ROTJ DE Victory Celebration Edit (a Work In Progress)

Hello!

I am working on a ROTJ edit that combines Harmy Despecialized Edition 2.5 with the ending of trillary dump’s 97’s Special Edition HD restored.

I am having a lot of problems with this project, that shouldn’t be too much difficult, because my Sony Vegas Pro 16 is not importing neither Despecialized m2ts nor 97’s reconstruction MP4 ( converted from MKV) correctly. DE just can’t being imported in m2ts even after remuxing and keeping just video and one audio track.

I tried to convert it to MP4, converting DTS HD MA 5.1 or Stereo to AC3 and It doesnt work.

Vegas is able to import the video only in MP4 format but the audio track is not working, when i play the timeline there is just an annoying blurrying sound.

That edit would consist basically in:

• Harmy Despecialized Edition until Ewok’s are celebrating on Endor before Han and Leía scene. So DE would stop right after Han looks to the sky on Death Star destruction.

• Then It changes to 97’s version with Han-Leia dialogue , Luke fire scene , planet celebrations.

• I have noticed that first Endor shot after Coruscant looks too much blurry ( and some kind of pixelated) and dark in the restoration so i would put instead Despecialized version of that same shot that does not feature overlapped Ewok’s and it can be easily put in transition with a bit cut (at the end due to the original transition) Coruscant scene.

• Then the edit continues with the 97’s ending celebration and features just the Despecialized Edition end credits.

If someone know how to fix that problems or is able to make this edit with other programs please any help would be welcome. I dont have much experience doing advanced edit.

Yeah, I do all my editing with just stereo audio and then edit the 5.1 mix separately to fit the video and stereo. If you have a clean splice at one or two given points it is pretty easy. From what you describe you want the 1983 version up until that scene and then the 97 version for a bit, and then go back to the 1983 end credits. visually the end credits can be changed after the title card portion when it switches to the crawl. Sound wise that is a harder edit. For the 97 SE the repeated a section of the end credit music so you need to find a spot before that repeat to make your audio splice that won’t be noticeable, or just fix the end credit music by removing that repeat.

Bruh I was telling you in PM I already made this years ago I just need to rerender it : (

As for why Trillary Dump’s restoration looks blurry there, it’s because the footage is taken from an upscaled 576i PAL DVD, which is the highest quality version of the scene in that form, at least until that film scan comes out. Unless you’re willing to have Naboo in the planets sequence (which is inaccurate to the '97 ending, plus it has Gungans in it, one of which says “Meesa free!”), this is the best we have right now.

Replacing the Endor shot with Harmy Despecialized would take care of that particular part, but the whole sequence is DVD quality, and you can’t replace the whole thing with Harmy or the Blu Ray.

SparkySywer said:

Bruh I was telling you in PM I already made this years ago I just need to rerender it : (

As for why Trillary Dump’s restoration looks blurry there, it’s because the footage is taken from an upscaled 576i PAL DVD, which is the highest quality version of the scene in that form, at least until that film scan comes out. Unless you’re willing to have Naboo in the planets sequence (which is inaccurate to the '97 ending, plus it has Gungans in it, one of which says “Meesa free!”), this is the best we have right now.

Replacing the Endor shot with Harmy Despecialized would take care of that particular part, but the whole sequence is DVD quality, and you can’t replace the whole thing with Harmy or the Blu Ray.

Hello¡

Sorry, i was not understanding so i wrote this post. My english is not perfect and i didn´t understand what you were saying.

