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StarWarsLegacy.com - The Official Thread — Page 79

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Hi Mike,
good luck with your pitch! When is it due if I may ask, is it coming soon? Regarding Legacy, what soundmix do you have to go with it, have you done anything to it? Does your pitch include mono, stereo and 70mm mixes?

And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns.

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Mike, aside from audio I’d like to know if you consider mentioning any of the international versions of the films in your pitch. After all, ILM created a ton of opening crawls in different languages, including localized versions of the SW logo, which are an important part of the nostalgia of the trilogy for us non-English-speaking folks. Maybe including a staccato of several international crawls in the pitch to highlight the importance of the trilogy all over the world might be an option.

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mverta said:
I want to be able to end the pitch with a mic drop, basically.

So until then, let’s keep this thing to ourselves, shall we?

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Actually, if you’ll notice, what trips the alarm is releasing something. That generates both press and blowback. Discussions don’t draw any attention. The traffic spike for Legacy jumps by orders of magnitude when something else is released, but it only gets a blip when some related article is written. I don’t think it matters much, in the end. But in truth, there isn’t much more to say about it 😃

View the Restoration and join the discussion at StarWarsLegacy.com!

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Asaki said:

Shame about TN1. Here I was thinking we’d finally have a project without giant egos to ruin everything…

You must have missed the part where the leader of TN1 was N1.

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camroncamera said:

mverta said:
Let me just clarify a few points:

  1. Legacy will be screened for Fox/Disney executives later this year. At least, that’s the plan, the discussions have started/invitations beginning, and so far, so good. We’ll see.

… (snip)…

mverta said:
But to most people, it’s hard to believe, unless they really see it, just how bad a shape Star Wars is in. I mean, no other important, relevant release (they’re still making Star Wars movies, you’ll notice) is so mistreated and neglected. But a pitch is a show - all pitches are. And I’ve done God-knows-how-many of them in my career. It’s a full multi-media presentation in a theater, with lots of eye candy, and aims to lead the audience towards an inescapable conclusion. But how it’s unique and different, and most importantly, profitable, are just key elements. So certainly an analysis of the market and making that case is part of it. But it’s gotta stay entertaining, and potential laden. Legacy, should it be adopted, would be the first truly new offering in a long time - not just another repackaging, and not just a bit of hype. This is a Star Wars nobody’s really ever seen, ready for 4K… ready for a limited theatrical release if they wanted to do it. It’s a strong pitch just on its merits, but that’s by no means a slam dunk. It’s got to be done just right, pitch-perfect, at the right time with the right people and every last pushback planned for. I have help from a fantastic team. We’re on it.

… (snip)…

mverta said:
I’ve been mostly out of the country, and otherwise working my ass off to dig myself out of this abyss of Legacy debt 😃 So far so good, but that’s why it’s been quiet. But in terms of releases, I don’t want to put anything out ahead of the pitch. I don’t want to risk having any thunder stolen. I want to be able to end the pitch with a mic drop, basically.

Can’t tell you how thrilled I am with these updates. Thanks for logging in and spending some quality time here again. I know I really appreciate hearing exciting news on Legacy like this. Best of luck!

This is exactly what I’ve been hoping to hear since September! Good Luck Mike!

Laserschwert said:

Mike, aside from audio I’d like to know if you consider mentioning any of the international versions of the films in your pitch. After all, ILM created a ton of opening crawls in different languages, including localized versions of the SW logo, which are an important part of the nostalgia of the trilogy for us non-English-speaking folks. Maybe including a staccato of several international crawls in the pitch to highlight the importance of the trilogy all over the world might be an option.

Many people would like to see the '81 English crawl preserved in some way as well.

If I had some gum, I’d chew a hole into the sun…

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Mike, thanks for taking the time to post so many details, and answer so many questions. Your work is very impressive, and I wish you all the best in your upcoming non-shower pitch!

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Thanks for the update and clarification Mike. Let’s hope the Disney and Fox people appreciate your 15 year labour of love…

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Exactly how later this year are we talking? I don’t mean to sound impatient, I’m just curious.

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I’m glad you are making this pitch to the current version of LFL with Kathy Kennedy at the helm instead of Uncle George as we all know he would not have been interested in this one bit. Hope it goes well and that we get to see this brilliant restoration sooner rather than later.

