I want to ask y’all whether anyone you know of has completed/attempted extended versions of these movies using the available deleted scenes. Here’s what I’ve been able to find out so far:
The Force Awakens: There have been efforts to remove the timecodes present in the deleted scenes by members of this community that are admirable and very appreciated. I am wondering if anyone has put together an edit that reincorporates these scenes (with work done to remove the timecodes or without), and in addition doesn’t put the Jakku Message scene in between Finn’s face reveal and Rey’s intro (there’s a wonderful visual transition there from one face to another face that it’d be a shame to lose)
The Last Jedi: ebumms has a wonderful TLJ extended edit that is ifdb approved if I remember correctly… not everything is featured but considering the wealth of substantive deleted scenes released for that movie and the lack of any annoying black bar overlayed on the image (meaning the scenes are usable in fanedits without applying any sfx), it has been accomplished in my book, so that’s settled.
The Rise of Skywalker: the reality is that 0 deleted scenes are available. With that said, certain faneditors on this forum have done marvelous work to extend certain sequences in service of a fanedit, e.g., Mustafar establishing shots conjured using volcano footage, forest footage and sfx (that looks very believable, mind you), reinstating some “squeaky wheel” shots from BtS footage, and some others. I am wondering whether anybody is interested in editing the movie purely with the aim of extending it with this kind of thing. I myself have put together such an edit (I also used the civilian fleet chatter you might have heard used in Hal’s edit, double rainbow, alternate Rey Skywalker take, alternate final shot, and other things that I believe only contribute things to the film, as opposed to taking things out). However this kinda only exists as a proof of concept project in the video editor, as because of my current technical limitations, I am not able to export said edit, and I also used a source of inferior picture quality (my computer can’t handle it otherwise), but I feel it can be done and it can be cool!
Thus, I am wondering whether this community is as interested in this concept of extended editions of the ST as I am.