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Episode 3 - Editing Back in Progress (* unfinished project *)

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 (Edited)

Hi to everyone! Thanks to Stossmo for reigniting my desire to finish my Episode 3 edit. It’s still in progress, but here’s a (long) glance at my progress in the form of the end of the movie.

I’d love to get feedback about the sequencing and storytelling. The sound/music editing is secondary at this point. Need to finish the story first, you know?

The link will be live until 04/14/07.

episode3_final_battles

Enjoy!

Edit: Download Link Updated

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linkey not working for me
It just directs me to the register screen.
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Yeah, says we have to register to DL it because it is over 20mb. Try rapidshare, you don't even have to register to upload there.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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Crap! I was afraid there was something wrong.

Thanks C3PX for pointing me to Rapidshare. I'm uploading right now.

New link coming soon!

Edit:

NEW LINK
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Darkhelmet,

Glad to see you're back at it. I've checked out your clip, so lemme share some thoughts:

I was confused by your removal of Obi Wan's "You have done that yourself". Do you have a problem with that line? I quite like it.

The pace of the battle between Obi Wan and Anakin was much improved. I really enjoyed the removal of the bad dialog while lava surfing.

But once Anakin loses his limbs, the pace started to wander. Why doesn't Obi Wan pick up Anakin's saber? Why does he walk off before Anakin gets burnt?

I'm not so sure about your editing of the Yoda & Palpatine fight. I know you're trying to cut the sub-par parts, but it seems hard to understand how they get from dueling on the podium to throwing pods. In my opinion, this fight was superfluous, and poorly executed by Lucas. So you don't have too much to work with. (And can anyone tell me what's up with Yoda's cloak falling down? Is that supposed to signify something?)

The ending was just too rushed for me. I think you're probably trying to retain some of the surprises of the OT, but it felt too abrupt, and provided little to no closure on too many points. We go straight from seeing Padme in the medical center to her funeral. If you really want to cut things short, I suggest cutting the medical center scene completely.

You know of the rebellion against the Empire?

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Hmm, just watched it. I must say I think the Anakin vs. Obi-Wan battle is worse rather than improved in your version. My biggest annoyance with that scene has always been how Obi just leaves his "good friend" to die burning to death. I think it would have been much better played if he would have fallen off a cliff or fallen into the acid/lava and disappeared. In your cut Obi-Wan does not only leave his buddy while he is burning to death and it is a pretty sure thing he will be dead momentarily, but instead actually leaves him lying there on the bank limbless but otherwise healthy to pull him self to safety with his remaining arm. Also whilethe dialogue between the two isn't the best, I think it is pretty essential that Obi-Wan sees his friend has truly turned and that there is no way to get him back. In your version it is more of a "okay Anakin, I see you have choosen to become a Sith, so I am going to murder you now". SOme of the dialogue should go, but like Erik said, some things like "You've done that yourself" don't sound bad and I think are pretty essential to the emotion of the scene. Otherwise you just have two guys trying to kill each other. I completely agree with the removal of "If your not with me then you're against me".

Also I also find the abrupt ending an extremely terrible choice (not trying to diss, just trying to give constructive crit.) I think you and I have similiar goals for the ending. Have you seen my clip? I posted it in the Starkiller Ranch thread before. You can dl it here. Keep in mind this wasn't made to showcase my editing skills, but was rush together in a matter of five or ten minutes. I too have tried to preserve the Darth Vader secret, though I know inevitable people will figure it out before they reach the ending of ESB, I still think it is fun to preserve and not to have completely in the open. I have also tried to preserve the Leia thing by only showing the birth of Luke. Check out my clip and see what you think, if you like any of my ideas feel free to use them or modify them and make them your own.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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There would still be no resolve. The film would still end at a breakneck pace. Padme is a character who has been with us from the very beginning, it is just bad story telling not to actually give hear a death scene. It is pretty important. Again, this is something of which we were given very little to work with, even the original death scene of Padme was pretty weak

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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Hey, Erikstormtrooper! Thanks for the encouragement and the constructive criticism. Let me start off by saying that I'm not too attached to the way I ended the movie.

Good criticism so far from everyone. Thanks! I didn't use the one line of Obi-Wan's since he seemed to say a very similar line the moment before, and I thought that "You have done that yourself" was the weaker of the two. But I may be so myopic at this point that I made the wrong decision. There's just so much that's disappointing to me in the Prequels.

