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So, I have just finished Andor for the first time. However, I started it last year, having watched the first six episodes. I thought it was good, however the pacing of that first half did not leave me excited to continue on the show. I did not have an attachment to any of the characters aside from Cassian, and Syril in the first three episodes.
I meant to keep watching but I didn’t end up coming back to it until a few nights ago this year. Woah, it sure does pick up.
I enjoy movie cuts, especially for Star Wars tv. I like tightly paced, packed stories. While I did find Andor to be a high quality TV show, I couldn’t help but imagine it at the standard of a film. Reviewing the content, I felt there was slightly too much for one movie (under 2.5 hours), but in my opinion not enough for two movies, without the pacing suffering. I know that might sound crazy to people who really loved the show, but that’s just my opinion. I have begun VERY basic work on an Andor Season 1 edit.
Goal: Cut Andor Season 1 into a single movie that does not exceed 2.5 hours.
So therefore, if I want to turn it into one movie, under 2.5 hours, it will require some radical cuts and restructuring. However, I believe it is possible. I have never done a fan edit before, but I very much desire to see this. I wanted to do a similar project with TCW, but I find Andor S1 and its length much more approachable.
For me, the strongest arc of the series was easily the Prison-Arc. Every scene in the prison had me completely engaged. I plan on using this as my primary “A plot” which the cut will be structured around.
So the content I would like to include and focus on is:
- Prison Arc as the main A plot and throughline of the film, intercut with:
- Luthen’s various machinations.
- The Imperial investigation into Aldhani.
- The very basics of Mon Mothma’s plot in the later series (Mon Mothma is the tie-in to the greater SW series)
- Flashbacks throughout of scenes with Andor and his adoptive mother.
- Flashbacks to the Aldhani heist.
It will be a lot but if it can be pulled off and trimmed to ABSOLUTE essentials, I think it would make a great 2.5 hour film. Essentially, I will have /very little/ of the first half of the series in the edit at all. Much of what I plan on cutting would include:
- Almost all of Ferrix and its characters, Bix, Cassian’s friends etc. As stated, I will be using scenes of Cassian and Maarva throughout to show their relationship. And at some point I will likely include Cassian being recruited by Luthen in an extremely cut form. But otherwise, Ferrix and its characters will likely be almost entirely cut, including its use in the finishing episodes.
- Most of the Aldhani plot. I will start with snippets of the heist as an inciting act to the story, along with the Imperial response afterwards. As the story progresses, I will use flashbacks to the heist to assist the plot. But in all, it will probably be cut to only a few minutes.
- The Syril plotline. I feel the show only gets stronger as it goes on. The first arc I felt was its weakest. However, Syril was a saving grace to me in those first episodes. His no-nonsense attitude had me and my friend practically cheering for him even though he was going after Cassian who we also liked. However… I do not feel the series progressed his plot in a satisfactory manner. And seeing as his plot is already so tied in to Ferrix in the first place, I really do not see a place for him in this edit.
- The sister plot and any references.
- Likely many other things that I can’t remember right now.
My thinking as far as structure is this:
- Possibly start with snippets of Andor’s past, some of the flashbacks we see (maybe the Clem flashbacks), just enough to show his problems with the empire. Do not include any mentions of his name.
- Begin the plot proper with a short scene/snippets from the Aldhani heist, as the inciting incident of the story. But do NOT show Cassian in the heist, cut around him.
- Introduce Cassian as Keef Girgo, a seemingly regular citizen on the beach planet (if we saw some of the Clem flashbacks, we’ll know he doesn’t like the empire but he will otherwise seem a normal citizen now). Go through the sequence of him being arrested.
- Put emphasis on all the times throughout that sequence and in prison that he is referred to as “Keef”.
- During the Imperial response and investigation, if Andor is mentioned, we will not show any visuals/holograms that actually show him. Keep it vague as to who Andor is.
- In sequences where it feels natural, like when Cassian goes to bed, we can cut in some of the mother scenes from the early part of the series as flashbacks (akin to Jyn’s flashbacks with her father in R1). During the early parts of his story, we will not include her referring to him by name.
- As the A plot in prison progresses, intercut with the flashbacks, eventually, either at the end of Act 1 or 2, it will be surprise-revealed that Keef Girgo is actually the Cassian Andor that everyone is looking for, and we will then show more in depth scenes of the Aldhani heist and how heavily involved he was. Any mother flashbacks from this point forward can include her saying his name. Same with the Imperial Investigations now being able to show his hologram to the audience. In fact it may be one of those things that IS the reveal.
As for B plots, and how the A plot progresses into the third act, I want to include as much as I can of Luthen and Mon Mothma, but to have it make sense in the context of the very limited version of the story we’re telling:
- Will have to include the scenes of Mon Mothma and Luthen meeting, otherwise she has no tie-in to the plot.
- The third act will culminate in the prison break, intecut with Luthen allowing Kreegyr to fall into the Imperial trap, and Mon Mothma giving her daughter up for the cause.
- I want to, via clever and liberal editing, to cut the final episode’s battle/riot on Ferrix, to imply THAT is Kreegyr’s forces falling into the Imperial trap. So as Saw is confronting Luthen about letting it happen (“You’d let 30 men die?”) we will be cutting to snippets of the Ferrix battle as if THOSE are the 30 men. If possible, I will include the Imperial side about the funeral and somehow try to meld those two events even further to make them seem as one thing. But overall it may result in including only a /little/ bit of the battle to sell the illusion that it is Kreegyr’s forces, who, as far as I remember we never even see.
- It will be made clear that Kreegyr and his men died, but we will include shots to show that they put up a fight, making it a bittersweet and hopeful thing, despite how Luthen used and discarded them. I will use the shots of Meero being knocked down to imply that she gets killed during the battle.
So that is essentially it. The third act will culminate with an intercut sequence of:
- Cassian’s Prison Break
- Luthen and Saw discussing sacrificing Kreegyr; Luthen compromising himself even further.
- Kreegyr’s forces being killed by the ISB (Ferrix battle in disguise)
- Mon Mothma giving up her daughter, compromising herself.
After that, I don’t have the exact ending nailed down but I know I want to include Cassian’s call where he finds out his mother is dead after everything he’s been through. We will have not seen this so it will be a surprise gut-punch to the audience. And then I would like to include the Death Star as the true final shot.
So that’s it! I think it is an ambitious idea but if pulled off, would truly be an AMAZING, tightly paced, packed film full of twists and turns for the audience. I would appreciate any suggestions, further ideas, critiques/problems (I know there will be a LOT of problems to solve with this restructure). etc.
And just any general advice for a new fan editor going into a project like this would also be appreciated. Thanks everyone