You are using Blu Ray for most of the ending, except Tatoiine-Coruscant transition and Hayden part right?
And… Which Sebastian Shaw footage are you using, the one from 97 Restoration or Harmy DE version? Ghosts look quite different in both versions, with Harmy´s ghosts looking more blue and illuminated.

yotsuya said:

Yeah, I do all my editing with just stereo audio and then edit the 5.1 mix separately to fit the video and stereo. If you have a clean splice at one or two given points it is pretty easy. From what you describe you want the 1983 version up until that scene and then the 97 version for a bit, and then go back to the 1983 end credits. visually the end credits can be changed after the title card portion when it switches to the crawl. Sound wise that is a harder edit. For the 97 SE the repeated a section of the end credit music so you need to find a spot before that repeat to make your audio splice that won’t be noticeable, or just fix the end credit music by removing that repeat.

That is a problem, yes. SparkySywer, how you did with the end credits? I think best would be using Harmy since when it switches to the crawl like you said and removing the repeat section in SE audio, but still you will need to switch again to Harmy audio because i think SE uses aditional music during the Special Edition credits so you can´t just remove the repeated section and continue with SE music.

Alderaan94 said:

yotsuya said:

Yeah, I do all my editing with just stereo audio and then edit the 5.1 mix separately to fit the video and stereo. If you have a clean splice at one or two given points it is pretty easy. From what you describe you want the 1983 version up until that scene and then the 97 version for a bit, and then go back to the 1983 end credits. visually the end credits can be changed after the title card portion when it switches to the crawl. Sound wise that is a harder edit. For the 97 SE the repeated a section of the end credit music so you need to find a spot before that repeat to make your audio splice that won’t be noticeable, or just fix the end credit music by removing that repeat.

That is a problem, yes. SparkySywer, how you did with the end credits? I think best would be using Harmy since when it switches to the crawl like you said and removing the repeat section in SE audio, but still you will need to switch again to Harmy audio because i think SE uses aditional music during the Special Edition credits so you can´t just remove the repeated section and continue with SE music.

No, the only difference between the original and the SE end credit music is that the SE goes back and repeats a section. There is nothing new added and no other changes. If you remove the repeat it will match the original credits. So the only sound issue is nicely matching the original audio to the SE audio.

I couldn’t help myself. And in the process I found out I was wrong. The SE end credit music does repeat itself, but it has needs two other edits to make it match the original. I unfortunately don’t think any of the 97 SE can be upgraded to full 1080p so I did it at 720p. I had to add a bit of grain to both the 97 SE and the BR to make it match the 4K83 that I was using, but it looks to be a fairly good match.

So where I cut from 4K83 was when Luke has lit Vader’s pyre and it switches from Luke’s face to the distance shot of him standing in front of the pyre that then pans up. From there it is the 97 SE until it pans back down to Endor again. Then I put in the BR until Luke sees the Force Ghosts appear. Then back to 4K83, but I cut it to match the 97 SE and BR. What they did was split the one shot of the ghosts and insert the first part of Leia coming to get Luke. So I matched it and then goes into the end Credits.

For the audio, I only was working in stereo. I changed the audio earlier than the video. I did it earlier in the funeral pyre sequence, toward the beginning before the music starts. And then it is the AC3 sourced audio from the 97 SE LD. There are three edits to make it match the sequence and running time of the GOUT audio for the end credits. I’m rendering the end sequence (from where Luke flies out of the Death Star) to upload to see what you think.

And I should point out that the 97 SE version I am using is my own. It is upscaled and I think it matches pretty well. The BR shot of Tatooine has more color to it, but the original 97 SE shot of Coruscant has more color (that sequence was also edited to show the PT version of the Jedi Temple and Senate for the BR). There is some missing to be able to cut the BR to match.

See if this is what you are looking for - https://vimeo.com/401499046
password: rotsedit

WoW this is fantastic! 4K83 looks really good in 720p and the ending is perfectly edited.

I think SparkySywer was doing it in a different way. Besides using Harmy instead of 4K83 (i personally prefer 4K83) , if i am correct he is using 97 only for the Tatooine-Coruscant transition, using BR for the general Bespin, Tatooine and Corusant scene and First Endor shot ( so It has the edited Jedi Temple and Senate) and I dont know how he managed to change from the 97 transition to BR Coruscant without being noticeable but that is also good.