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Lust-In-Phaze said:

Exactly how later this year are we talking? I don’t mean to sound impatient, I’m just curious.

From the sounds of it, there isn’t any time set in stone. Just some communication and a desire on Disney’s end to see his work and hear what he has to offer.

The Person in Question

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mverta said:
My presentation is structured to begin with a lot of “wow factor” before-and-afters with what it IS officially right now on Blu-Ray, compared to Legacy. Back to back, that is a pretty stunning contrast, easily discernible by anyone, and a good place to start. In fact, that back and forth can go on so long, be so damning, that it can start to look cruel and unusual to the Blu-Ray, and is around that point that I’ll be shifting into a bit on “how did this happen?” - a bit of a history lesson - which again is designed to be informative and interesting. But to most people, it’s hard to believe, unless they really see it, just how bad a shape Star Wars is in. I mean, no other important, relevant release (they’re still making Star Wars movies, you’ll notice) is so mistreated and neglected. But a pitch is a show - all pitches are. And I’ve done God-knows-how-many of them in my career. It’s a full multi-media presentation in a theater, with lots of eye candy, and aims to lead the audience towards an inescapable conclusion. But how it’s unique and different, and most importantly, profitable, are just key elements. So certainly an analysis of the market and making that case is part of it. But it’s gotta stay entertaining, and potential laden. Legacy, should it be adopted, would be the first truly new offering in a long time - not just another repackaging, and not just a bit of hype. This is a Star Wars nobody’s really ever seen, ready for 4K… ready for a limited theatrical release if they wanted to do it. It’s a strong pitch just on its merits, but that’s by no means a slam dunk. It’s got to be done just right, pitch-perfect, at the right time with the right people and every last pushback planned for. I have help from a fantastic team. We’re on it.

I’m pretty sure they’ll vote your way, Mike. They’ll have to.

Ol’ George has the GOUT, I see.

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Knock wood.

"Right now the coffees are doing their final work." (Airi, Masked Rider Den-o episode 1)

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The powers that be need to realize what they’ve got here…not only with the (at times literally unbelievable) results you’ve accomplished, but with you THE PERSON who dedicated a portion of their LIFE to this effort. If after seeing all the “evidence”, they still choose not to pursue and take advantage of this opportunity, I certainly hope that Legacy finds a way to escape…at least to the fans who will appreciate it most. That’s what makes some of us as unique as you are. You don’t need to be the person who “Saved Star Wars”, and while I can only speak for myself, I assume that most of us don’t need to shout from the rooftops that we’re in possession of such an important piece of film history. I look forward to this project being available for one major reason, because this is the STAR WARS I’d like to show my 7 year old son Jake on our home projector. I was 7 when I first saw STAR WARS in 1977, and he is now is 7…and enjoyed his first theatrical taste of the saga with Episode 7. With some luck, I’ll be able to show him Legacy while he’s still at that magical age. Then the circle will truly be complete 😃

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TV’s Frink said:

You must have missed the part where the leader of TN1 was N1.

I can’t say I followed
him very much. I don’t read most of the
other sub-forums, so
I mostly only know him for announcements
and overly-compressed
JPG screen
captures.

This signature uses Markdown syntax, which makes it easy to add formatting like italics, bold, and lists:

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I don’t visit these ‘ere parts as often as I used to, but just wanted to add that I’m quite literally blown away by the work you’ve put into in restoring Star Wars; in many ways it’d wager it’s arguably better than a pristine straight scan from the negative itself, as you’ve gone above & beyond in getting this thing into shape, tidied up a few registration problems (thinking here of that photo shot of the X-wings on their way to the Death Star) and applied many techniques you’ve come up with over the course of all your work, rather than over-reliance on off-the-shelf tools and automation. Not to mention the fact you’ve been at it for 15 years too! For what it’s worth I think Disney would have to be bantha-shit crazy to not go with your talents if they’re receptive to releasing the original version, perhaps for the 40th. I somehow think they won’t ignore that Anniversary without some special announcement.

Thanks for all the efforts you’ve gone to, and are still going to, to preserve this film the way it should have been done back in ’97.

I’m hoping we get to see the results of all your work via Disney sometime next year 😉

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 (Edited)

Hey Mike, something that should probably boost your (I’m sure) already fantastic pitch that I think everyone here would love, would be UHD/4K Bluray.

