Hal’s Rogue One edit (a half-assed version of DigMod’s) (Released) — Page 4

Makes sense, I like it!

@RogueLeader You are right there were some other changes you made that did change the briefing room scene a bit. I do remember what you did with the scene before it that did a slight alternation about the mission too. I forgot about it because it was so simple and clean! haha!

If I could also make a minor suggestion too Hal. Asides from some other neat things RogueLeader came up with, I think based on your removal of the Bor Gullet scene, I think you need to shorten up the exchange with Bodhi and Cassian once the prisoned crew sees the pilot. Although the idea still can come across that “The Pilot” was tortued … he does seem to act more like he has some memory lost/brain issues instead of being fatigued from possible torture.

I can’t remember if this was from RogueLeader or Digmod, but shortening the exchange really helps fix it up so it makes the scene look natural and not "The leftovers of removing the Bor Gullet scene. (Kind of like removing the “Lightskipping talk” from your Rise of Skywalker edit after removing the scenes.)

So it goes like:

Cassian “Are you the pilot”
Pilot “I am the pilot”

The way Bohdi says it still fits with the scene due to his delivery of it. Just a thought! Not to make you busier or something! haha!

Sure thing, thanks.

It’s too bad that this edit removed my legit favorite moment of the movie: when Forest Whitaker gives Bodhi an intense look and says what sounds like “Boogalee!”

Hal 9000 said:

Sure thing, thanks.

It’s too bad that this edit removed my legit favorite moment of the movie: when Forest Whitaker gives Bodhi an intense look and says what sounds like “Boogalee!”

I don’t disagree, lol, I liked the line … it was the execution and what it actually was. Lol.

Although it’s probably outside of your edit goals, but RogueLeader’s minor change to the opening briefing scene and the “lets go to Eadu” section helped Jynn out motivation wise.

jarbear said:

I can’t remember if this was from RogueLeader or Digmod, but shortening the exchange really helps fix it up so it makes the scene look natural and not "The leftovers of removing the Bor Gullet scene. (Kind of like removing the “Lightskipping talk” from your Rise of Skywalker edit after removing the scenes.)

So it goes like:

Cassian “Are you the pilot”
Pilot “I am the pilot”

The way Bohdi says it still fits with the scene due to his delivery of it. Just a thought! Not to make you busier or something! haha!

My edit did this. It was a relatively easy edit, though I did do some surround sound rebuilding to retain the messenger motif that Giacchino uses for Bodhi’s character.

Are you suggesting removing both the conversation about killing Galen as they first leave Yavin AND when they talk about it en route to Eadu?

The edit goes something like this:

Transition from Tarkin scene (Aka security breach, Galen erso is at Eadu)

goes to Jynn sitting staring at the wall on U wing. The dialogue between Chirrut & Baze about “Tell me … the whole city” has a line between them talking where you hear Cassian say “Set a course to Yavin 4”

So you see that the scene has changed that they are heading back to Yavin 4 after witnessing the weapon’s fire power. Now most of the dialogue in the rest of the scene has Jynn talking about the message and how to destroy the death star. So she recommends going to Eadu to get her father to explain it to the rebels. Then it cuts to Yavin 4 establishing shot, and shortens the scene with Draven saying “Proceed … my orders still stand, yada yada gotta kill Galen Erso.”

Establishing shot of U wing in hyperspace and cassian then tells K2 to set a course to Eadu.

What I like about this change, is it get’s Jynn to be more proactive now, especially after hearing that message. Since the original scene was:

“we are going to Eadu”
“where my father is?”
“yes”
“His message talks about a weakness in the death star, we can destroy it!”
“Where is it?”
“Well … it’s destroyed! but everyone is behind me/believe me, let’s go get him! Rally Call!!”
( … we are already going there. She was … kinda motiving people to do what they were already seemingly going to do.)

So it kinda gives actual purpose to Jynn’s speech and motivation, to actually “rally” the troops to do something based on a moment of defeat or uncertainty of what to do next. She is helping to move the plot, not just being there for the ride. In a sense.

I think keeping his orders a secret until Chirrut’s comment about killing would work even better in an edit where we see that Cassian is willing to kill people in cold blood from his first scene.
I could see either approach working well. I’ll have to think about it I guess. Good conversation, you guys.

Burbin said:

For the scene en route to Eadu maybe you could switch Draven’s dialogue around so that he says: “Tell him to proceed with haste and keep to the plan, tell him my orders still stand”. That way there’s emphasis on these mysterious orders but we don’t find out what they are yet.
Here’s a crude version of how it could play out:
https://vimeo.com/507707620

Oh I like that. when connected with removing the conversation with him and Cassian at the beginning and now with this, it really adds more to the “mystery” for the audience.