I personally really like how that test video looks, but maybe is possible to put BR since Luke in front of the pyre, then Bespin BR then Tatooine BR , then 97 Tatooine-Coruscant transition and Coruscant , then BR first Endor scene ( that i also see very blurry specially in the sky in your 97 version, i suppose that is inherent to all 97 versions avaliable due to SD). Then continuing exactly as in your edit.

What do you think?

I dont know if that is possible. Personally, i think how you did It is really good but ofc it would look more HD if is possible to replace Tatoooine, Bespin and the first Endor shot.

Alderaan94 said:

WoW this is fantastic! 4K83 looks really good in 720p and the ending is perfectly edited.

I think SparkySywer was doing it in a different way. Besides using Harmy instead of 4K83 (i personally prefer 4K83) , if i am correct he is using 97 only for the Tatooine-Coruscant transition, using BR for the general Bespin, Tatooine and Corusant scene and First Endor shot ( so It has the edited Jedi Temple and Senate) and I dont know how he managed to change from the 97 transition to BR Coruscant without being noticeable but that is also good.

I personally really like how that test video looks, but maybe is possible to put BR since Luke in front of the pyre, then Bespin BR then Tatooine BR , then 97 Tatooine-Coruscant transition and Coruscant , then BR first Endor scene ( that i also see very blurry specially in the sky in your 97 version, i suppose that is inherent to all 97 versions avaliable due to SD). Then continuing exactly as in your edit.

What do you think?

I dont know if that is possible. Personally, i think how you did It is really good but ofc it would look more HD if is possible to replace Tatoooine, Bespin and the first Endor shot.

I was trying to figure that out. I think I might have a way that minimizes it. I also would prefer the revised Coruscant with the Jedi temple. But what I was after this time was a quick edit as concept.

What I did was use Trillary Dump’s restoration for the entire sequence, starting from one cut and ending at the next complete cut. Any smooth transition shots, like a building sweeeping or a wipe, I kept using the same source. The rest of the ending scene I used Harmy, except for added shots where I used the Blu Ray.

IMO Harmy and 4k83 are pretty equivalent, but I chose to use Harmy because I feel like it jives better with the PAL DVD and the Blu Ray. When that '97 film scan comes out, then I’d use that and 4k83, but for now I think Harmy is better.

I’m rendering it right now. I intended to last night when I made that comment, but because of some confusion I didn’t end up doing it. It should be complete in a few hours. This will be a render of the full movie. I’m gonna PM a link to Alderaan94 and Call Me Ocean Master, but if anyone else wants a link they can PM me too.

I planned on just using the original credits just because so little of the movie is actually changed in an edit like this, but there are some changes and the credits so list people who worked on the Special Editions, so maybe that’s the way to go? Also, should Harmy’s credits be included? The version I’m rendering just has the theatrical credits, not Harmy’s and not the Special Edition.

Edit: I also want to say that I used the theatrical credits music, but it was very, very slightly early. I added in an extra frame of the last shot that’s in the theatrical version but was trimmed out in '97, which made the audio sync correctly, but obviously not it’s not accurate to the '97 ending. I also made the credits 2 decibels quieter because it sounded louder than the rest of the scene. Not that anyone will care, but it’s a detail I wanted to share.

Also, I feel like redoing this with the Blu Ray footage replaced with Schormann’s HDTV restoration, just because I think it looks way better than the Blu Ray. Or maybe if I can get my hands on a Disney+ Rip or one of the Blu Rays coming out in a few days, I should use that? Since they look even better.

I don’t think this will be any final version, so I’m gonna download Schormann’s preservation off the spleen.

I don’t think anyone could tell the difference unless it was specifically pointed out to them, but looking at the specific points where it’s changed, I think the skyline in the '97 version is more charming. Same goes with the skyline in the Phantom Menace, which was changed in some shots in '01. The older skyline feels less sci-fi and more charming. It feels more like just a city on a planet.

