An introduction - and hopefully a little more…
Hopefully the ‘About’ & ‘Help’ sections will serve as not only an introduction to the OriginalTrilogy•com as a site, yet also as a roadmap to highlight who we are, what we are about, and why we are here. To get a feel for the place and how it all works - quirks, eccentricities, faults and all! 😃
To be a reference point for the ‘passer by’, the casual Original Trilogy or Star Wars fan, or potentially interested people thinking of joining the OT•com, for those interested in the Projects or Edits here, for the geek in us - or for those who wish to join our cause and goal - in calling for an official release of the unaltered theatrical cuts of the three classic Star Wars films (to buy and experience on a modern, high quality, digital format).
Also an aid for our newer members (and some longstanding ones as well!) with answers to some frequently asked questions that appear on the site, to help people post on here - to try and get the most out of being a part of this fairly unique community.
A reminder that not everyone’s first language on here is English - nor that everyone here is computer-savvy or well versed in ‘netiquette’ - and sometimes many of us can benefit from a little patience, understanding and a bit of a helping hand.
A wise old man, and also a Fan Editor here a long time ago, once said… ‘Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view’ - all this is merely another…
Welcome to the OriginalTrilogy•com - a little ‘About Us’…
Since 2003 the OT•com has certainly evolved - from it’s premise of being a rallying point and hub for like-minded Star Wars fans calling for a high quality release of the unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy - with the site’s online campaign and petition of 75,000+ fans in achieving just that… (albeit a substandard ‘bonus disc’ release in 2006)… to pioneering our own OT Preservations; from early projects of VHS and Laserdisc rips onto DVD, all the way through to Harmy’s superb Despecialized Editions on Blu Ray, to current ongoing projects with scanned 35mm film prints.
Fan Edits of Star Wars films - notably adywan’s Revisited trilogy - have also become a large part of the site too; including Edits of the many various Star Wars releases, Fan Documentaries, and also projects of non-Star Wars films & media. This all done by ‘just’ the average film fan & amateur-enthusiast - all chipping in with time, effort, dedication and some expense - to see these countless projects through to release; improving & sharing techniques, knowledge, experiences and stories along the way.
Of course, many people are here who just like to chat Star Wars… whether that’s mainly the Original Trilogy (and the many continuing changes made to them over the years - as well as the suppression of the unaltered theatrical version). Or about the Prequel & Sequel Trilogies, the Standalone Stories, various animated and live-action tv series, The Holiday Special (shudders), the Ewok films, literature, comics, art, soundtracks & audio, collecting, gaming - as well as the future of Star Wars. Or those who just talk about life in general in the Media, Culture & Current Events, and The Cantina…
For the many of us wanting to have an official release of the unaltered theatrical version of the Original Trilogy to buy and experience once more…
❗ #ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy | OriginalTrilogy•com’s enduring goal | How YOU can help… ❗
^ The OT•com supporting the #ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy campaign - the call for an official release of the unaltered theatrical version of the three classic Star Wars films - and what YOU can do to help restore them to the galaxy. MTFBWY… Always.
Posting on the OriginalTrilogy•com…
We’re a diverse and welcoming community - this site is after all based on a love & reverence for all things Star Wars. This is especially so for the Original Trilogy (the unaltered theatrical cuts, obviously) - yet also a respect for everything else from the GFFA. Yes, even The Holiday Special, maybe…
Please take your time to look around the site before posting - and to also get a feel for the place. We are not like reddit or 4chan etc (not that there’s anything wrong with those sites) - we’re just a little different… more of an old-skool site ‘for a more civilised age’. 😉
The upshot is ‘Be Civil - Be Cool’; passionate - yet cordial discussion & wide-ranging views are both welcome and encouraged. Toxicity, personal attacks, aggressive or vitriolic attitudes, trolls & WUM behaviour are not - and choosing that path will likely see your stay on here being a short one.
To paraphrase Irvin Kershner, quoted whilst directing Empire Strikes Back… ‘fight for what you love - not because you hate’.