We see them at the beginning discussing something, but we don’t know what.
This then reinforces that Cassian did get some order earlier, but we still don’t know what.

We then find out later, mostly in line with Jynn figuring it out/knowing.

Heck, later in the movie Draven DOES confirm his orders later, about “a decision needed to be made” so it’s still touched on even later, despite people not agreeing with his decision earlier, aka the air strike/assassination of Galen.

Hal 9000 said:

I think keeping his orders a secret until Chirrut’s comment about killing would work even better in an edit where we see that Cassian is willing to kill people in cold blood from his first scene.
I could see either approach working well. I’ll have to think about it I guess. Good conversation, you guys.

In my edit, I did keep in the initial Cassian scene because of the removal of his “kill Galen orders” early on, changed the hyperdrive scene so Jynn motivates them going to Eadu, and then learning about “kill orders” en route.

However with Burbin’s approach … it improves on this greatly since we still keep the mystery and learn things as she does.

Of course you may or may not keep the initial Cassian scene, but I just love the flow, the motivation of Jynn and the mystery of the orders that get confirmed as she sees it. Heck, he admits it all right after and Draven confirms it in the briefing room. Works so well.

These are great ideas and I hope no one minds that I’m going to use them 😄

Hal I like saving the reveal until Chirrut says it. It makes his character stronger (in the force) and adds weight and urgency to the following scenes where Jyn is attempting to save her dad while Casian battles with his inner demons.

I don’t know Rogue One like the back of my hand, but it makes sense to me. One of these days I’ll catch back up and can try addressing these in my NLE.

DigMod said:

These are great ideas and I hope no one minds that I’m going to use them 😄

Hal I like saving the reveal until Chirrut says it. It makes his character stronger (in the force) and adds weight and urgency to the following scenes where Jyn is attempting to save her dad while Casian battles with his inner demons.

Oh crap, I didn’t realize that really props up Chirrut more too. Man, this is good.

You still could decide to remove or leave in the Cassian intro scene based on your preference, but this fairly “simple” change helps out a lot of characters and plot. Part of RogueLeader’s thought on his edit, which also included making the initial briefing room scene about just finding the pilot, is this movie is having a narrative about “trust.” By removing Bohdi, the pilot’s reveal until “we” see him in jail, we don’t know if his intel is good/trust him yet. By removing the killing orders until the very end, do we trust Cassian, after either seeing him killing a guy at the beginning (or not based on the editors choice) and the conversation he had with Draven, can we/Jynn trust him fully?

Very interesting narrative and helps keep the mystery of things without showing or telling us everything at the beginning.

Agree this mystery mission change is good, its a shame we don’t see Cassians intro scene in this edit as knowing he will kill in cold blood if ordered would make this reveal all the more tense.

Darth Muffy said:

Agree this mystery mission change is good, its a shame we don’t see Cassians intro scene in this edit as knowing he will kill in cold blood if ordered would make this reveal all the more tense.

I actually have started thinking of reinstating that scene just for that purpose. I don’t like the scene, but it might be required to help with the narrative of trust (I really like having that be the focus). It also makes the concepts of R1 support ANH. Trust leads to hope.

Sorry Hal, not meaning to hijack your thread.

Xhorkis said:

Hey Hal, do you have any plans to maybe fix Cassian opening his eyes and looking towards the camera just before he dies, to have them remain closed? That bit always bugs me, it’s like they were supposed to be shut the whole time but Diego Luna opened them early and it somehow made it into the film

The simplest approach, that Digmod did (I believe, sorry memory is bad) is to white out the screen before you see his eyes open. Simple fix, but works well.

DigMod is the senior RO guy, so I’m open to whatever!

I agreed with removing character introductions though, so I imagine leaving that as is…

Hal 9000 said:

I agreed with removing character introductions though, so I imagine leaving that as is…

I prefer keeping Cassian more heroic and having an implied character fault. Having him kill the informant, who lost likely has an inconsequential role, in cold blood and then struggle to kill a scientist responsible for weapons development for the empire doesn’t make sense to me. If simply having Jynn there makes him second guess, that makes his conviction and allegiance shakey at best. Not seeing him do dark deeds helps the narrative of struggling to kill.

Quick note: the line en route to Jedha, “We find Saw, we find your father,” is present in some form in all but the LFE channel so I don’t think it’s worth going to lengths to remove.