Although, oof, looking at Trillary Dump’s restoration and the Blu Ray side by side, you can tell the sequence came from an SD source.

So, to put some order in the process so far.

1- yotsuya: Uses 4K83 until movie switches from Luke’s face to the distance shot of him standing in front of the pyre that then pans up. From there uses his own 97 SE until it pans back down to Endor again. Then he puts in the BR until Luke sees the Force Ghosts appear. Then back to 4K83, but cut to match the 97 SE and BR (as in that versions that scene is splitted).

VIDEO SOURCES USED:
-97 SE (own copy)
-BR
-4K83
Both SE and BR added some grain to fit with 4K83.

AUDIO SOURCES:
-4K83
-Laserdisc AC3

2-SparkySywer: Uses Harmy DE v2.5 except Planets Celebration scene where SE 97 Trillary Dump’s Restoration is used and BR for just the added shots.

VIDEO SOURCES USED:
-SE 97 Trillary Dump’s Restoration
-BR
-Harmy Despecialized Edition v2.5

AUDIO SOURCES:
-Harmy Despecialized Edition v2.5
-SE 97 Trillary Dump’s Restoration

Possible future edit:
-It would basically be like the two above but using Disney 4k instead of the BR and that new 97 Restoration you mentioned.

Is it all correct?

One example

I guess I never put two and two together that they could be the same building from different angles, but I guess it makes sense. Honestly I thought it was just a completely redone skyline since they look so different.

I personally prefer 97 Coruscant over 2004. But this edit it could be done also with 04 Coruscant, but that would require combining Tatooine-Corusant transition with Blu Ray Coruscant scene.

Hello! Recently I came back to work on this edit, trying to create the best version for those who would like to watch the unaltered version except for the 1997 SE ending with the new music and extended celebration scenes.

ROTJ 83-97 Edit 1st Version 720p 10,0 GB MP4

Yotsuya made two versions, one of them combined mainly 4K83 1.6 with his own '97 ending ( used from the funeral pyre to the force ghosts that came from his own 4K83 color correction). But that ending showed a low quality as there isn’t an HD version of ROTJ SE 1997 available.

ROTJ 83-97 Edit B 720p 6,9 GB MP4

So he did another one using a mix of 4K83 versions (mainly 4K83 1.3 and 1.4) , and the BR for most of the ending (some shots were replaced by 4K83 as the force ghost or some BR flawed composited shots), so the planet’s celebration looked quite better than 97 while being the same shots. The problem is that BR celebration features Naboo and the transition from Tatooime goes to that planet, instead of Coruscant. Yotsuya managed to make a new transition from Tatooime to the BR Coruscant using a mask but it has a brief “jumping” that avoids it to be near perfect.

So now I’m doing a third version, this time in 1080p (and possibly 4K) based on his own, that will feature 4K83 1.3 except for the pre-tittle scene and his same BR/4K83 / 97 based ending upscaled to 1080p/4K.

As for now there isn’t any true HD version of ROTJ 97 SE, I think the best way to make this edit is using BR Coruscant and trying to improve the transition from Tatooine. There is also the possibility to use all 1080p sources for his ending and recreate the exact way he did. But I think the most important would be to make a flawless transition from BR Tatooine to BR Coruscant. If anyone here knows how to do it or knows someone who could make it please tell me.

Hello. I have finished this project back in January, thanks to the new 97 SE Recreation by @SonnyGFunk. You can find all the information here: https://forums.thestarwarstrilogy.com/threads/star-wars-rotj-otd83-97-edit.3525

Cheers¡¡

Can vouch this is a great edit! My sister and I watched it yesterday afternoon and it’s our definitive edition now. Much thanks to Alderaan94 for this edit and for responding to my message when I asked if this project was still ongoing. I’ve been lurking the forums for years looking for something like this, so happy to finally have it.