Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Edit Suggestions — Page 2

You need the latest DivX-codec for it.

I don't have a time frame... and I don't have time right now anyway, but I'd like to make and edit of the film.

My aim is to make it match a liiittle more the classic films, in terms of visuals and storytelling. I only have a few ideas right now, no list or anything. While I was color correcting the fight scene, I got the idea to make the fight a little more rough by adding some blood and spit splatters, some blood dripping out of Indy's mouth when he's on the ground and maybe a head wound when he hits the Russian with the branch. When I find time I'll run through the movie and look for other places that might allow for such changes to push the movie more towards the gritty side. Another thing I'd like to re-work a bit is the finale... no details yet though.

The photo of Marcus could be replaced with this one:

And the Connery picture with this one:

Here's the photo-swap in motion:

Version 1

Version 2 ;-)

Version 2 was awesome.  I'd bet Rob would vote for it. 

I think they would look just a bit more realistic if you added something that looks like a reflection on it.  They should look like they are behind glass.

HERE's a version with somewhat of a reflection...

That is perfect!  I am not sold on the Connery pic, but the Elloitt pic is great.

Nice work Laserschwert - the colour correction really ties this film to the previous trilogy, in terms of visuals. And the new photos were placed seamlessly (although admittadly I'm not completely sold on the Connery pic either; too modern looking perhaps?)

On the photos, I always thought that they would look more natural if it weren't just the characters of Marcus and Henry on their own, isolated in their respective photos. On Google Image Search I came across these pictures of Indy and Henry, taken from the Last Crusade:

Possibly still not entirely natural, as they can be seen to be from the last film, but I quite like the idea - it is more in line with what I am thinking of. It seems fitting that Indy should be pictured with his father, and the Marcus one could be left with him on his own (the photo that was used for Laserschwert's clip looked quite good, and usable pictures of the actor of Marcus seem pretty thin on the ground). I was told that there's a picture of Connery with a young River Phoenix that appears briefly in the film, but I've never been able to spot it - maybe that could be substituted into the Connery frame on Indy's desk? Or are there any budding photoshoppers out there?

Or maybe a pic of a younger Connery and the kid from the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles?  The young kid, not the teenage one.

I was surprised to see the scene where the gang escapes from those water-gears not having any music... this really feels strange and somewhat takes the danger out of their escape. I've put ToD's "Death Trap"-music under it, and I think it feels much more urgent that way.

HERE is the clip.

Laserschwert said:

I was surprised to see the scene where the gang escapes from those water-gears not having any music... this really feels strange and somewhat takes the danger out of their escape. I've put ToD's "Death Trap"-music under it, and I think it feels much more urgent that way.

 

HERE is the clip.

Good idea to add that.  That scene really didn't have any urgency the way it was.

I think most of the changes are possible, but I still have to watch the movie again in a full run to know, whether I agree with all of them or not.

The music was a great addition! This scene in the movie always reminded me of the end of the mine car chase in Temple of Doom (which I think was meant to be the purpose of the sequence), so the music is really fitting. Agree with jones1899 though - the scene could be more effective if it was trimmed down a bit. I'm thinking, cutting from when the water reaches them in the alcove, to the over-head view of them rising up the shaft (removing the unneccesary scenes which actually show the shaft filling up with water).

Great work!

I've thought about creating my own edit, and here are the scenes I would be cutting.

1.  Cut the Entire Nuke and Bomb Town sequence.  Show the morning sunrise after escaping the russions, Indy walking onto the rocks and overlooking the valley, fade into the campus where Indy is Teaching. 

2.  Cut the attack in the graveyard, serves no purpose and works better without it.  Still have mutt saying "I think I saw something" without actually seeing anything, and Indy responding "Your Jumping at Shadows".  Cut it this way, and he really is just jumping at shadows.  Cut from  Indy helping Mutt up and cut directly to them now inside the cave. 

3.  Shorten the reunion of Marion and Indy.  Eliminate Marions cheesy "With anybody but you" line.   She is just WAY to happy.   Cut right after Indy says "Why, are you looking for a date?" directly to Spalko's "So Dr. Jones, you'll help us."  This also gives Indy the last word in the argument.  Also in the same sequence, cut Indy's "Same old, same old".

4.  I would be cutting the 3 waterfalls, so I would have to eliminate the drops 3 times dialogue with Ox.  Cut from "I need a pen and paper", to Ox completing the drawings". 

5.  Shorten the Dry Sand pit sequence.  It just goes to long.  Last part of this scene shoud be "It's a snake, what do you want me to call it", and Indy grabs it.  Get rid of the call it a rope sequence.  I liked the can't you find a rope and Sears line, but having everybody actually call the snake a rope was just bad. 

6.  The jungle chase and Monkees.  This can be fixed.  Too much to go into but a couple of notes.  I like Indy's "Stop being a child" line, but cut Indy's "Find something to fight with". oh look how convenient, he told me to find something to fight with and look, Spalko's swords.  I think it would work better if Mutt did this on his own.  Get rid of Spalko shouting "JJOOOOOONNEEEEEEESSSS".  Get rid of Mac's first "JOOOONNNESEY!!!!!!!!"  It works the second time when he looks at him and says it softly, just before Indy says "Hi Mack" and then knocks him out.  That feels like Indy.  Cut the plants hitting Mutt in the crotch, re-cut the hand to hand fight between Spalko and Mutt, cut the CGI monkees, cut the 3 waterfalls.  I'll post my re-cutting of this entire sequence when I'm happy with it. 

7.  Increase the tension of the water steps, and don't show the water 2 feet below them just before the fall. 

8.  Mac and the greed regarding the jewels in the tomb has been done time and time again, with National Treasure, the Mummy Movies, and even Goonies.  Cut as much of this as possible.

9.  Finally cut the School promotion, go from "Somewhere your grandfather is laughing, to the wedding"

These are the cuts I will attempt to make, they may work, they may not.  But I'm looking forward to trying it.  Have fun everybody!