DigMod

theprion said:

Hey DigMod, it’s great to learn of the progress made on RotR v2/ Survivor Cut. Really looking forward to it.

I just recently saw v1 again and wondered how do you feel about some points, specifically:

• Isn’t Jyn saving the little girl in Jedha a little too cheesy? I mean, the place looks like another wretched hive of scum and villainy and when negotiations go aggressive, there’s a crying little girl in the midst of crossfire… Not just conveniently a little girl, but of all of the alien populace, a human at that. R1 makes its point in having sympathetic anti-heroes in a journey for redemption and this by-the-book selfless feat just makes Jyn a tad more predictable way too soon in the movie. Surely her own childhood traumas of abandonment are pretty obvious by then for the audience to need this kind of unsubtlety. Also, it makes for a strange cut that Jyn’s hair is all messed up after the blast but is back to pristine in the next shot.
• Right after that Jyn guns down a trooper without as much looking his way…
• In the alley fight, Jyn goes berserk and batons up about five armored troopers. The movie sticks again with the conventional hero archetype - has to be kind, has to be physical. Even though its guerilla warfare going down.
• K2 slides in and out too conveniently during Jedha. It’s okay we get to learn how much of a rebel he is the first time, disobeying Cassian and shadowing the team all along. But then he turns off the defiant/protective attitude when Cassian orders him back to the ship a second time, and right when they are about to be captured once again… he turns his back and consents, to be seen again only when apocalypse hits (and it wasn’t a plan to get to Saw because he was just “standing by as you requested” while folks would hopelessly be Bor Gullet’d).

These bothered me to some degree and I thought of sharing. Would like to know what you think of it.

Thanks for these ideas. For me, Jyn saving the girl is an essential scene. It’s a physical representation of her story and helps us understand her motives. With the new adopted edits from the OT community the main focus is on trust, trust to do what is right. This scene shows her moral compass and unwavering drive to do what is necessary and right.

I’ll agree that Jyn going berserk is a little over the top. I kind of like it though, if nothing more than Cassian’s “oh wow, she’s something else” moment when he sees how independently capable she is at taking care of herself. It shows the start of his connection to her. I also like the K2 scene for a similar reason. It’s the right amount of brevity in a tense situation and shows how Cassian is reliant on these two characters. I fear that the necessity and import of Jyn and K2 would be diminished with the removal of those two scenes.

Figured I’d update the crawl as many had indicated that they felt the ending was a little ambiguous.

RISE OF THE REBELLION

The EMPIRE’s reign of fear has spread across the galaxy. Imperial forces occupy all regions of space. Hope and freedom are beginning to fade.

The REBEL ALLIANCE has formed from the last remnants of the Republic to resist the Empire. Little do they know that the Empire has secretly begun the development of a new super weapon.

Obsessed with power, Director Krennic seeks the defected scientist, Galen Erso, to finish this dreaded weapon that threatens to envelop the galaxy in fear…

EddieDean, for the most part yes. I’m kind of leaching the awesome ideas in this thread 😃
The BIG difference in the current edition I’m making is that members of Rogue One will survive the assault on Scarif. The scenes up until Scarif will remain similar. I’m taking ideas from this thread and slightly adjusting them based on personal preference.

Jarbear, I was going to suggest using Jyn’s line about seeing her father’s message to make Bodhi’s connection flow, but it looks like you have the same idea 😃 I stopped it after she says her father so that we get Bodhi and Baze’s despair scene first. Then she starts to rally them about fighting back and Cassian walks over.

I think I’m ready to call my own new version completed, unless you all come up with other new and awesome ideas. I’ll also be making an updated version of my base edit with the newer updates but with the original ending. Thanks for letting me leach on to this project thread 😃

Messing around with this on my timeline. What is the flow of the scenes? Are you doing:
Jump from Jedha, Jyn rallies team, Krennic & Tarkin over Jedha, Yavin receiving update, U-Wing recieving orders, Krennic leaving
OR
Jump from Jedha, Jyn rallies team, Yavin receiving update, U-Wing recieving orders, Krennic & Tarkin over Jedha, Krennic leaving

Nice rearrange. I wonder if it would be wise to also remove Draven’s line “We have no idea what he’s making for the empire” as it’s assumed after that speech that Cassian would tell them?

Oops, let me edit that list. No episode.

The survival cut is pretty much done. I’m going to try and throw together a trailer for it and then upload. Here’s the final edit list (is any edit list final?). I’ve also included most of the awesome ideas presented by the editors in Hal’s thread. I tried to tag them here. If I forgot you please call me out so I can credit you properly. Here’s the updated list.

