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Help Wanted: Star Wars The Force Awakens: 1986 Edition

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 (Edited)

(Original post on FanEdit.org)

Hi all, today I come to you with an idea so brilliant, that you won’t believe an idiot like me came up with it, make Star Wars The Force Awakens look like it was made in 1986.

I didn’t come up with idea actually, it was an April Fools prank that the ‘Star Wars Trilogy Despecialized Edition’ Facebook page posted, but it got me thinking of how it would look,

so now I’m doing it.

Now that the history lesson is over with, I can get on with the main reason I’m making this post, I need help.
I’m just an editor, I can only do so much. I mainly need artists who can make matte paintings similar to what appear in the original trilogy, mainly Return of the Jedi.

Even though I’m looking specifically for artists, I’m also open to any help I can get, from people who can make puppets, to models, to pretty much anything when it comes to practical effects.

Thank you for reading my lame post. ❤️

“Someone crack open a blast door!”

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Huh, that’s a very interesting idea. I’m not an artist at all myself, but if done well, this could be pretty cool. However, when would you implement these matte paintings? Most of the movie is either close ups, or CGI moving shots. There aren’t many places you could put a matte painting in. Still sounds cool. Any color correction for the rest of the movie? That’s what I’m doing for my edit.

~The original trilogy is my life… kind of~

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Well, I look forward to this, (this thread may be of some use), but I ain’t gonna lie this is going to be difficult.

Wonder if we could give the prequels the same treatment…

Search your feelings, you know it to be true.

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1986? Didn’t The Force Awakens come out in 1977?

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He’s making a lame joke about how TFA is a remake of ANH.

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As if we haven’t had enough of those jokes on the internet.

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I’m thinking of replacing shots like the inside of the fallen Stardestroyer that Rey scavenges in with matte paintings, and things of that nature. For moving shots, I would like to make them not as shaky so I can replace the backgrounds with matte paintings. Not all of the backgrounds are gonna be replaced though, just the more CGI looking ones.

I’m gonna be honest about one thing though, when I get to the Rathtars, I’m screwed.

“Someone crack open a blast door!”

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The first shot I thought of that might be cool to replace with a matte painting was when Rey is eating by the foot of the AT-AT.

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Darth Lucas said:

The first shot I thought of that might be cool to replace with a matte painting was when Rey is eating by the foot of the AT-AT.

I was thinking that too!

“Someone crack open a blast door!”

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That_OT_Ruler said:

Huh, that’s a very interesting idea. I’m not an artist at all myself, but if done well, this could be pretty cool. However, when would you implement these matte paintings? Most of the movie is either close ups, or CGI moving shots. There aren’t many places you could put a matte painting in. Still sounds cool. Any color correction for the rest of the movie? That’s what I’m doing for my edit.

Yes, lots of color correction, especially in Starkiller Base. I hate the extreme levels of blue in those shots, they would look better if they were grey like the first two Death Stars.

“Someone crack open a blast door!”

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Lord Haseo said:

As if we haven’t had enough of those jokes on the internet.

We’ve had 17 years of prequel bashing, five months of sequel bashing is nothing.

I’m curious to see how this edit will look. I feel like it’s the sort of thing that can look very good if done well or abysmal if not.
I look forward to seeing some examples.

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 (Edited)

Ryan-SWI said:

Lord Haseo said:

As if we haven’t had enough of those jokes on the internet.

We’ve had 17 years of prequel bashing, five months of sequel bashing is nothing.

The prequels seriously deserved it. Also they were bashed for a multitude of reasons. The same can be said of TFA but most of the complaints I’ve read/heard are inane or is based on not understanding the film. The “TFA is a remake/rehash of SW” is valid to a certain degree but it’s said so often that it’s gotten annoying. It’s gotten to the point in which people call it a rehash when the topic isn’t even being discussed.

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Lord Haseo said:

Ryan-SWI said:

Lord Haseo said:

As if we haven’t had enough of those jokes on the internet.

We’ve had 17 years of prequel bashing, five months of sequel bashing is nothing.

The prequels seriously deserved it. Also they were bashed for a multitude of reasons. The same can be said of TFA but most of the complaints are inane or is based on not understanding the film. The “TFA is a remake/rehash of SW” is valid to a certain degree but it’s said so often that it’s gotten annoying. It’s gotten to the point in which people call it a rehash when the topic isn’t even being discussed.

Ohhh… Here we go again.
Claiming the complaints are made by those who simply ‘don’t understand the film’ is arrogant at best.
TFA is filled with one dimensional characters, massive plot holes, inconsistencies galore and its only saving grace is that it feels nostalgic, because apparently a pretty looking film is enough these days even when the actual content of the film is a joke.
Waiting 10 years for a new Star Wars film only to get a lazy cashgrab is cause enough to be annoyed.

Regardless, I really don’t want to derail this thread and get yelled at by the mods, so I’m not saying anything more on the matter, at least here.

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 (Edited)

Ryan-SWI said:
Claiming the complaints are made by those who simply ‘don’t understand the film’ is arrogant at best.

