ESB_TP Notes
Completely neeto, to be able to look back at how this film once was. Many sequences look fantastic, the Bespin escape of Leia/Chewie/Lando - R2 plugging-in is clear and vibrant, and even the video shifts can be entertaining.
(for some reason went question crazy in this write up...and on rereading it's annoying)
On first listen thought ESB_TP sounded sped up, but then I start getting confused about the capture system. If it was captured from a projection, with audio patched in, then it wouldn't have been sped up? So one sign it is sped up is since it clocks in at 1:57, instead of 2:04. Yes there are some cut parts but not enough to add up to much more beyond one minute. So the telecine process is such that the frame interpolation results in the speed up, and the audio is forced to follow along? If this was pirate market, wouldn't the projection capture be easier and result in no audio sped up, which would be preferred? I guess the telecine offered up the best visual capture so that's the preferred method of the day.
Why would the British Censor Board placard be centered correctly but then the opening of the film not? Were these attached directly to the print, or played through a different projection. Is the off centered crawl a sign one way or the other of this being a telecine or capture from the projection on screen? The on-the fly credit frame proportion change is probably a telecine sign, correct?
Love the video color shifts, only video can give off these weird corners of the rainbow. The Star Destroyer which fades from grey to purple. (which is similar to the clips from the ILM: Creating the Impossible doc. Wonder if it's the same video tech behind this transfer and those internally produced clips) The plummeting Probe Droid is also neeto coloring, looks like it's really entering the atmosphere. and a later very Yellow Yoda. Where would these color shifts most likely be introduced? The telecine process (some automatic color adjustment) or in the first or second generation video transfer? probably some every step of the way.
Lots of Home Made Cue markers in this one. Sometimes occupying the same upper corner, other times less intrusive horizontal lines at the top or bottom of the screen. And the home made cues are because of stuff like this:
Melting frame! Seems like a well used print, especially the Reel on Dagobah with lots of yellow scratches and wear marks. Here are some of some of the cuts: (please note others)
ESB_TP Cut Parts
16:22 Leia "scruffy-looking nerf herder!" Han "Who's scruffy-lookin'?"
19:40 (Reel Change) Han welding
39:10 (Reel Change) Couple seconds of Luke in cockpit and Dagobah sets
47:05 Yoda "Yes, yes, but now we must eat." (jumps over "but now")
59:48 (20-30 seconds) Yoda-Luke dialog : "Death. - That place... is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go. What's in there? Only what you take with you. Your weapons... you will not need them."
1:08:40 Yoda: "That is why you ___."
1:11:20 boba cut frames ?????
1:18:43 Obi-wan "Don't give in to hate. That leads to the dark side."
1:19:16 (Reel Change) Post Yoda "There is another"
1:27:02 Vader "I do not want the emperor's prize damaged."
1:27:25 Lost frames in Luke's fly into Bespin
1:32:09 As Boba fires on Luke
1:32:08 Lost frames as Luke runs through Bespin plaza (almost like the Qui-Gon/Obi run in TPM)
1:37:58 (Reel Change) Luke jumps down onto trampoline
1:39:01 Lost frames as Luke gets hit then circular window shatters
1:41: lost frames
Some of these seem like dropped frames in the capture process. A few happened at sharp loud sections which can overload some capture systems.
1:56:30 During credit (Visual Effects Editorial Supervisor CONRAD BUFF) something interrupts the right side of the frame.
I don't think you'll find a version of Empire where Luke looks more beat up at the end. Purple and bloated. That green sky really adds to the mood. Definitely one of the more unique SW recordings to surface over the years, many thanks Fritz!
...are we all... fine. Here.. now?
Now back to the Boring Conversation!
Added to first post: (and fixed the errors Aluminum Falcon pointed out)
2005.05.29 : ROTS Cyrillic Crawl - (camcd1&2) [might be same as 3bin/cue version]
1980.xx.xx : ESB 70mm In-Theater Audio Recording - morgands1
and frame guides/reel changes for ESB_TP and ROTJ_TP
Working on converting a Theatrical TPM VHS (some crowd interaction) and would like to include sections which showcase special aspects of the recording. For instance i'll set chapter markers around the Cue Markers so that they can be played in a dedicated storyline. Also plan to mark out the footage which would later be changed or modified. Right now using the wiki SW change as a guide and looking through Adywan's reconstruction thread. If you know other places for change's, please post. Or recommend ideas for something to identify so the disc helps pull out information specific to the theater. Maybe a storyline for all the scenes with subtitles, since that's an aspect which has changed over time.
Also learned that the 'Z' version opens with the crowd cheering then shifts to a direct audio feed.
and here's a story about a TPM which got away:
TPM stolen print : Menomonie, Wis.http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB82CBAE770122A&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM
Conclusion:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h6caAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Si8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6354,2270991&dq=bootleg+phantom+menace&hl=en
Sluggo wrote: if you are thinking of non-movie tpp's, would Return of the Ewok or the bootleg Anchorhead scenes from ComiCon belong on your list?
Maybe down the line. Right now got enough to focus on. Even though a fan of the cut scene material, so would be curious to see/hear the reaction of the ComiCon-ians to the Anchorhead material. Maybe in time.
People wrote:
but Empire is the best I've seen any SW-bootleg look
to bad there wasn't a good version for Star Wars and Jedi like Empire.
Is there something wrong with the Moth3r XviD that i'm completely missing????!!!!
Whom we can ask some question to, about the recording. Suggestions for lines of questioning?
Sent over a bunch of questions to Catnap. Things like: What's the story behind the tape. Did he know if it was a 16mm source. Why Catnap. If he thought it was a professional collector transfer or something else. When did he think it was transfered, any ideas on the equipment. General things to see if some details could be filled in.