I'm at work, so I can only be brief: Palpatine/Yoda fight does need work. Padme's death needs work. I agree with C3PX on what the basic resolve of the Anakin/Obi fight should have been; I have trouble with Obi leaving Anakin at all without even so much as finishing him off for mercy's sake! He doesn't pick up his lightsaber, because it seemed like an uncalled-for thing. No set up for it at all in the prequels. Seemed just a lame/rushed way for obi to have it in ANH.

I gotta go, but, C3PX, I downloaded your edit twice, and the video comes up only as colored static. Is it corrupt? I can hear the audio.
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I have a few questions:

Did you speed up some of the video or did you rip it at a different frame rate?
or does it just look that way because these are prelim videos?

It's just that some of the shots, especially the digitally dependant ones look very fake in their current state...and they don't in the film... and it's eaither because you ripped at a different frame rate or sped up the video...

As far as the editing... I like what you're trying to do with the movement of Anakin standing on the ledge of Mustafar to after Yoda and Palpatine start fighting... I do feel that the sound is a bit jarring.

If I may make a suggestion. I would try editing the video how you want it... then figure out the audio latter... IF you dont' have it already, I'd recommend downloading my complete Episode III score edit. You can use those and the center channel to rebuild the audio track... then maybe a few sfx here and there from the original edit....

But that's just my suggestion...


Is it not sad that in this time, we are more surprised by acts of love than acts of hate?
-Me

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Originally posted by: darkhelmet
I agree with C3PX on what the basic resolve of the Anakin/Obi fight should have been; I have trouble with Obi leaving Anakin at all without even so much as finishing him off for mercy's sake! He doesn't pick up his lightsaber, because it seemed like an uncalled-for thing. No set up for it at all in the prequels. Seemed just a lame/rushed way for obi to have it in ANH.

I gotta go, but, C3PX, I downloaded your edit twice, and the video comes up only as colored static. Is it corrupt? I can hear the audio.


I'll check on that video. Other have downloaded it and watched it no problem. I'll try it myself. I agree with you about Obi-Wan picking up the lightsaber, and I honestly don't think its absence will hurt the film. They admited that they forgot about that part and had to go back and shoot it, and the way they did it it really doesn't fit too well. If you are watching your friend buring to death, I think taking his weapon would be the last thing on your mind. How I would suggest editing it, would to be have all as it is, with Anakin catching fire before Obi's eyes, and having him seem to die then and there. That way Obi-Wan already believes he is dead, rather than leaving him to die. I think this could be achieved by freezing the section of film with Anakin's body to show he is not moving, while keeping the rest of the shot moving. Not sure how to do that myself, but more difficult things have been done in fan edits.



EDIT: Just downloaded my clip and skimmed through it, it works fine. Perhaps you don't have the right software for it, it is a normal xvid file. Can you normally play divx/xvid files? You may just need to get an xvid decoder, if you still can't get it to work maybe I can redo it in mpeg or something later when I get the time. I really think you and I are kind of on the same page with our ideas for the ending though. Mine shows Padme birth Luke, die, then fades to her funeral, then show Obi-Wan passing Luke off to his relatives. There is no reason to disguise the fact that Luke is the son of Anakin since the last name is a dead give away and Obi-Wan talks about Anakin just a short ways into the movie. I think if every instance of the use of the name "Lord Vader" or "Darth Vader" is removed from ROTS, we will know something fishy is going on with Obi-Wan's conversation with Luke, but we wont have necessarily made the connection of Darth=Anakin. Even if people were to make the connection, it is still fun to have it shrouded rather than flashing in the sunlight. I think just about every one who saw my clip didn't like that I removed the scene of Palps rescuing Anakin or the birth of Vader scene. My idea also keep the Luke and Leia thing a complete surprise until Jedi, that way we are as baffled with it as Han is upon first hearing it, or it allows the sibling idea to be somehow skillfully edited out of in the event of a saga edit.

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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GM, thanks for the music critique and for the offer of your Episode 3 score. I've already downloaded it and am looking forward to using it in my edit. I am planning to deal with the audio at a later time like you suggested.

