I've considered it, but there's a line there... I'm not sure I'm comfortable crossing it. Lucasfilm is watching the site and has given me a pass with the screencaps so far, and I really don't want a C&D. Not that a C&D would prevent me from doing the restoration, but it would prevent me from sharing it, and I think it's important for the effort to have a public face for so many reasons... Anyway, we'll see.

_Mike

You said you got the Lucasfilm approval. What does he think? I think things look great.

Patrick

I don't think he meant "approval".

Yeah, definitely not approval, I just happen to know they've seen the site. The fact that they haven't shut it down is tacit approval for the posting of screencaps that they could revoke at any instant.

_Mike

Same thing with my site. I got a nice email from them a few weeks back about my image archive having Insider images, but they didn't say anything about the DVD project section, so I'll take that as approval.

Thanks for the explanation. It's interesting that Lucas has paid attention to your site. Makes me wonder if he's at all remorseful for the half-assed job they did at the release. I'm sure he'll use your site as a guide to fix everything that was broken and, instead of releasing corrected discs to those of us who have already paid, he's just going to make us buy them again. And then after we've paid again, he'll release the HD-DVD version and make us pay yet again.

I won't even buy the DVDs. I just copied the supplemental disc from my father-in-law's set, and that's it (although I'm tempted to put the commentaries on my discs alongside my Def. Col. commentaries. )

Personally, I don't release work that I can't be completely proud of. While you can't please everybody, you always know when you've given it every last ounce of your effort. But I doubt that George Lucas feels the release was a failure on any level; certainly not monetarily. And there are no shortage of people who are genuinely excited about the DVD's. I think it would be an easy place to go, psychologically, to say, "Hey, that was a huge success, and the next ones'll be even better. So it's all good!"

To be honest, what I find most personally disappointing is the bold-face dishonesty on both Lucasfilm and THX's part regarding the production problems. When THX issues press releases insisting that everything was scrutinized using "revolutionary" processes, and there are obviously glaring errors in production, it totally devalues the brand. I find this distressing, because I always admired THX's origins as a "best possible quality assurance" program.

Lucasfilm's deflecting of the problems is "easier" to understand, as an alternative to the most expensive recall in entertainment history. While this may be morally bankrupt, I think it's phenomenally naive to expect any corporation not to act in the preservation of its profits over all else. In my world, Lucasfilm would've released the DVD's with a public "caveat emptor", saying, "the original negative elements were heavily damaged and the materials are presented 'as-is'. Future releases will address the correction of these compromises." But this would only happen in the alternate universe that is the world according to me. Very little good comes from the wishing of things to be different. This is why I've chosen to do something, if only for my own gratification. In the end, Star Wars has my life-long loyalty, because it played a seminal role in shaping my life, and I'm grateful for that every day. That doesn't mean it can't disappoint me.

_Mike

"In my world, Lucasfilm would've released the DVD's with a public "caveat emptor", saying, "the original negative elements were heavily damaged and the materials are presented 'as-is'."

...and this doesn't even address the rear-channel swap and audio drop-outs that only exist on the English soundtrack.

it's just the usual corporate arrogance towards consumers. the thing sells $100 million plus in the opening few days, therefore the fact it isn't of tremendous quality is irrelevant and any admittance that there were issues gets you sent to the funny farm for an extended holiday.

if Lucasfilm were to say, look, this was a release but there is a super duper 6 film all singing all dancing pack coming 2006 I wouldn't care.

LOTR and New Line took that approach so you could make an informed choice.

as it is, Lowry got 1 month to sort the 3 films out, of course things are going to fall by the wayside and the very fact they only got a month indicates it was very much a snap decision by Lucasfilm. I can see the beancounters sitting there thinking, if we don't release the OT in 2004, then we won't get a double header out of it when we re-release it in 2005 with the prequel films as a box set.

the whole thing smacks of oppoturnism with no consideration for the material.

the supplements are good, but we all know there is a lot more material out there that wasn't included and could have been.

considering the amount of time lowry were given, they did quite well, but the quality control must have had one of those days where they look at the footage and say 'yeah, it'll do, who's gonna notice?' and to be honest, if you read web reviews of the DVD sets, that is indeed the case. everyone gushes about picture quality, sharpness of image, but neglects to mention what's been trashed as a result of it.

The issues and shortcomings with the DVD's have been exhaustively debated on dozens of forums, not the least on starwarslegacy.com. I'm hoping we can keep this thread confined to discussions of the restoration, specifically... this way, new forum members can scroll through the posts and get useful information, without seeing a lot of ot rantings that we could all get off on in a heartbeat, myself included!

Just a request. Thanks, guys!

_Mike

Sorry...

Evidence exhibit A and Evidence exhibit B

I had to post this as - NO offence is intended here at all... SO please do not take it as such (and IF I ordered a shirt I would NOT complain about waiting at all ) BUT - I think you should post a small clip and share it either VIA - a Secret FTP or GROUPER - making it so ONLY a few select members - like MeBeJedi, Zion and Laserman get get them. This way we can get other reviews of this project - without actual video this just seems like more internet "vaporware" - again no offence is ment as it seem like your the guy to talk to about video encoding and authoring but without that sample....

Geez....

I was just asking for a sample....

And is it really being "hounded" when a few folks ask for samples??

Really now, if he's doing it that's just fine and dandy with his background in FILM HE should be doing this -

YES, he may offer help to some folks DOING the transfers but I've seen NO instuctions or any How-To's on his site or in this tread so how is that helping? (he maybe helping some of you by phone or email right?) - I'm just saying why bother RISKING showing-off the menus and cover art (includeing FBI warning ) if this set is being made "yourself" and why is he selling "Star Wars" shirts on his site?

So why would someone with his background and future risk it all with the site?? - isn't this is one of those things best kept under-wraps and NOT associated with his studios (I mean he says he can burn DVD9 in house) - UNLESS you wanted the attention right?

MAYBE just MAYBE _Mike is really a STAR WARS insider posting to judge our reactions to the "real" in progress lucasfilm restoration!!!

Oh yea - I'm not asking for a copy in any way shape or form.

I actually suggested that you get a sample along with MeBeJedi and Zion so that those of you doing transfers can REALLY learn from the master - what's wrong with that?

Guys -

Personally, I don't care about being "hounded." I get it, and I sympathize. But it's not going to accomplish anything, and it makes the thread uninteresting. If the thread gets uninteresting, I and everyone else will stop watching and contributing. That would suck, since I opened this thread as a courtesy, and I've made a commitment to being a part of it, because some people have actual questions about the work.


My advice, if you find the site frustrating or misleading, or if you think it's fake or hypocritical, is to stop watching. It's not that big a deal. According to google, there are 8 billion other pages to watch which presumably will be more fun for you.

For everyone else: more updates coming soon!

Laserman - we don't agree to disagree. We agree. I'm still searching for that new LD source, which is why I'm moving on to other scenes for now.

_Mike

"My advice, if you find the site frustrating or misleading, or if you think it's fake or hypocritical, is to stop watching. It's not that big a deal. According to google, there are 8 billion other pages to watch which presumably will be more fun for you/"

I don't think Laserman meant that...

Neither do I. (?)

_Mike

What I meant was, he wasn't complaining about this site. I got the impression your comment was directed at him. Perhaps it wasn't...

Oops, wrong thread...