• Custom Crawl
• Pan down to Krennic’s shuttle flying under the rings of Lah’mu
• Removed Saw opening up hatch to find Jyn
• Removed Rogue One Title card, now hard cuts to Jyn waking up as if she was dreaming
• Removed planet card intro on Cassian’s introduction, it now does a downward pan wipe
• Edited Informant scene to have the stormtrooper kill the informant instead of Cassian
• Cropped Jedah planet card to remove text (added sharpening to film)
• Added iris wipe transition to Jyn’s rescue
• Cropped Yavin and Rebel Alliance planet cards to remove text (added sharpening to film)
• Removed scene of Draven telling Cassian to kill Galen Erso
• Removed second Bodhi scene where he meets Saw
• Inserted Shamook’s Tarkin deepfake (thanks to Burbin for hi quality file)
• Removed Bor Gullet
• Removed Cassian’s lines “We find Saw Guerrera we find your father” as they are approaching Jedha (editing credit to RogueLeader and Burbin)
  “There’s a piece of clunky out of place dialogue that seems to be adr’d in. When we first get to Jedah, and Jyn wakes up from her dream, Cassian walks in and does a bit of chat with her: “That’s Jedah… or what’s left of it…” then he walks away while Jyn looks out the window, and yet even though Cassian walked away and his back is facing the camera we hear an awkward piece of unnecessary exposition: “We find Saw, we find your father.” I think the scene would flow nicer if that line is removed. Plus it’s an awkward thing for Cassian to say after endearing small talk since he was tasked to kill his father if they found him…I just think it’s placement and delivery feel off. It just feels like exposition that was adr’d in for anyone that was checking his phone during the rebel briefing scene. Doesn’t feel like the scene was shot with that piece of dialogue in mind and so it would flow better without it. And it would also flow better into the following scene, only having Cassian address Saw until here -
  “What’s with the Destroyer?”
  “It’s because of your old friend, Saw Guerrera.”” - Burbin
• Added tie sfx to transition from K2 to Jedha pan shot
• Removed Cornelius Evazan and Ponda Baba
• Added Battlefront Imperial track to Rebel ambush
• Removed camera cut to Jyn when K2 joins them in the city to create seamless continuous scenes.
• Shortened Chirrut’s acrobatics to remove his “is your foot alright?” line and human shield antics
• Removed the cut to Jyn and Cassian to connect the continuous shot where Baze fires at the stormtroopers
• Removed Chirrut’s “are you kidding me? I’m blind” line
• Inserted Shamook’s Tarkin deepfake (thanks to Burbin for hi quality file)
• Cut Draven’s confirmed orders to Cassian to kill Galen (editing credit to Burbin)
  “If we’re removing the first conversation then it would make sense to keep the information from the audience all the way so that we find out alongside Jyn. Either have those orders looming over as we go along the adventure, or keep it as a mystery as Cassian becomes more and more agitated until Chirrut tells Jyn that he senses he’s about to kill. I’m fine with it either way.”
• Color corrected Vader’s eyes during his meeting with Krennic
• Reordered post Jedha scenes (edit credit to Jarbear and RogueLeader)
• Cropped Edu planet card to remove text (added sharpening to film)
• Removed Krennic saying “FIRE!” when no one will confess to sending communications from Edu (editing credit to Burbin)
  “One thing that’s always bothered me is when Krennic orders the Death Troopers to execute Galen’s team, he yells “Ready, aim, fire!” and then Galen steps in and says “Stop! It was me!”. Now, the Death Troopers don’t strike me as the type to hesitate following orders so truthfully Galen should’ve been shot down for stepping in. I wonder if the “fire!” could be trimmed so that Galen steps in before Krennic can finish the command.” - Burbin
• Rescored Rebel Alliance meeting with Force theme
• Removed Bodhi’s stuttering when asked who is stealing the imperial ship
• Cropped Scarif planet card to remove text (added sharpening to film)
• Removed close up of Jyn’s face and her taking out the Kyber crystal when waiting for the code to go through (used later to establish that she’s safe on the U-Wing)
• Inserted Shamook’s Tarkin deepfake (thanks to Burbin for hi quality file)
• Cropped scene with R2 and 3P0 to remove them from the shot and reworked surround track to eliminate their dialogue
• Removed Baze running with troops through the water (to be used later)
• Removed U-Wing drop ship approach scene with Chirrut and rebels in view (to be used later)
• Removed Chirrut death
• Inserted trimmed version of Baze taking out the Death Troopers. It now runs along side Chirrut’s faith in the force scene as if Baze has developed faith in the force as well. I think it’s pretty powerful this way
• Trimmed Baze getting shot. He now walks calmly forward to protect Chirrut and takes all of the Death Troopers out (cut the last trooper with the grenade) and then calmly looks back at Chirrut as he approaches the lever.
• Removed Rebel soldier death that dies covering for Bodhi
• Removed Bodhi’s death
• Rescored Star Destroyer collision (Scrambling the Rebel Fleet & airplane collision/crash sfx)
• Inserted Shamook’s Tarkin deepfake (thanks to Burbin for hi quality file)
• Added Bohdi calling up to the fleet asking for an immediate evac
• Added Corellian Corvette flyby sfx & Admiral Raddus saying “Blue Squadron get Rogue One!” after he says “All ships prepare for jump to hyperspace”
• Added scenes from Odyssey: A Star Wars Story (rebel troops running, storm troopers firing, rebels entering transport)
• Color corrected Vader’s eyes when he is watching the Rebel fleet be massacred
• Repurposed and color corrected previously removed scenes to have a U-Wing transport pick up the survivors (U-Wing approaching to drop off troops, Jyn and Casian entering the elevator, Jyn looking at the kyber crystal, Chirrut, Baze and rogue one crew on the imperial transport)
• Created U-Wing leaving Scarif shot
• Inserted Removed shot of Jyn holding the Kyber crystal and repurposed shot of rogue one crew
• Layered/Masked Chroma Keyed U-Wing jumping to hyper space from Yavin over the top of star field to have rogue one escape
• Added RotJ opening shot of shuttle leaving the star destroyer; added two tie bombers escorting to match following scene;; added the Profundity; masked edges to have star destroyer enter into view infront of Profundity; added sfx to bridge scene
• Trimmed Vader’s awkward hand gesture of choking rebel soldier and then motioning to fling him to the side. (it just looks too fan filmy for me)
• Inserted Derpfake’s Leia deepfake
• Fixed audio volume transition into credits
• Added custom edited/fanedited credits
• Added grouped name credits to shorten credits and have them end on the the musical finale (the original doesn’t for some reason)
• Added custom title cards to ending