About the video: I had trouble encoding the review file. I'm not sure why. I've done my previous encoding at work, but my new edit station at home is still largely a mystery. Can you point out which shots look very fake? I'd like to see what you mean.

C3PX, it's probably the xvid codec I'm having trouble wiith. I'll see if I can come up to speed on that. I think we are of a very similar mind on how the birth of Vader left so much to be desired. I'm gonna need to chew on the Obi-wan abandonment thing. Not sure I want to bite off an attempt to digitally create a dead and burning Anakin.

It's sad that effects are needed to bridge a bad story. Without effects, either Obi watches him die, or he leaves him to a likely grim fate. Would've been nice to hear some kind of Jedi philosophy on this somewhere earlier in the Prequels; the simple belief that Yoda put forth in ESB would've sufficed: "Once down the dark path you start, forever will it dominate your destiny". Should've introduced that idea with fallen Jedi Count Dooku.

I was initially going to attempt what the Phantom Editor had done with Episode 2, and merely re-edit, with minimal manipulation of shot content, the movie into a more serious, sharp film. But other ideas have crept into my head, and I feel the story needs more than that to be more of the Star Wars film I wish it had been. *sigh*
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Holy crap, C3! I downloaded Xvid, and I really like what you did with your edit!

Seeing Luke as a baby was pretty cool. I don't know if I can go down that path since I think Vader would've checked the Skywalker place just on the chance that Padme or their baby survived. But what you did with the end really bridged the gap to ANH in a way that felt more like the Original Trilogy. I definitely won't be able to forget what you did there while I'm doing my edit!
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Glad to here you got the file to work and that you liked some of my cuts. See, I really thought we were on the same page.

I am not understanding why Luke as a baby cannot be shown in your edit, are you eventually changing something in Episode IV? Unless there is something different you are doing in your edit I think it works. Padme dies and the baby is taken to live with the Lars family. Meanwhile behind the scenes somehow Anakin survives but his body is so severely damaged he needs a life support system at all times and dons a fancy intimidating suit to cover up his nasty charred body. While we are introduced to him in Episode IV, we don't actually find out it is him until Episode V (only logical issue in this is Obi-Wan's lie, that could be seen two different ways 1) He killed Anakin because he turned to the darkside and he doesn't want Luke to know this because he wouldn't understand. Might as well blame it on the new Sith guy, it was the Sith's fault anyway. or 2) the audience will get wise to the situation and realize that the new Sith really is Anakin and that he didn't die after all. (I know anybody who watches this will already know everything anyway, but I think looking at fanedits from a fresh perspective, as if the film has never been seen before and is new to everyone, helps make them flow better, rather than giving up things for granted such as Anakin being Darth Vader and Leia being Luke's sister.)

"Every time Warb sighs, an angel falls into a vat of mapel syrup." - Gaffer Tape

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I know that aroudn the time Episode I came out, I had a talk with some friends about Episode III and how they'd pull off the continuation of the story.

I argued that they wouldn't show Anakin as Vader or the birth of the twins.

I figured that since it was meant to be a mystery until Episode V when Luke and Vader realize their relation...and then again until VI when Luke realizes Leia is his sister.... To me it seemed like the proper way to go. To not show the birth of the twins, and to not show anakin's 'birth' into vader.

I wasn't entirely sure how they were going to pull it off. I had heard from friends that Anakin died from Lava so I pretty much said what is seen here...

As far as the birth of the twins I wasn't sure what to think. I like how you don't show they are born and instead cut to her funeral.

What I don't like, and perhaps is something that you simply cannot change, is how quick this edit moves though the last portion of the film. It moves far too fast for me and it' feels like someone hitting the fast forward button every few moments and then letting it play for a few moments and then doing it again and so fourth.

I understand the limitations thought because you only have what is in the film to work with... so I'm unsure of how to resolve this.

I would say that the end of the film is too quick and has too little dialogue. I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to include at least the portion of Yoda speaking to Obi-Wan about Qui-Gon... and maybe the cleaning of the memory of 3PO... just to give it a little bit more time.

Also, I think there should be something else at the end however what, I'm unsure of.

As far as my comment about some of the clips seeming weird, most of the video up until the arrival at mustafar is this way.

The opening shot of Padme leaving looks very fake... the whole sequence.

