Thanks everyone! Sorry about how I’m awful at posting - I’d much rather read and work than make updates but I’m glad it doesn’t go to waste when I do take time out and share. Different perspectives really help me figure out what to do next; I can go in circles with myself for days without it.

Narrowed down what’s definitely changing to these:

Leave out “I won’t lose you, Padme.” Was just trying that out.
Tone down some laughter/banter/extra lines. Although, it would be nice to have some specificity on which instances are too much.
Volume on Kashyyk and/or balcony scene
Tighten the editing on “Is that bad?”
Keep full war room scene
Leave out the freaky screams in the temple hologram

On the fence about:

Fully removing the scene with Mace/Yoda/Obi-Wan. The film works so much better for me with Obi-Wan alongside Anakin. The Clone Wars has thrown a wrench into that plan, I must say.
Leaning towards keeping original “Don’t lecture me Obi-Wan” because I can definitely see how “You weren’t there” doesn’t work seamlessly. But response has been 50/50, and I prefer what the latter says about Anakin versus the original line anyway. Going back and forth on this for a while. Would be easier if more people hated it.
Removing Wookiee subs. A common note I got earlier on was that cutting to Kashyyk there was a little confusing, especially since it moves pretty fast. The subtitles mitigated some of that confusion by explaining what we’re seeing, and I hadn’t gotten any notes on that particular thing since its inclusion a few revisions ago. Even if we don’t typically get Wookiee subs, it feels worth it for clarity?

Addressing specific points:

sade1212 said:
Will you be releasing your edit with a 5.1 audio track ~~so I can steal your audio changes more easily~~, or just stereo like the earlier verson?

Oh, and I can’t work out what Anakin says at the start of palpatinereveal.mp4.

This is the plan atm, but it is more work. I have the first third of a previous version in 5.1 but that’s a while ago now.

Also he says “He’s already more of a man than most” in that clip. Again, it’s experimental - I just wanted to try it. Rogue was spot-on when saying I was trying to build more tension between Mace and Anakin here. But it’s not entirely necessary and it’s probably going. (It’s not even Sam Jackson)

Octorox said:
-One thing that didn’t work for me in any of the clips was the color grade. I’m not exactly sure what you’re trying to accomplish with it, but the warm “instagram filter” look doesn’t really resemble any other Star Wars media, so I wouldn’t say it’s helping your goal of making the movie mesh well with The Clone Wars or the OT. Frankly, ROTS is probably the best looking prequel movie already, with natural colors and a clean digital look that complements the animation in Clone Wars well.

Oh, I agree with you. It’s just stuff I’m trying out. I’ve been working on this on and off for a while so I can get pretty bored with the film; doing experiments like that keep me from falling asleep lmao. I don’t think I’ve had a consistent grade on this since Fall 2017.

That process is probably how I’ve been eternally putting off finalizing anything, since I’m always trying different things that may or may not work. But when I make a “discovery” that works, I get excited again. I do feel like I’m getting to the end, though. Once it starts becoming about pulling back, as it is now, then that’s how I know I’ve exhausted most of my creative thinking for this film. I don’t doubt there are more things one could do in service of my primary ambition for this edit, but I’ve reached my ceiling. Idk. Maybe it’s just all the COVID free time talking.

RogueLeader said:
I think I would suggest cutting out the end of the line, “-and not be pushed around.” That part of the line feels like it has an accent that Anakin doesn’t have. I also wonder if you could pitch it up very slightly, since it sound a little deeper than Hayden’s voice in ROTS. Maybe I’m wrong though.

I also would cut “I know you do”, it feels squeezed in an I think it takes focus off Padmé’s monologue a little.

As far as Hayden’s pitch, I did pitch some of these up already, actually. But I didn’t do it as much as I could have since I feel like his voice fluctuates a lot throughout the theatrical as it is. I felt that because the range was already so broad and varied, I could get away with stretching it a little more. Besides, the deeper vocals do a bit in connecting Hayden to Lanter more smoothly. This is still Hayden’s voice, but him averaging a little higher was how we got Mat Lucas as an impersonator for years.

I’ll tinker with removing “…and not be pushed around.”

sade1212 said:

Are you doing anything ambitious with the scene with Anakin’s fall, before and after Mace gets defenestrated? And what’s your plan for Order 66 or Anakin’s march on the Temple? Sorry if you’ve detailed these already. I’ve just always felt that that specific bit is where the movie always falls down for me.

I’m going to post a few clips in the next section of this post, which will include a clip of this. (Still WIP)

It’s not a huge overhaul or anything. Basically, I tried to reverse when the film depicts Anakin’s remorse. In the theatrical, the moment he cuts off Mace’s hand is kind of an impulsive move that he immediately regrets, (What have have I done?) and as the scene progresses he gives in to the dark side. By the end of two minutes: “Yeah, the Jedi will go after the Senate! What about the other Jedi spread across the galaxy? I’ll kill’em too master!”

My approach was making the moment he cuts off Mace’s hand as one he actually does on his own conscious accord. Instead of snap-igniting his saber, screaming NOO and doing it as almost an involuntary reaction - he purposefully closes his eyes, his saber ignites offscreen, and then he’s done it. And then only as the scene progresses, does he begin to show more of his regret. It’s that point it’s too late, not earlier. From there, he’s mostly quiet and he looks down in remorse as Palpatine says “Once more the sith will rule the galaxy…”

It was always weird, it does feel like Anakin could have pulled back after killing Mace if he really regretted it that much. So not demonstrating regret until after committing to Sidious (and killing Mace with the intent to do so) feels much more like the “too late” thing.

A real moment of selfishness, not “Idk what I just did but I guess I have no choice.”

I don’t think it’s too ambitious since it didn’t require too much work.

More Clips For Feedback:

First clip I ever posted of this edit (Updated) (Anakin’s Theme Rescore)
Anakin falls to the dark side (WIP)
Obi-Wan initially wants to help Anakin out of the lava after their duel
Earlier vers. of preduel.mp4 without “I won’t lose you”/tweaked “You weren’t there”