I'm working on a simple edit of the Back to the Future trilogy, simply combinging them into a single movie. Only bad thing is picture quality. It *will* look like crap. I could do a DL version, so it won't look quite too bad.
There's no trick to it, it should be easy. I don't know whether to leave the opening credits to each movie in their place, or cut them out.
This may not be possible, but does anyone know a way to have the opening credit sequence in Part III, but without the credits? Is there some type of photoshop-ish program that can do that? Because that'd be great.
But is there really a point? There's no real trick to it, the movies tail right into one another...moreso than probably any other trilogy out there.
And as far as watching them back to back, yeah, just did it a couple weeks ago when I was sick. Got a hold of HD copies of all three of them and watched them on my laptop. Was quite nice.
Originally posted by: Andrew Smith I was thinking of doing this at some point in the future but also adding in any deleted scenes as well, some of them are really good.
I don't think a chronological edit of the films is enjoying, since going back and forth through time is the most fun part of the trilogy... especially the idea of travelling from the second film back to the first one is just awesome!
As for editing the three movies together, it's actually quite simple. The transition from I to II is easy as hell, since the ending of the first film repeats at the beginning of the second one (right before Marty opens the garage and Jennifer enters the scene... this way the switch between Claudia Wells and Elisabeth Shue isn't that distracting). Cutting out the credits in II works too... I cut from Biff's line about "A flying DeLorean...?" right to the the trio re-entering Hill Valley 2015 (with a little sound editing to remove the beginning and end of the main theme). As II and III were shot back to back, editing them together works like a charm, and with a little AfterEffects knowledge painting out the titles from III can be done.
Yet I would advise doing this as an XviD or DivX edit on DL-DVD... most players play these files, and you won't have a noticable loss in image quality.
A chronological edit would not only be not entertaining, it would make absolutely no sense viewing wise. You're basically taking an entire movie out of order. As for editing together, it would be interesting I guess, but there's little real point. It would be easier to just get a second DVD player and sync it up to start when the first disc ends .
Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the war room!
How exactly are you going to get around Jennifer 'changing' in between 1 and 2? I mean, obviously you'll just have to overlook it..but still. The Jedi are all but extinct.......
Originally posted by: Andrew Smith Sorry I should clarify I wasn't intending on producing a chronological edit, just joinging the three together and adding back the deleted scenes.
That is understood, but again, the question is, why? The movies were made to viewed back to back, and any attempt to actually join them together will introduce the problem of cramming the entire thing on one disc. So we're trading degraded video quality for...not having to take a minute to change DVDs? I like the idea, but it seems like its more trouble than its worth.
I actually rather enjoyed the third one, especially at how Marty became The Man Without A Name by the end of the film. I was a little disappointed that not a lot was done with Marty and his family like had been done in the first two, but I guess they took it as far is it could have gone. In any case, considering it was the third act of a trilogy, it did a much better job then a lot of other film series had done at the point.
Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here, this is the war room!
Well, you guys asked for it, and here it is: The Back to the Future Chronological Edit.
Spent most of this afternoon and evening tampering with it, and it looks decent, considering. It's especially interesting where it intercuts between two simultaneous adventures at once in 1955 (and when Marty returns to 1985 to see Doc get shot again).
If someone could create an awesome logo to accompany it, give the appearance of not just an ameature geek editing at home. This will probably be a two disc set. 1885-1955 on disc 1, with 1985-2015 on disc 2.
Any other help or suggestions would be great, it's not too late.
Originally posted by: Andrew Smith Have you added back any of the deleted scenes?
No, I don't really think that'd be appropriate for the chronological edit. If I did that, which I've tried before and failed, it'd be individually for each film. The deleted scenes appear to be interlaced, and when joined with the films themselves, appear squished vertically. I'm a dunce so I gave up.
I like Part III, I don't see why people think it's terrible. Of course, I'm a long time Back to the Future nut. My bathroom is themed with BTTF, I kid you not.
But yeah, a shorter Part II-III cut would be interesting to try.
I also don't see why people seem to hate BTTF3 with such a passion, it really is a great film. It may not quite live up to the benchmark set by the first two but we have to remember what I high benchmark that was.
. 
(or a rythmic ceremonial ritual). That's really cool though, thanks for sharing it!