Palpatine in the Senate Chambers looks fake (the openning of the fight).

Then the entrance to mustafar looks fake again.

I think it's a frame rate thing because in the film it doesn't look that way...

As far as the music, I'm hope that my set can help you. If you need any adivce or help editing the music, let me know. I'm pretty good at editing music to video (as you may or may not have seen on youtube heh).

Can't wait to see the enxt edit.

EDIT:

Also, I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to change one of your edits.

When Palpatine tells Anakin to shut down the droid armies of the sepratists, instead of showing ANakin saying "Very good Master," why don't you show his hologram (the shot from earlier) and simply layer his line over it.

Then, play the shot of the hologram comming into focus backwards for the video of it going out... instead of showing where he is at all. Becuase it seems almost random to show it for 2 seconds you know? The whole reason why it's shown at all is for the camera to be able to jump from one location to the other. And with no need to do that, then there's no need to show that location until latter when Anakin is standing on the ledge.

just an idea.


Is it not sad that in this time, we are more surprised by acts of love than acts of hate?
-Me

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Hey! It's time for another one of my crazy ideas!

In my opinion, the closing shot of the movie should be the scene where Obi Wan drops off Luke on Tatooine. It's a beautiful scene to close with. And with Luke's last name in the OT, I think there's really no point in preserving any mystery about his parentage.

To stretch out the last bit of the movie so it's not so rushed, you can use an altered version of the opening shot from Episode IV:

http://www.erikstormtrooper.com/rots_luke_dropoff.jpg

Just flip the image, reposition the moon a bit, and crop out the Star Destroyer. (The Tantive IV is also upside down, but I don't think that's really noticable.) So now the Tantive IV is dropping off Obi Wan and Luke. Then in the next scene Obi Wan is delivering the baby to the Lars farm.

You know of the rebellion against the Empire?

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hhmm, wonder where that idea come from
"You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could...you never stopped to think if you should." - Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park
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Hey TJ, not intending to rip you off in any way.

I assumed your idea to use this in TPM was abandoned.

If are still planning on using that reversed shot, I'll recant immediately

You know of the rebellion against the Empire?

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What about using a shot I just made... it's not great... but it's not bad:

(Sorry about this screen capture quality)


http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d89/BrachioInGen/PDVD_490.jpg
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d89/BrachioInGen/PDVD_492.jpg

I took a screen cap of when Anakin and Padme go to Tatooine in EPisode II, and then cropped out the correllian from Episode III and layered them. Not the best work in the world, but I'm learning.

You can download it here... if you think it'll help any:

Video

Also, I was wondering, as mentioned by another before, we know that Luke is a skywalker... why not show luke being born... but no mention of twins..
Also, show Obi-Wan holding luke as Padme dies...

then show a bit of the conversation when they talk about the fate of luke... but obmit Leia's... that way... we get a little bit more time at the end of the video... but no mention of the other twin...

EDIT:

This is a slightly better version of the video


Video 1


Is it not sad that in this time, we are more surprised by acts of love than acts of hate?
-Me

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Originally posted by: C3PX
Glad to here you got the file to work and that you liked some of my cuts. See, I really thought we were on the same page.
Yeah, maybe Lucas should've asked us fans to write the Prequels.
I am not understanding why Luke as a baby cannot be shown in your edit, are you eventually changing something in Episode IV?
Well, while I really like the more dramatic way in which you included Luke's delivery to Tatooine, I can't see including him due to the fact that I just can't see a strong, rational reason why Vader or Palpatine would not seek Luke out. I mean it's Anakin's home world, for crying out loud! What's more than that is what reason Yoda and Obi-wan would have for making his whereabouts so simple to discover. I just don't see it.
All-in-all, I think it's best not to include it so that Luke's last name has the (remote) possibility in Episode 4 to be a coincidence while ramping up the dramatic value of Episode 3 by ending on such a down note. Who knows, maybe "Skywalker" is as common in the Republic as "Smith" is in the U.S. There's also something special I'm hoping I might be able to achieve with Padme's character.
Meanwhile behind the scenes somehow Anakin survives but his body is so severely damaged he needs a life support system at all times and dons a fancy intimidating suit to cover up his nasty charred body. While we are introduced to him in Episode IV, we don't actually find out it is him until Episode V...