On the business end, what we have in our hands here is a system seller. THE definitive system seller.
UHD/4K Bluray becomes an established format overnight from a Legacy release, and I can’t stress that enough. It is exactly what both the fans and the established online tech media craves, popular content. Honestly, even with studio catalog releases eventually reaching UHD, format buyers will remain niche, basically a videophiles-haven, but really only videophiles will care. That is, unless OOT Star Wars comes into play. So far the media has laughed at the catalog launch choices for the format: “Smurfs 2? Hancock? Fant4stic? what nonsense! Let disks die!” And then watch as they flip the script with something not just polished, but universally recognizable. It’s the push needed to get other studios on board for the format.

From the fan perspective, it’s the perfect storm. “What, you’re telling me I can watch Star Wars in its original form in perfect condition on my new-fangled TV? Where do I sign?” The pitch is two-fold, as the system-seller aspect is just that, selling not just disks, but hardware/players SOLELY to play that one disk. And people will do it. I know I will (Yeah, I would like to see all your masterwork in full resolution, not some further compressed and downscaled imitation), but I do know that many many others will too, not just videophiles, and not just us loons.

I very much place you with Kevin Brownlow in the pantheon of film preservation. He’s finally got Napoleon lined up for a real release (Albeit 2K, but probably the best with the material he has), now you have the chance with Legacy. Lets allow everyone to see this film (legally) in its beauty in FULL, and I mean FULL form. 4K or bust, baby!

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Here’s what I’m wondering: what is the maximum resolution that can be obtained from a 35mm print? Didn’t Mike say on one of his Vimeo videos that the Blu-ray had more detail than Legacy because it was sourced from the original negative? And so would it really matter if Legacy ends up being released in 1080p or 4K if the detail boost is negligible? Or am I completely wrong about this? (this is a strong possibility)

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theMaestro said:

Here’s what I’m wondering: what is the maximum resolution that can be obtained from a 35mm print? Didn’t Mike say on one of his Vimeo videos that the Blu-ray had more detail than Legacy because it was sourced from the original negative? And so would it really matter if Legacy ends up being released in 1080p or 4K if the detail boost is negligible? Or am I completely wrong about this? (this is a strong possibility)

There is no concrete way to measure the resolution of film, but the average estimates have come usually somewhere in between 4K and 6K.

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theMaestro said:

Here’s what I’m wondering: what is the maximum resolution that can be obtained from a 35mm print? Didn’t Mike say on one of his Vimeo videos that the Blu-ray had more detail than Legacy because it was sourced from the original negative? And so would it really matter if Legacy ends up being released in 1080p or 4K if the detail boost is negligible? Or am I completely wrong about this? (this is a strong possibility)

Of course, the big hope is he gets the raw materials/better prints to expand this work even further and go for the gold. Obviously if he can only work/release the material he has now, only he would know up to what resolution/level the release would suit. (Though the statement that this is theatrical re-release ready makes me hope for the bigger and better options that are possible, ala the big post above on UHD BR)

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Darth Lucas said:
There is no concrete way to measure the resolution of film, but the average estimates have come usually somewhere in between 4K and 6K.

Ah okay, cool. That’s good news. Hopefully, it is released in 4K then.

One a side note, if this pitch goes well & Mike gets a job, could he realistically be able to do Empire and Jedi in about a year (for the 40th anniversary) while working full time? It doesn’t seem likely that two movies could be done that quickly when the first one took 15 years. So perhaps Star Wars will be released alone or alongside Disney/Fox’s own rushed restorations of the other two movies, as people have mentioned.

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theMaestro said:

Darth Lucas said:
There is no concrete way to measure the resolution of film, but the average estimates have come usually somewhere in between 4K and 6K.

Ah okay, cool. That’s good news. Hopefully, it is released in 4K then.

One a side note, if this pitch goes well & Mike gets a job, could he realistically be able to do Empire and Jedi in about a year (for the 40th anniversary) while working full time? It doesn’t seem likely that two movies could be done that quickly when the first one took 15 years. So perhaps Star Wars will be released alone or alongside Disney/Fox’s own rushed restorations of the other two movies, as people have mentioned.

Well if I’m not mistaken, part of the reason it took 15 years was gathering funds, developing tools, and finding prints/arranging for them to be scanned.

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theMaestro said:

Here’s what I’m wondering: what is the maximum resolution that can be obtained from a 35mm print?

35, duh.