Hal 9000 said:

Nevermind, here’s a 5.1 clip to preview. https://drive.google.com/file/d/10ovgZ_BGHBKpCq4mpcpXUuWAqMR8Xc8i/view?usp=drivesdk

Actually, it sounds rough between lines so I’ll revisit it.

Well that’s a much better approach than I was trying 😃

EDIT:
Here’s my halfed version of Hal’s approach. The ending of it feels a bit rushed?
https://youtu.be/W9HoJoKwSIA

EDIT v2:
And an updated version that I’m completely happy with
https://youtu.be/saWoyQNGLwc

I just watched from Jedah to Eadu without Draven’s “kill Galen” orders and it indeed is more impactful when Jyn realizes what is happening and also when the Alliance is at the table and the other leaders start going after Draven for going Rogue. Fantastic ideas!

I’m having a bit of trouble with smoothing out the audio with taking out Draven’s communication to Cassian after he receives the word that Jedah has been destroyed. I’ve looked for the music in the soundtrack and the FYC soundtrack I have but I can’t find it. Anyone know if the piece is available?

Hal, here are the wav files: https://www40.zippyshare.com/v/Ef5G68z1/file.html
They start when Jyn wakes from the dream sequence and it ends on the last frame before the wide shot of Jedah.

No worries. It made me chuckle 😃

Do you want aac, ac3, wav, etc format?

Sorry, just now getting back to my computer. Here’s a draft of the edited scene.
https://youtu.be/LSAG7iB1ul4

I messed around with it last night and got it to where I thought it was at least decent. Used the soundtrack and then some ambience from earlier. Not sure it’s an improvement over what RogueLeader was able to accomplish.

With me stealing lots of these ideas, perhaps we’ll have to use that title for my edit now… 😃

The Ritty said:

DigMod said:

I’m confused. Isn’t this the same project as your other threads?

