sans Serif fonts and 24 point for Serif fonts. The larger create all artwork and
the type, the more readable it will be on an NTSC monitor. Thin lines that are close together text in Photoshop on a
flicker when displayed on NTSC monitors, so it is recommended to leave a little space canvas size of 720 x 540
between the letters. Accounting for common interface elements, a typical screen should and then scale all ele-
not contain more than 80 words. ments down to 720 x
480 as the last step of
All fonts used for design should be included in the final delivery of the artwork, in its own the design process.
separate folder. Click below to open a Title Safe Template.
Title Safe Template in Photoshop
Title Safe Template in Illustrator

4. Motion Menus
Motion menus should be designed at D1 resolution for output to tape. All compositions
should be set to 29.97 fps and all video footage should be conformed to 29.97 fps. Ele-
ments should be assembled as a 720 x 540 composition. In the final render, this composi-
tion should be imported and scaled down to fit into a new 720 x 486 composition.
Motion menus may be delivered on Digibeta or Beta SP. If the motion menu loops, it is
required to loop at least once in the final delivery. This will ensure that the loop is seam-
less. If the motion menu ends on a still frame, it should freeze on the last frame for at least
two seconds.
Zuma can also accept uncompressed Quicktime files for output to Digibeta. If Zuma is
responsible for mastering to tape, we recommend that you interpret the video footage as
lower field first and render out the final movie as lower field first. Quicktime files must be
delivered on CD-R, a jaz, zip disk or mac-formatted hard drive.
Overlays
Overlays are necessary for the interactivity of a DVD. The basic purpose of an overlay is
to define the selection and activation states of all the buttons on each screen. It is the duty
of the designer to define the area that will change color, as well as the RGB value and
opacity of the color, which will be used in both the selection and activation state.
The selection and activation states
A button is selected on a DVD by using the remote control. When a button is selected, it
turns a different color. This is to inform the viewer which button has been selected. The
viewer can then press enter on their remote control to activate the button. The button will
quickly flash another color indicating that its function has been activated.
Overlays have to be 2 bit, 4 color, and NON-ANTI-ALIASED files. The only colors that can
be used in an overlay are pure White (R=255, G=255, B=255), Black (R=0, G=0, B=0),
Blue (R=0, G=0, B=255), and Red(R=255, G=0, B=0). This means that the overlay files
are heavily aliased, and any small curves will appear pixilated.
The DVD Overlay Palette
Creating a Custom Palette

5. Aliasing
Curves created in Photoshop are anti - aliased by default. The anti – aliasing creates
a subtle blur around a shape to make it appear smooth rather than pixilated. Blurs are
not acceptable in overlays because they introduce a lot more color values than the four
accepted RGB values. It is very important to convert the overlays in Photoshop to non –
anti – aliased files. The best method to make sure a file is aliased is to create a custom
palette for the overlay files. This palette should contain only the four acceptable RGB
values.
Note: An easy way to
make an overlay is to
Aliased Anti-aliased work on it as a separate
layer in the layered
Photoshop file for that
screen. This ensures that
the overlay correctly lines
up with all the button
controls on that screen.
Large blocky shapes
make the best overlays.
Small curves look very
pixilated.
CORRECT INCORRECT
The four acceptable RGB values in the overlay are for use ONLY in the premastering
process of the DVD. Each of the four RGB values can then be mapped to a different color
as specified by the designer. It is the designer’s responsibility to choose the selection and
activation colors for the button controls. Select and Activation colors, as well as opacity
levels must be specified on the Zuma Color Specifier Form.
Delivery of Art Files
Delivery of final art is dependent on the nature of the project. Delivery of final still art
should be as flattened Photoshop Tiff or Pict files. Files should be 720 x 480 pixels at 72
dpi and be within NTSC safe color limits. Remove all alpha channels and paths from the
final art, as they will not import into an authoring script. It is important to check that each
screen meets the specifications of its corresponding content file.
Zuma uses different authoring platforms depending on the nature of the project. In some
cases, the producer will ask for a layered psd file in which case the background is the
menu screen and layer 1 is the overlay.

6. Guide to File Delivery
Creating Artwork Document/Comp Size Render/Export Filename Artwork Delivery
Photoshop 720x540 Sample01Scene01 720x480
PSD to TIFF
Illustrator
720x540 NA
PDF, eps to PSD
Indesign
720x540 PDF, eps to PSD NA
After Effects
Comp size: 720x540 For Output to dBeta: 720x486
square pixels Drop Square Pixel comp
into
720x486 D1 comp
“fit to comp”
Quark Express
Comp size: 720x540 eps to PSD NA