logo Sign In

Star Wars: George's Original Vision (The Lost Cut)

Author
Time
 (Edited)

I was bored tonight and had a whole lot of nothing on my plate. Pretty much just sitting at home in front of my computer or TV. It’s been brought up a few times in the past that someone should go back and try to re-create the “Lost Cut” that we’ve all heard so much about. Well, I haven’t done quite that, because I haven’t tried to remove the score and I haven’t re-edited WWII dogfights for those scenes or anything like that.

What I have done is taken a copy of the original version of Star Wars, re-inserted the deleted/alternate scenes that are floating around, and put a bunch of other stuff back in the original scripted order. This is a real quick and dirty edit. I did it in about 4hrs.

If someone wants to put a lot of finesse into doing a project like this, please do so. Some of the changes between different sources are kinda harsh, and there’s some nasty sound cuts, too. I edited in Womble and didn’t bother to de-mux the audio first, so if I modified any of it, it would have been recompressed, and I didn’t want that. As a result, there are a few kinda rough audio cuts, and one really really harsh one. I was just bored tonight, and I thought this would be a nice new way to watch Star Wars for myself, so I did it pretty much for myself. I just figured that there are some of you here who also might want to check it out.

I used a variety of sources for this thing:
*Deleted Magic (for deleted scenes, general order of things, and the entirety of the Battle of Yavin, because it was far easier to just lift it)
*Return of the Ewok DVD (for revised Jabba scene)
*Star Wars EditDroid edition (for the majority of the footage)
*Star Wars Molly Prototype XP77-4EB.1 [EditDroid video/Moth3r mono audio] (see note below)
*Star Wars 1997 SE Jedi/Feta edition (for Biggs scene toward the end)

I wanted to use the Molly Prototype for the whole thing because it has the Moth3r-sourced mono mix as the audio. I didn’t realize, however, that the audio drifts out of sync throughout the picture. When I noticed that, I cut out everything where the audio was out of sync and switched to just using EditDroid as a source of main audio and video. So the audio mix presented here is a real Frankenstein’s monster of sorts. It’s mostly the mono mix for the first 20mins, then the 1985 mix for most of the rest of it, with one or two instances of the mono mix (lifted from Deleted Magic) thrown back in where most important.

I took the Biggs scene toward the end from the Jedi/Feta edition because it was the only 4x3 letterbox source I had for the scene, which matched all of the other video sources that I used. I didn’t want to fuss with squeezing down a 16x9 image into the project for something so short.

Like I said, this was done quick, dirty and rough. It is by no means up to the quality standards that are set forth by all of the other editors here, but it should be fun to watch. I’m going to author the DVD tomorrow. I’ve already recieved 3 requests for the “promo” copies, which will go out next week. I’d like you guys to PiF to anyone who asks nicely.

If anyone wants to suggest a better title (because the one I thought up is pretty freakin’ stupid), please do so. Same goes for anyone who feels compelled to whip up a cover or something.

I used to be very active on this forum. I’m not really anymore. Sometimes, people still want to get in touch with me about something, and that is great! If that describes you, please email me at [my username]ATgmailDOTcom.

Hi everybody. You’re all awesome. Keep up the good work.

Author
Time
This sounds really interesting. I would really like to see this. And i'm surprised no-one has tried to do this before
where have i been all this time ?
Author
Time
Retitled now:

Star Wars: George's Original Vision

It is, after all, how he wrote it.

I used to be very active on this forum. I’m not really anymore. Sometimes, people still want to get in touch with me about something, and that is great! If that describes you, please email me at [my username]ATgmailDOTcom.

Hi everybody. You’re all awesome. Keep up the good work.

Author
Time
I just watched this through to see how it worked out. For as much time as I put into it, it's pretty good. Not great, but watchable to see how it plays out. I'd encourage only the really interested to check it out, otherwise you might find yourself disappointed by the lack of quality. I'd also encourage others to check it out and try to use as a template to do a project like this justice.

I used to be very active on this forum. I’m not really anymore. Sometimes, people still want to get in touch with me about something, and that is great! If that describes you, please email me at [my username]ATgmailDOTcom.

Hi everybody. You’re all awesome. Keep up the good work.

Author
Time
Actually, I think it ought to be titled The Star Wars. And check your PM's good Rev.
Author
Time
Hi guys

My first post.

This thread seemed to be the best place to but this comment, I didn't want to start a new one just in case someone has already thought of it, feel free to tel me if they have!

Ok what I have always wanted to see was all three original films cut into one film, now I here you saying 'heard it, done it' however has it been said in this way.

We all know Star Wars wasn't intended as a series of films and Lucas had one 3hr (or so) film in his head and scripted, it was too long so it was split in three, sort of, I say sort of because Lucas didn't think it would be a hit so the ending (Death Star battle) was brought forward and then of course it did very well. So we get to Jedi and Lucas is left without an ending so what does he do? Re-uses the original. The only Star Wars film that works in my opinion is Empire because that was shot the way it was intended, as the middle part of a story.

What I’d like to see is something close to that original arc. Whether it means you would have to move the original Death Star battle to then end or drop it completely in favour of the Death Star II battle I don’t know. I’d also like to see the Wookies from Sith put in because in the original 3hr script it was them who helped in the last battle not the dammed Ewoks, cos Lucas couldn’t afford to use Wookies, so he shrunk them instead.

Author
Time
Interesting idea! Actually I remember that the Death Star battle seems quite added-on after the rescue and escape (except maybe the planting of a tracking device...), so it could just be cut off and lead into Empire somehow. That seems nice really, so you don't get this artificial climax in the first act.
Darth Lucas: I am altering the trilogy. Pray I don't alter it further.
Author
Time
Originally posted by: ronlaw
Interesting idea! Actually I remember that the Death Star battle seems quite added-on after the rescue and escape (except maybe the planting of a tracking device...), so it could just be cut off and lead into Empire somehow. That seems nice really, so you don't get this artificial climax in the first act.

Thank you for agreeing that it might be worth doing, is there anyone out there who thinks they could have a go at it? I don't have the equipment the best I've done is hook my DVD player upto my video machine so I can create very ruff versions from DVD but obviously the score dosen't match up and the scences do 'jump' a little.
Author
Time
this is turning into the Starkiller Ranch. And I'm dang sure the Death Star battle was originally part of George's original plan. The line gets blurred because Fox executives were pushing George to drop the battle as the film was already overbudget without it.

Anyways...

I am looking forward to this edit. I have always wanted an edit based on the book or shooting script. This edit looks to be the closest so far (excepting Deleted Magic of course). One of the scenes I've always been curious about is a small fragment from the published draft of the script.

INT. SANDCRAWLER - HOLD AREA

It is dim inside the hold area of the Sandcrawler. Artoo switches on a small floodlight on his forehead and stumbles around the scrap heap. The narrow beam swings across rusty metal rocket parts and an array of grotesquely twisted and maimed astro-robots. He lets out a pathetic electronic whimper and stumbles off toward what appears to be a door at the end of the chamber.


INT. SANDCRAWLER - PRISON AREA

Artoo enters a wide room with a four-foot ceiling. In the middle of the scrap heap sit a dozen or so robots of various shapes and sizes. Some are engaged in electronic conversation, while others simply mill about. A voice of recognition calls out from the gloom.

THREEPIO
Artoo-Detoo! It's you! It's you!

A battered Threepio scrambles up to Artoo and embraces him.



The script has 2 rooms in the sandcrawler, but the final edit has one. It would be interested to see if this footage could be seperated. I tried to get Garrett to look into this shot for Deleted Magic, but it never happened.