nightstalkerpoet

Been a while since I've watched what Adywan has done with Yoda. I'll have to take a look again.

Mrebo said: CGI characters stand out. Even in the PT, they didn't entirely mesh. Forcing it into a movie from 1980 isn't going to be any better.

 

If you consider the way that Jurassic Park presented CGI dinosaurs, does it seem more viable? I understand ESB is an older film, but JP is an example of CGI coexisting quite well within a realistic film setting.

And I have an idea for how to make any new effects Lucas does decide to add fit in better with the original films:

Rather than adding things into the film digitally, CGI elements could be rendered seperately from the film. Those sequences could then be filmed as animation with the cameras originally used to shoot the films. The filmed CGI elements could then be composited into the film in the same way the original special effects were.

walking_carpet said:

 so what if he had to piggyback luke during the training? 

 

Honestly, I would hate to see Yoda jumping around in the OT, and think that riding around on Luke's back works fine. I'm simply saying that if you watch some of the scenes, you can see him flopping around (when Luke flips, etc) like a stuffed animal. I meant more for scenes such as those. 

Though personally, I wouldn't mind a CGI Yoda who was limited to being an overlay for the puppet. 

It's been a while since I've watched ESB, so I just sat down and finally watched my bluray copy. I have to say that as a fan of all six films (they each have their flaws, but I try and love them anyways), the original Puppet is slightly underwhelming to me.

Some of the scenes with him are very well done, typically close up talking shots. Scenes where he is not the focal point are pretty disappointing though. It is hard to understand why, with as many things as they attempted to fix, they couldn't make Yoda look less like a floppy ragdoll during a lot of Lukes training.

I have a lot respect for the original films and film making techniques, but I do feel that it is perfectly acceptable to replace outdated effects... 

For a lot of people, the replacement of the TPM puppet with the CGI version was a welcome change.

Without fear of being bashed (and please people, don't bash opinions on this) does anyone think that the Yoda in the OT could be replaced in a way that would improve the films? Keep in mind, this is assuming the CGI is done well and is well integrated not to stand out.

Bump...

Did anyone ever get a chance to watch this? I'd be happy to hand this concept over to someone with better editing skills than myself. 

However, the edit is complete and IMHO fixes Episode 1 on a far larger scale than anything else I've seen. 

After watching the Red Letter Media review... I realized one depressing fact: Jar Jar was the original main character of The Phantom Menace. A clumsy Gungan is down on his luck, banished from his people. A couple Jedi show up, save his life, and drag him with them on their journey. As a character, he grows to be more confident and better respected. He then unites the Gungans and Naboo for the first time. Due to his diplomacy, he is allowed to rejoin his people and is promoted to General. 

^How sad is that?

By removing the Gungans, and leaving Jar Jar on Coruscant, the focus shifts to the Jedi, and particularly Obi Wan, who starts as a Padawan who disagrees with his master's ideals, and progresses to a Jedi Knight who upholds those ideals.

TPM will never be perfect, but I believe that this is the Ultimate way to view it, especially in a marathon.

Going with that concept, I can see how you could probably get the audience to emotionally connect with Anakin. Though does it leave room for an emotional connection with Padme? It seems like using that as a starting point would leave her as a very one dimensional character, rather than someone we care about at all and a driving point of Anakin's fall.

I'd be happy to work with you on this edit from a narrative perspective if you'd like :)

The video you posted struggles for one main reason that I can see: including shots of Anakin and Obi-Wan saving the Chancellor during your montage defeats its purpose in showing the passage of time.

Complete the montage with footage from the Order 66 piece, then jump into the beginning sequence of Revenge of the Sith, and allow the story to flow with the death of Count Dooku and the battle with Grievous.

Obi Wan and Yoda's portions should be saved to show Order 66 in action, though the Battle on Kashyyyk works still in the montage.

I would leave more of Episode 2 than you intend to

-Start with a new opening crawl explaining politics and relationships,

-a shot of Padme's ship arriving on Coruscant (no explosion)

-then the elevator scene.

