Update time! The move has gone well, the new floor is not yet installed but most other things are unpacked including my workstation. So I’m back at it, still trying to nail down this ending sequence right now:
Password: fanedit
There are a great many changes to R2 searching for the map, Rey asleep (outside this time to make it clear that she isn’t just waking up inside the base somewhere), more dreamlike island shots recut in somewhat new arrangement, and recreated sound effects for the final shots of the edit.
Welcome back, Nev. Good luck with the move into the house and looking forward to seeing your work again.
NeverarGreat said:
There was a bit of a lull in work today though, so I tinkered around a bit (more work on the Starkiller firing) and took another stab at parallel editing the Luke dream with full dream filters:I think parallel editing is definitely the way to go here for the maximum benefit of the music.
First of all, I absolutely agree with you that the parallel editing is the way to go. It is far more polished makes the build up with the crescendo in the music much better than in the sequential version. Some may disagree with me here, but it looks super slick.
Secondly, a few notes…
- When Rey wakes up, I think we need to see a shot of the island from afar — maybe the ocean shots from The Last Jedi trailer? My thoughts here are that, in the current state, we see Rey wake up, but don’t have any indication that she ISN’T still on D’Qar. For all the audience knows, she was sleeping in a room with stone-lined walls to begin with at the Resistance base. So then it’s a little confusing if someone doesn’t notice the “dream effect.” Bottom line: can you fit an island shot in there, just as she wakes up and just before R2-D2 wakes up?
I definitely took these critiques into consideration with the latest version, with two fixes for it.
- I compared this most recent edit with your previous take and I noticed you swapped the position of the scenes where C-3P0 says, “R2 has some much-needed good news.” Just my opinion, but I think the original placement was better. With the new position, Leia says “Tell me” just before we see Luke for the first time and I think it distracts from his reveal. Maybe you could put that scene just after the really wide / faraway shot of Rey climbing up the mountain?
Again, agreed on these points and the structure has been adjusted for a better flow.
- I wish there was more music here to fit more shots in. Are you open to repeating the first couple verses of The Jedi Steps to fit in more? Like, I think it’s important that we see the map piece from BB-8 be hooked up to match the map that R2-D2 is showing. If you had just a few more seconds, I think it could be done. Any chance you might be willing to consider repeating the first ~10-15 seconds of the song? Or maybe you could use some of the extended version of the song from the suite?
That is a really cool suite, and I’m tempted to use it because of the clear changes in mood which would fit well with the parallel editing. Unfortunately it does sound like a different orchestra from the one in the film, so I’m going to stick with the original cue unless there are simply too many things to pack into it.
As for BB-8 contributing his piece of the map, that has always bugged me for several reasons. First, why would Tekka have part of the map and R2 does not? This would indicate that the entire galaxy was mapped in the time of ANH except for one small piece with the location of the Last Jedi Temple, and it’s bizarre that Tekka finds a piece that perfectly matches a map made forty years ago and downloaded from the Death Star. Second, if the entire galaxy was known to the Empire at that time except for that one piece, the New Republic should certainly know of this map forty years later and it would then be trivial to match the missing piece up to the available cartography. My reasoning for R2 showing the full map is that he could easily have downloaded that piece from BB-8 offscreen, or he could have had it fully assembled from the beginning. I kind of like the idea that R2 had the entire answer all along, and all it took was someone who would listen to BB-8 and take his idea seriously.
One last reason I’m leery of including BB-8’s contribution is that a lot of it includes Rey, and one shot in particular would have to be cut entirely due to her presence.
As always, great work. Hope to see you again soon.
Thanks!
This is a good ambitious edit, and I understand that much of your time right now is working on a house. Totally get it!
As for this recent clip, I see you got some work cut out for ya to remove the time stamp and Rey in the “Map” room.
You notice that I’m saving that fun-filled activity until the end 😉
after watching it a few times, I like the direction it is going. I appreciate the scene effect during her “Vision Dream.”
I am not a skilled editer, but I am curious if maybe instead of that effect you did, would it be possible to add a little more of a grain affect as well as changing the coloring in those scenes? Maybe less color and more of a sepia or something that shows this is indeed a vision?
I’ve tried adding a horizontal blur to several of the shots to indicate the insubstantial nature of this vision, and given Luke’s shots in particular a brighter grade which serves to desaturate the colors.
Also, earlier during Rey’s Vision during the lightsaber touch at Maz’s castle can have the same effect so it will accomplish two things: 1.) these force visions have the same “effect” on the screen and 2.) we know Rey is having some kind of vision at the end with Luke on the island.
That’s an interesting idea, I may try a vignette and see how it looks.