This sounds like an awesome project. Visually, Hal’s and Spence’s edits look quite a bit different with Spence’s having added film grain and some color alterations. How will you handle that?
I noticed some color differences but didn’t notice the film grain thing. I am trying to avoid switching edits during a scene but in some cases it is unavoidable. But those scenes seem to blend pretty well. For example the colors on Spence’s jedi council part in TPM looks way different than the other edits. So I’m staying on Spence’s edit throughout that scene.
TPM - Spence’s edit is my goto version. I agree with others for keeping Otah Gunga pretty much the way Spence did it. I’ve seen other edits where it’s cut completely and I feel it totally screws up the pacing. Personally, I don’t mind some of the two headed announcer stuff. The theatrical version is too much but trimmed the right way it works well. The pod race in Spence’s edit is
I’m working on putting Otah Gunga back in. I couldn’t replicate the Anti-Cheese Jar Jar voice so I’m taking his existing lines and cutting them up. Ie…recycling them for Jar Jar’s Otah Gunga scenes. Same with Boss Nass. The two headed announcer is already gone from this edit and you actually really don’t miss him. All he does is state the obvious during the race and you can tell that yourself. I even have Jar Jar (in alien language adding a little bit of commentary.
ATOC - Spence’s edit is darn near perfect imo except for cutting the entire Yoda/Dooku duel. I think at least some of it needs to stay. I will say that the scene at the beginning where Padme is reunited with Anakin and Obi-Wan is so well done in Spence’s edit. It’s such an awkward conversation in the theatrical version but Spence fixed it wonderfully. Use that for inspiration.
I plan to rely heavily on Spence’s edit for this one. I know what I’m going to do for Yoda vs Dooku. I plan on having the force battle, cutting Dooku’s line about “now let’s use a lightsaber, etc…” and using a slightly trimmed down duel. This one - at 1:35:
https://youtu.be/wHv_CCvBeSM?si=fBz6npGWveiSVMeb&t=95
Yoda goes off but not as much in the movie. He will go off more in ROTS against a more formidable opponent.
ROTS - I really like the Rebalanced edit. Not sure if you’ve seen that but I thought it struck a good balance of dialog. For my personal copy I reinserted the theatrical version of everything between when Obi-Wan jumps up to the high ground and him returning to the ship to leave Mustafar. I know a lot of edits cut out “I have the high ground” and other dialog around it but I love it. A good edit for me should also have Yoda vs Palpatine so I’m glad you’re keeping this.
Who made the Rebalanced edit? I can take a look at that.
I’d love to be a tester for these. Thanks for the care being put into the audio. I have a 7.2.4 setup and can’t stand it when an edit is finished in stereo.
Great! I’ll let you know when I have a first draft of TPM. Also I’m not really changing much with the audio. Just some light compression.