Dear Adywan,
I have created an account with the intention of putting a friendly word of in your ear prior to the release of ESB: R which I believe isn't too far away now. First of all, thank you very much for doing this. An incredible labour of love which I know I am going to really enjoy watching and am sure many thousands around the world will feel the same way.
It's quite something to create a new 'version' of a classic - and judging by the long list of tweaks and changes that are detailed on the the first page of this forum your version will be definitive.
It's also quite something being able to put a note up here for you, and to know that you will get to see it, and although my hopes of influencing your decision making are very small it would be remiss of me not to try in this one instance. I believe your instincts are great with the changes your making but there is one change I read that made my heart sink a little bit and caused me to write.
The decision to remove the shot of the AT-ST at the Battle of Hoth. This is a small detail, of course - but it's a cool detail. A nice moment of escalation in the battle where you see the Imperials are bringing in more forces. It is also a part of the original theatrical version of ESB not a later addition, and a fine early example of Phil Tippett's stop motion fx. I think it would be such a shame to lose it.
I understand your rationale is that it's the only shot of AT-ST's we see at the battle. Yes it is - but isn't that what makes Star Wars so incredible? Monsters that would form the basis for a whole lesser movie are glimpsed just once at the Cantina. Costumes that took weeks to craft only having seconds on screen. It is such things that cause the viewers imagination to expand, to fill the mind with moments that are never glimpsed on screen. I don't need to see the AT-ST in extra scenes - I can picture it zapping away at the Rebels in the trenches without the movie actually showing me that happening. I think perhaps you have seen it as a continuity problem when it really isnt - and I believe ESB: R will be a lesser film for trimming the shot.
I wonder if perhaps you might re-evaluate this decision, turn it over in your mind whether you really do have to lose this shot? There's a fan of yours here that would be very pleased if it ended up staying in your cut.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and all the best,
Matt