I’m not saying in all cases people who complain about the film don’t understand it but there have been a lot of people who don’t and still criticize it. Just look on any thread regarding TFA on this site and you’ll see. I will admit most of the more outrageous claims I’ve heard were from Facebook and Youtube…

TFA is filled with one dimensional characters

With the exception of Poe and Chewie no there is not. Unless you want to include Phasma, Snoke and Hux.

massive plot holes

Something every Star Wars film has but sure.

inconsistencies galore

I would say “galore” is hyperbolic but I kind of agree

because apparently a pretty looking film is enough these days even when the actual content of the film is a joke.

I disagree but you’re entitled to your opinion.

Regardless, I really don’t want to derail this thread and get yelled at by the mods, so I’m not saying anything more on the matter, at least here.

Then let’s take this to another thread if that’s what you’d fancy.

EDIT:

Also you started the TFA bashing so don’t even…

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It being a “rehash of ANH” is true and valid to a certain degree. But when that’s the thing people constantly talk about without bringing anything new to the conversation it does get kind of annoying.

I feel the same about some prequel things. It’s like, we get it, Jar Jar is annoying, but that doesn’t need to be your default argument when talking about the The Phantom Menace. Bring something new to the conversation.

TFA borrowed a lot from Star Wars, but I mean it also borrowed a lot from Empire and Jedi, yet nobody seems to talk about that. It was very much a “greatest hits of the OT”. Some people like that, some people don’t. I’m kind of indifferent to it. I feel like they did a very good job of redoing alot of the same story beats but with new characters and in a fresh enough way that it didn’t FEEL like a rehash to me, even though on paper it very much is a retelling of the same kind of story.

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 (Edited)

Lord Haseo said:

With the exception of Poe and Chewie no there is not. Unless you want to include Phasma, Snoke and Hux.

EDIT:

Also you started the TFA bashing so don’t even…

Cough… Rey.
And I made an offhanded joke, I wasn’t the one to start a whole discussion on it.

Look, TFA is not a bad film and I think everyone who flat out says it’s crap without giving a reason isn’t worth debating anyway. However I feel TFA is an immensely disappointing film.
I’m not defending the prequels, but Lucas tried very hard to make something new and exciting; it had the similar story beats to ANH, but it was its own film.
Could it have been executed better? For sure. Does it have flaws? Definitely.
However at least it was a new Star Wars film.

No matter which way you spin it, Disney/Lucasfilm went with the absolute laziest, safest approach they possibly could to rebooting the franchise because they cared more about $$$ than artistic merit. That’s fair enough, they’re a company, they want money, but it doesn’t mean people have to like it.
The light backstory of TFA about Luke’s Jedi Temple is about a thousand times more interesting than what we got.
There are some cool ideas in TFA, but it’s not enough to make up for the rest.

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Ryan-SWI said:
Cough… Rey.

No

and don’t even try to say Kylo Ren is one dimensional. Because somehow I’ve heard that one too.

And I made an offhanded joke, I wasn’t the one to start a whole discussion on it.

Satire…ah I see

Look, TFA is not a bad film and I think everyone who flat out says it’s crap without giving a reason isn’t worth debating anyway.

A lot of people don’t do that though; a decent percentage of people who don’t know why the hate the movie often make up stuff to create an illusion of an argument. I can at least appreciate people that can pinpoint why they don’t like the film with stuff that’s actually in the film even if I think they’re wrong.

However I feel TFA is an immensely disappointing film.

I’m sorry you feel that way. I hope you enjoy VIII and IX though.

I’m not defending the prequels, but Lucas tried very hard to make something new and exciting; it had the similar story beats to ANH, but it was its own film.

Mostly

However at least it was a new Star Wars film.

Mostly

No matter which way you spin it, Disney/Lucasfilm went with the absolute laziest, safest approach they possibly could to rebooting the franchise because they cared more about $$$ than artistic merit. That’s fair enough, they’re a company, they want money, but it doesn’t mean people have to like it.

Certainly. From a fan perspective I would have preferred a more original plot (or at least he illusion of originality with the PT) but they catered to both new and old audiences and that’s a hard decision to make.

The light backstory of TFA about Luke’s Jedi Temple is about a thousand times more interesting than what we got.

I agree but I can also say the same for the backstory of SW to some degree. Also we have 2 more films we haven’t seen in the ST while the backstory for TFA is stretched out over years so I think we should be patient.

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Threats don’t really need to be like it is but it do

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TV’s Frink said:

Does every thread have to end up like this?

Mostly.

I’ll be happy to continue discussing elsewhere, but I’m not derailing this thread further.

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I forgot what this thread was about 😕

“Someone crack open a blast door!”

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Here’s a few screen grabs of some semi completed shots, tell me what you think:
Shot1
Shot2
Shot3

“Someone crack open a blast door!”

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TV’s Frink said:

Does every thread have to end up like this?

Apparently. It’s why I tend to stick to Off-Topic, and every time I wander into the other forums I remember why I hide in Off-Topic so often.

Regardless, this sounds like a fun project, and I am curious to see how it turns out.

The Person in Question