- Time
- (Edited)
- Post link
An edit of one of my most popular projects - from this time two years ago - that I’ve been working on for the last two weeks after making 2 discoveries around this time last month. Firstly, I discovered if I reconsolidate the video codec of the source files I use, but work on and export them the same way inside the editor I use, the finished product can arrive at a smaller file size but looks practically visually identical to the first version and plays just as well.
Specifically, the current size of the 4 ‘mega-sodes’ of this series is now 26.38GB total, whereas the size of my initial project in late 2022 was a much larger 43.12GB, so there’s a noticeable difference in size with a negligible (if any) difference in quality, so I’m very happy with that.
.
.
.
Secondly, I discovered a new way of transitioning between episodes that hopefully comes off as smoother. Before, the episodes started black before getting into things, and then ended black before getting into the credits, and I would merge those two blocks of footage to create the transition between the two – specifically to try and blend the audio at the end of one and the start of another as smoothly as possible.
Now, I have it so the blocks are side-by-side, not merged, so black goes into black still and it’s still as visually smooth as before, but each one has the audio of the other underlying for 3 seconds slowly fading in/out – which, to my ear, sounds like an easier changeover and a better blend of sounds as one ends and another begins.
.
.
.
On top of these new source reconsolidating and episode blending techniques I’ve discovered and implemented, I’ve also taken some inspiration from my own Marvel’s “What If…?” projects and added a proper edit notice in the credits. Like them, I put a proper edit notice between the main bulk with only one or two lines of cast names and the rest where it’s more paragraph format for the unsung heroes behind-the-scenes and technical staff.
These new edit cards of mine give the show name, name the ‘mega-sodes’ in the episode themselves (now renamed as ‘chapters’ rather than just ‘arc’s), and seamlessly carry on the audio from the credits without interruption – just like my “WI?” work.
.
.
.
Chapter 1: The Man from Kenari
.
a- New and improved opening titles, implementing the same logo as before as I still prefer the announcement logo for the series rather than the one we got for later trailers and posters.
.
b- Timestamp given for the dream/flashback on Kenari and an annotation for the year it takes place in, which ties into the time just before ‘Attack of The Clones’ when it’s set.
.
c- Ends with the new chapter card after the first batch of credits.
.
.
.
Chapter 2: The First Mission
.
a- New and hopefully improved opening titles based on my previous version.
.
b- Story is the same as before, with hopefully smoother blending between the individual episodes. The only changes are the edit card at the end of the first block of credits, and Luthen’s shop is now officially annotated – it’s a very important and recurring location, so labelling it feels appropriate.
.
c- I used the same font and colour as the custom annotation I also made for the Frezno moon after Aldhani before, based on the annotations that already appear in the episodes themselves, for consistency.
.
d- Ends with the new chapter card after the first batch of credits.
.
.
.
Chapter 3: The Sentence
.
a- New and hopefully improved opening titles based on my previous version once again, with episode 8’s opening theme.
.
b- Flashback to the Imperial Clones on Ferrix has been changed into my usual style for anachronisms with colour and sound. Also there’s a timestamp with an annotation that ties right into the first arc of my ‘Bad Batch’ edit. A little later, the same applies for the conversation between Cassian and Maarva, with Clem hanging and Kassa charging at the Imperial Clones – because it goes between past and present with the voices adjacent to it, I did a little audio mixing to hopefully smooth the line between sharp present dialogue and reverberating past dialogue.
.
c- The story is slightly changed as before with the conversation between Syril Karn and Dedra Meero outside the ISB headquarters. More focussed on just Cassian Andor and Justice – less him going into creepy stalker and/or (yes, pun intended) obvious mother issues projection vibes. And finally, the end of their conversation is slightly trimmed this time, so it’s a bit neater and cleaner than when I did it before.
.
d- Ends with the new chapter card after the first batch of credits.
.
.
.
Chapter 4: The Rebellion
.
a- New and hopefully improved opening titles based on my previous version for a final time, with episode 12’s opening theme.
.
b- Episodes hopefully blending more seamlessly between 10 & 11, and likewise with 11 & 12.
.
c- Flashback to Clem and Cassian done in my usual style. It’s too short and too unclear to warrant its own timestamp so it feels too minor and I just left it alone with that.
.
d- Ends with the new chapter card after the first batch of credits, and audio carries on as usual before the post-credits scene with the Narkina 5 apparatus being put to use over Scarif.
.
.
.
Going forward, I would like to reconsolidate more of my past projects like this to get more file size back on online storage and on my own personal HDD I hook up to my TV. I’ve already done so for my ‘SW Rebels’ & ‘What If’ and seen good results – even with both seasons of the latter, it only frees up 400-600MB extra per episode I re-export, but that all adds up and makes a noticeable difference with the whole completed season, so it still feels good and like it’s worth doing.
I did mention at the start that it CAN make a difference, because it doesn’t always, unfortunately. I also tried this new experiment with my DC projects for “World’s Finest” and ZSJL, since they’re all quite chunky files each, but the results were the same as my first project – if not a little larger. So it seems to be very good when it works, but seems like it’s very hit and miss in the meantime.
My projects relating to “The Hobbit” and the projects of recreating the Theatrical and 1997SE Star Wars films from my childhood are all quite large each – coming to 10GB at the smallest sometimes at 20GB at the biggest EACH. So, those projects are the ones I’ll probably re-tackle first, because it will probably make the most difference if it works. After that, the projects I did for the ‘Clone Wars’ and the ‘Bad Batch’ are very similar in nature to this, and contain so many arc files the two folders both come to a very large total file size, so those are definitely on the cards too.
.
.
.
.
Footnote: I am merely a self-taught editor and VFX artist here, as such, some areas might be visibly mostly good – as I have to be realistic with the footage in front of me and what I can do with it, of course. If you do have any particular notes and feedback, feel free to give me your thoughts, but please be constructive and don’t be an ass about it.