I think it's better this way, too.
I know anybody who watches this will already know everything anyway, but I think looking at fanedits from a fresh perspective, as if the film has never been seen before and is new to everyone, helps make them flow better, rather than giving up things for granted such as Anakin being Darth Vader and Leia being Luke's sister.

I couldn't agree more.
You guys have given me some cool ideas. Now, I just need to see if I can actually make them happen.

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Originally posted by: Erikstormtrooper
Hey TJ, not intending to rip you off in any way.

Hey, TJ. This is a cool idea. Erik might not be intending to rip you off, but I think I might have to.

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Originally posted by: GoodMusician
What about using a shot I just made... it's not great... but it's not bad... Not the best work in the world, but I'm learning.
Nice effort, GM. I think I'm on a huge learning curve here, and the level of sophistication you guys are all bringing to the game here is definitely intimidating.
Also, I was wondering, as mentioned by another before, we know that Luke is a skywalker... why not show luke being born... but no mention of twins... Also, show Obi-Wan holding luke as Padme dies...

This is what C3PX did in his awesome edit except for the conversation about Luke's fate. He posted the link below, but here it is again.
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Originally posted by: darkhelmet

Yeah, maybe Lucas should've asked us fans to write the Prequels.


I know that if I wrote the prequels this scene would have been in place:

Vader and, Anakin go to fix a problem in the ship. Since they're parked in an asteriod they put on the black spacesuits(a.k.a. Vader suit's). They get in an arguement, and start fighting. Obiwan hears that and, goes out there quickly with the experimental breathing masks(what's in ESB). Obiwan can't tell who's who so he tries to seperate them with the force. Cave in happens due to the force use of Obiwan, Obiwan is seperated from Vader and, Anakin. He hears the fighting continue behind the rocks and, hears someone die. Obiwan tries as fast as he can to uncover the rock wall. All the while calling out "Darth! Anakin!" Cave wall explodes and, a voice calls out "Anakin is dead! I killed him!" Obiwan quickly uses the force to throw a big rock at him and, escapes in the ship. Vader uses the force to ride the asteriod where ever.


Anyways, yeah I agree with a lot of the comments that the ending feels rushed. I don't have any comments other then what's already been said though...


http://twister111.tumblr.com
Previous Signature preservation link

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Originally posted by: twister111
Obiwan tries as fast as he can to uncover the rock wall. All the while calling out "Darth! Anakin!" Cave wall explodes and, a voice calls out "Anakin is dead! I killed him!" Obiwan quickly uses the force to throw a big rock at him and, escapes in the ship. Vader uses the force to ride the asteriod where ever.

LOTI!

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Originally posted by: darkhelmet
Originally posted by: GoodMusicianAlso, I was wondering, as mentioned by another before, we know that Luke is a skywalker... why not show luke being born... but no mention of twins... Also, show Obi-Wan holding luke as Padme dies...

This is what C3PX did in his awesome edit except for the conversation about Luke's fate. He posted the link below, but here it is again.


I watched the video. A little jarring at times, but pretty decent. You've sparked the desire in me to play around with this sequence as well. I've actually played with trying to insert the clip I did in. I cleaned it up a bit more and played with the star field, animating it and such...

btw: don't be intimidated... If it weren't for this new program I bought, I'd be any other person here... in a way I am... I have no experience and for all I know, there is a much easier way to remove the correlian but I have yet to find it.

The planet is still a little jerky... I keep playing with it to lessen this. it's getting better.

Anyways, I inserted it into the ending sequence. In a way, it actually fills a plot hole: How obi-wan got to Tatooine.I mean, obviuosly he had ot take a ship... but... he couldn't have gone alone. Someone had to take him... because... well, unless he didn't take care of his space ship, in Episode IV he doesn't have one... nor does it look like he has one off in a shed somewhere lol...

What's also cool is that since you see the Tantive IV landing on Alderan in the end, you can actually rip the audio and layer it over the video clip I made and it's practically flawless... and then I did a wipe to Obi-Wan arriving at the hovel.

The rest is as in the film, so I simply fade out so you're not downloading the whole darn film :-p

anyways if you want any help with anything, let me know...I'd be glad to help.

VideoTest


Is it not sad that in this time, we are more surprised by acts of love than acts of hate?
-Me