Yes just updated. I’m not sure how buried the other one was plus all the haters on it…bah I start a new one when I think I’ve done my final edits. This is the last one as I’m burnt out. sorry for confusion, I’m surprised to see people tag me from the other thread been so long now no one has…

Threads get bumped to the top of the list when they have new posts. As for the haters, weren’t we (I’m assuming I’m in that lump) just asking if you were open to feedback as the edits were in a workprint/ITW format? That’s a lot of downloading of active project files. Anyway, hope others enjoy your edit.

Hal 9000 said:

Quick note: the line en route to Jedha, “We find Saw, we find your father,” is present in some form in all but the LFE channel so I don’t think it’s worth going to lengths to remove.

I don’t see the issue with that line. It’s equal parts Cassian establishing trust with Jynn as well as making sure she doesn’t run off or go rogue on them.

If some are insistent on having it removed, I’m always up for a challenge. I can check the soundtrack and see if I can rebuild the tracks if needed.

Hal 9000 said:

I agreed with removing character introductions though, so I imagine leaving that as is…

I prefer keeping Cassian more heroic and having an implied character fault. Having him kill the informant, who lost likely has an inconsequential role, in cold blood and then struggle to kill a scientist responsible for weapons development for the empire doesn’t make sense to me. If simply having Jynn there makes him second guess, that makes his conviction and allegiance shakey at best. Not seeing him do dark deeds helps the narrative of struggling to kill.

Darth Muffy said:

Agree this mystery mission change is good, its a shame we don’t see Cassians intro scene in this edit as knowing he will kill in cold blood if ordered would make this reveal all the more tense.

I actually have started thinking of reinstating that scene just for that purpose. I don’t like the scene, but it might be required to help with the narrative of trust (I really like having that be the focus). It also makes the concepts of R1 support ANH. Trust leads to hope.

Sorry Hal, not meaning to hijack your thread.

I’m confused. Isn’t this the same project as your other threads?

These are great ideas and I hope no one minds that I’m going to use them 😄

Hal I like saving the reveal until Chirrut says it. It makes his character stronger (in the force) and adds weight and urgency to the following scenes where Jyn is attempting to save her dad while Casian battles with his inner demons.

jarbear said:

I can’t remember if this was from RogueLeader or Digmod, but shortening the exchange really helps fix it up so it makes the scene look natural and not "The leftovers of removing the Bor Gullet scene. (Kind of like removing the “Lightskipping talk” from your Rise of Skywalker edit after removing the scenes.)

So it goes like:

Cassian “Are you the pilot”
Pilot “I am the pilot”

The way Bohdi says it still fits with the scene due to his delivery of it. Just a thought! Not to make you busier or something! haha!

My edit did this. It was a relatively easy edit, though I did do some surround sound rebuilding to retain the messenger motif that Giacchino uses for Bodhi’s character.

Agreed. While I like the realistic fact that none of them would have made it off the planet, I would have loved to see more of their characters in parallel stories and offshoots from the OT. Glad Andor is coming out to give us more of Cassian’s story.

Currently downloading Burbin’s color fixed deepfake files. After a/b-ing the shots, there is still some residual green in the shadows that is there. I suppose I could do some more intensive color correction, but I’m hoping Burbin’s work can be a plug and play and help this get one inch closer to finished.

Ha…I should know not to think I’d be able to carve enough time out to attempt and finish the edit this week. I did come up with this new poster for the survival edition. Both will have the deepfake Tarkin and Leia. I’ve been watching Hal’s thread and some of the new ideas. Think I’ll have to go and take care of the Krebnic “Fire!” issue pointed out by Burbin. Here’s hoping time allows for the finish line this month.

Hmmm, a direct link to direct links…

The secondary color corrector fx is kind of like a chroma key, but instead of removing an isolated color range you can change its hue and saturation. I used it extensively in my Coaxium Heist edit. I picked a screenshot that has greenish/blue darks, selected that color range then brought the saturation down to around 0.4 for that specific color range. The result is a slight adjustment of the greenish blue to more of a grey which looks more accurate (to my eyes) for things like steel and imperial uniforms. I was able to do a mass apply to the whole film as it has this issue generally. I found a color corrector low/mid/high wheel did too much to the overall color so I went this route. I should look into LUTs again. Im kind of picky and never really fully agreed with any LUT I’ve used in the past.

Hal 9000 said:

You’re saying you have a LUT you suggest using for the entire film? I’m game.

And Burbin, I will absolutely wait to hear from you about the R2 shot. It’s the most nitpicky thing imaginable, but they went to lengths to have most other things match ANH closely. Vader’s red eyes and things like that.

Not a LUT, just a Vegas pro fx. I’m not sure if I an create a LUT from it.