A reminder that a significant number of members on here are fans made to feel unwelcome at certain other Star Wars sites - or were censored or even banned for discussing the unaltered cuts, or highlighting George and Lucasfilm’s somewhat disingenuous statements, and alterations to Star Wars history.
That the OriginalTrilogy•com is a place to openly talk about the revered original cuts of the three iconic & pioneering Star Wars films.
This site has been going for nearly 20 years - and we’d like to be here for quite some time yet - so please don’t do anything to jeopardise that.
Like many other places on the internet - we ask you to follow some site rules & guidelines…
• OriginalTrilogy.com Forum Rules and Guidelines
• OriginalTrilogy.com Preservation / Fan Edit Rules & FAQ
The Help and Announcements sections, along with the How do I do this?’ on the OriginalTrilogy.com - some info & answers to members’ queries thread, the General Assistance and Feedback Forum sections, as well as the various ‘Index & Help Threads’ located at the top of many of the forum sections on here, will hopefully also be of some use and assistance.
The Welcome to the OriginalTrilogy.com; Introduce yourself in here + useful info within… thread is just that; a good place to make your first post on here - and for more longstanding members to welcome new people to our community.
The above links will hopefully help prevent the rookie mistake of joining up here… and then creating a new thread along the lines ‘Give me the link to X’, ‘Where is project Y’, or going straight into a project thread and posting ‘How do I get these?’. Such posts don’t really fly on here - and will likely be ignored or deleted. Taking the time to learn about a project - reading through the project thread(s) - as well as how to acquire them; simply making an effort to be part of the community here, and how this place works, even if just leaving feedback for acquired projects, can go a long way…
If in doubt about whether to post something that could be considered ‘controversial’ - ask a moderator first.
Thank you.
An addendum…
As stated above, the OriginalTrilogy•com has been around for over 18 years now - which is nearly unheard for a site such as this.
So an enormous ‘thank you’ to everyone out there who has contributed to the site, or the cause, over that time. Whether ‘just’ posting on here, or signing the petition back in the day, to finding & providing info, helping raise awareness, to contributing - or making various projects, supplying skills, equipment & software, knowledge, time, effort, money, blood, sweat and tears… all the way through to sharing some cracking stories, laughs and memories.
Also, a big shout-out to the long-suffering serving moderators - both past; Zion & Moth3r - and current; Anchorhead, SilverWook, oojason & Tobar.
Finally, an extra massive thank you to Jay (who founded the site, designed and re-designed, maintained, ran, expanded, and also funded it for near on 16 years - as well as being site admin, moderator and member) - in making all the above… and this very community… all possible in the first place.
👍
May The Force - and the Original Trilogy - Be With You all.
A few useful links & information which may be of some assistance for our newer members…
The Welcome to the OT.com; Introduce yourself in here - a good place to make your first post is just that; a place to make your first post on here - and for more longstanding members to welcome new additions to our community.
Secondly, the About and Help sections may be of interest to you regarding this site and what the OriginalTrilogy•com is about.
Thirdly, the ‘How do I do this?’ on the OriginalTrilogy.com - some info & answers to members’ queries thread should also hopefully be of some help as to many of the functions of the site, along with other related info as well.
The Announcements Section - including Site Rules & Guidelines, Fan Edit & Preservation Rules & FAQ, as well info for Signatures, Linking Policy for Downloads, and Plot Spoiler Policy (and much more) that may be of use too.
If you are having any issues with the site, have a question, an idea to improve the site, or would like to give some feedback - then these can be done in the Feedback Forum and General Assistance sections.
There are also several Index Threads pinned at the top of many respective sections of the OT•com - which may help members find various topics of discussion, fan edits, preservations and other projects etc.
To Join the OT.com Discord server! click on the link. There is also the OriginalTrilogy.com Twitter too.
'An OriginalTrilogy.com Timeline | a history of the site | the why & how it came to be…’ chronicles both the history of this site & also it’s continuing evolution.