-The security talk takes place,

-the assassination attempt.

-a very shortened chase

-Split up Anakin and Obi Wan (seperate missions).

-Anakin and Padme on the Transport.

-Obi Wan leaves, arrives at Kamino and walks inside.

-Anakin and Padme arrive at Island on Naboo and Kiss

-Obi Wan walks out of building on Kamino, contacts council and explains about clones (he explains everything the Prime Minister just told him)

-Padme finds Anakin awake after nightmare. They leave for Tatooine.

-Obi Wan and Jango fight - Asteroid Chase

-Anakin talks to the Lars family, leaves to find his mom.

-Obi Wan spies, reports to council

-Anakin finds his mother, slaughters sandpeople. Cut Yoda sensing it.

-Obi-Wan/Dooku talk

-Anakins talk with Padme cut to be less creepy

... gotta go, but theres a starter.

I was wondering if Adywan (or anyone, honestly) would be willing to create a new menu layout for this that matches the bluray set. I'm pleasantly surprised how well the DVD-9 is holding up to the bluray, and am replacing it in my box set. It would be nice to have uniformity.

Also, if anyone would be willing to make some disc cover art for me to match as well, that would be awesome. I tried to do it on my own, and while usable, I'd love something a little closer to perfection.

Probably just burning old prints of the OT...

(I hope everyone there is alright)

Anyone who has a chance to watch this, I would love to hear what you think of it!

The only official film sequel to The Wizard of Oz is an animated film. There have been quite a few remakes and different takes on the story, but nothing that touches on the direct continuity of Star Wars. 

All in all, it is my opinion. I'm not trying to convince anyone, and I'm not going to be convinced. Personally, I also feel that the novelization of ANH should be updated to reflect the other novelizations (ie removing the concept that the emperor was just a figurehead).

I love these films just like anyone else here, and really love being able to discuss them with everyone on the site. I actually just released on fe.org what I believe is the shortest narratively-sound version of TPM ever created, if that helps clear up some of my own views on the PT and Star Wars in general.

And to be perfectly honest, I would be just as happy watching PT edits with film grain added and colors washed out, with cgi scaled back. I just want to be able to watch the films in episodic order without a huge difference in visuals. I simply wish that the line was a little more blurred between the PT and the OT.

CWBorne said:

Wexter said:

OR... the creator could have put some effort to try and make the prequels look like they actually take place BEFORE the OT.

That would actually strike me as the easier way to go. 

Yes... I've always found changing the past to be easier than working with what you have in the present. ;)

The Wizard of Oz is self-contained. The visuals of the film only need to meet the standard of the other visuals in the film.

Star Wars is different, in that there is a twenty five year technology gap between the first one produced and the last one produced. Comparing the creatures in the Cantina scene to even the creatures in Jabba's palace is quite a difference, let alone everything they were able to create for the PT.

Lucas' intention is for us to watch the films 1-6, because they tell one single story. Thus everything within that story is held to the standards of everything else within the story. I respect the integrity of the OT, and don't feel that midichlorians or the Force Ghost of Qui-Gon need to be added for continuity, because story wise I feel that the PT should have been matched better.

However, I do feel that to create a continuous story where you watch the films back to back, the visual difference between the films should be made less jarring. ROTS is beautiful on Bluray, while many scenes in ANH are very underwhelming, despite other scenes having been cleaned thoroughly. Take the opening sequence for example: The space battle looks great, engines and lasers are pristine but... in one place, you see a VERY outdated shot of the Tantive IV. Where is the harm in replacing this shot with a cgi model of the ship, to keep that single shot from standing out like an eyesore? The same goes for the scenes of the droids walking through the desert, where rainbow effects are obviously detracting from the picture quality.