The ‘Complete Comparison of Special Edition Visual Changes’ thread by doubleofive contains many sources of information as to the numerous changes made to the Original Trilogy films over time - as well as serving as an insightful and comprehensive discussion thread and reference point on the subject.
Also, the ‘George Lucas: Star Wars Creator, Unreliable Narrator & Time Travelling Revisionist…’ thread attempts to highlight and catalog some of the revisionism, altering of history and contradictory claims by George Lucas / Lucasfilm as to the formation, planning and history of the Star Wars films and universe therein.
The ‘Some useful OT.com threads re the non-release of the theatrical OT | How you can help…’ thread - highlighting just a few of the many discussion threads on this site focusing on our love and appreciation for the Original Trilogy - and ongoing attempts to achieve a modern, high quality, official release of the unaltered theatrical version of the classic Star Wars movies.
❗ #ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy | OriginalTrilogy•com’s enduring goal | How YOU can help… ❗
^ The OT•com supporting the #ReleaseTheOriginalTrilogy campaign - the call for an official release of the unaltered theatrical version of the three classic Star Wars films - and what YOU can do to help restore them to the galaxy. MTFBWY… Always.
Looking to acquire projects on here? Then please read this…
(and take the time to look around to see how this place works - and doesn’t - before posting requests for projects on here - thank you)
A fair few people join here for a particular Preservation Project, Fan Edit, documentary, blu ray or dvd cover etc. We ask that those who do… also have a look around; see if there are other Projects, Edits or works of interest to your liking. To give the Star Wars discussion threads a read through, or those in the Off Topic sections. To have a think about becoming a part of the community here; and consider not becoming a one-time poster… asking for a link to a project and to never be seen again.
Many of the projects on here have been undertaken by volunteers or enthusiasts who’ve devoted considerable time, effort, dedication and some expense… to locate, preserve, restore & archive - or edit - films and TV programs in their best possible presentation. This is often with painstaking commitment - yet all projects are available for free; not to mention our members also improving upon & sharing techniques, knowledge, technical assistance, experiences - and a few stories, along the way.
Joining up here and then creating a new thread along the lines ‘Give me the link to X’, ‘Where is project Y’, or going straight into a project thread and posting ‘How do I get these?’ doesn’t really fly on here - and will likely be ignored or deleted. Taking the time to learn about a project - by reading through the project thread - as well as how to acquire them; simply making an effort to be part of the community here, and how this place works, even if just leaving feedback for acquired projects, can go a long way…
NOTE: Many editors & preservationists choose not to make their projects available to ‘hit & runners’ or people with a post history of mainly asking for various projects - which is completely up to them. That some people join up here looking to simply take - instead of give something back; not even leaving a simple ‘thank you’, feedback or review, or join in with the community here - and instead move on to asking for more projects… is not encouraged. As above, such requests may likely be ignored.
The OriginalTrilogy•com is a community where a ‘read first - post after’ mantra benefits everyone here - especially for the ‘Fan Project’ sections. We appreciate some may be excited to see the projects that feature on here - information on how to acquire them is readily available - yet patience is also required. If you bring impatience, entitlement, aggressive or vitriolic attitudes, personal attacks, or toxicity… then expect some choice words in return - and also expect your stay on here to be a short one.
These ‘signpost’ threads, featuring useful info and links to the five most sought-after fan projects on here, may be of interest…
• Some info & help for Harmy’s Despecialized Editions of the Original Trilogy…
• Some info & help for Puggo’s Grande 16mm preservations of the Original Trilogy…
• Some info & help for TN1’s 4K77, 4K80 & 4K83 preservation projects of the Original Trilogy…
• Some info & help for adywan’s Revisited Editions of the Original Trilogy…
• Some info & help for the Hal 9000 Edits of the Prequel & Sequel Trilogies (+ more)
Obviously there are countless more projects in the four main Project Index threads in each of the ‘Fan Project’ sections of the site.