I happen to love Independence Day :P

I've derailed this topic enough... get back to praising George :D

Actually, in all honesty it is done because of one reason:

Star Wars is a creation of George Lucas and HE wants to use today's technology. The filmmaking techniques that are available today can often trace their roots directly back to those developed to create Star Wars. It is up to him, and the only reason he keeps holding back from going all out on the OT is because of the fans that gripe about every little thing he does. He's trying to make everyone happy by doing a little of both, but is ultimately disappointing everyone.

The Wizard of Oz is an odd case there, because I don't think anything could be changed to make the film be better. Replacing the cowardly lion with a Realistic, CGI lion would not make the film better. Removing a walking trash can robot from Star Wars COULD improve Star Wars for the better. 

Old Anakin says "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Probably a combo :P

Honestly, I'm simply very disappointed with the way that the cgi elements of the SE conflict with everything else. But without them, I feel that the OT feels very dated in comparison to the PT. To me, the logical thing to fix this is by going all out with a CGI reconstruction of the film. I'm not saying screw the OUT, I'm simply saying if you're going to mess with it, do it thoroughly.

Or perhaps faneditors could create PT edits that look like the OT :P

Yeah, actually. The title is Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Hour and there are no Gungans except for Jar Jar. Other than that, please feel free to come up with something!

SilverWook said:

If new generations require modern CGI FX in order to be able to simply enjoy what is now and forever a classic film from 1977, then they can go screw themselves. I don't mean to be difficult, but that's how strongly I feel about it.

I wonder if George has sat down to watch Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers lately? He needs a refresher course in what he was trying to make in the first place.

I'm curious... the very first time you ever saw Star Wars, why did you like it?

I'm sorry, but if you sit a kid down with the choice between EP IV and lets say Star Trek (the new one) the visuals are going draw the kid into the film much better than the amazing storyline.

Yeah, as adults we can sit back and think - That was pretty amazing for its time. But Star Wars grabs us in childhood for the most part. And in a generation that is growing up with The Clone Wars cartoons instead of the films, do you have any clue how outdated the OOT seems?

The OOT is beautifully acted and constructed. I'm simply saying that there was a certain visual WOW factor that we all got the first time we saw the films that isn't translating through the decades, when compared to modern films. And I think it would be amazing to simply update the "WOW" factor.

Thus why this is on topic. I think George Lucas has the right idea in this.

I'm generally pretty happy with George's involvement in his projects.

- I blame Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen.

- George may have decision power over a project, but he also has a deadline. If the people working for him can't do what he asks of them fast enough... is it really his fault?

- Star Wars does need to be updated to maintain its impact on new generations. 

My biggest disappointment with George is how much (with the exception of releasing the OOT) he caters to fans.

I personally am wating for versions of the OT where all computer monitors look modern, where Yoda is CG, where mattes are replaced with CGI, where space battles match the intensity of the prequel trilogy. I want to see a completely CG version of inside the JAWA Crawler. I want to see the Cantina replaced, and Greedo painted over with cgi.

So... I like that George wants to match Star Wars to his vision. I simply hope he can overstep the things in his way and do it. He has enough money and enough resources (and the technology is there.) to make the OT look as stunning as ROTS.

Okay, I can finally say this for certain: This edit is finally complete and available for viewing. Possibly on fanedit.info ;P

Sometimes I wonder if newbie posts like this are exasperated sighs of relief for people who have found like minded Star Wars fans... or if they are simply way over the top simply to try and win brownie points with the regulars.

Either way, Yeah, Jar Jar is a pain... but I back  Puggo here. I just finished an hour long cut of Episode 1, and cut quite a bit of everything... but Jar Jar is fine in a comic relief capacity, so long as he is used appropriately and when necessary for pacing. It gets too bland without him.

The edit is now complete! I feel like I have constructed narratively what I set out to do, and managed to keep the pacing where I like it!

Now... is anyone out there willing to throw together some cover art for this? If so, please let me know! (Also would love for someone to make me a professional looking DVD, but not holding my breath there :P)

So, expect this heavily cut, hour long edit to make it online in the next week or so! Thanks, everyone who has helped out!

I think you're right... shows which i watch more :P

Still, my point still stands :P