Sign In

Star Wars Prequels 35mm 4K Filmized Editions by Emanswfan (a WIP) — Page 40

Author
Time
Post link

ChainsawAsh said:

My biggest “compromised purism” in Star Wars is wanting to conform the BR cut of TPM to the theatrical cut - that is, keep the editing of the theatrical cut exactly, but with all the visual updates of the BR (CGI Yoda, mainly).

It’s the only one where something like that would outright replace any official version forever for me.

I have made that version. Thanks to finding the original pod race sequence in HD. I had to do a custom edit to remove the speeder flight on Coruscant, but the extended scene has coverage to make it similar.

Author
Time
Post link

Dek Rollins said:

ChainsawAsh said:

My biggest “compromised purism” in Star Wars is wanting to conform the BR cut of TPM to the theatrical cut - that is, keep the editing of the theatrical cut exactly, but with all the visual updates of the BR (CGI Yoda, mainly).

It’s the only one where something like that would outright replace any official version forever for me.

But Creepy Puppet Yoda™ looks infinitely better than CGI Yoda. CG Yoda constantly has his head at a downward angle and looks up at the people he’s talking to only with his eyes, and he lacks the little bit of expression that CPY had left. Screw consistency, I prefer a decent but weird puppet that looks nothing like the character over awkward CGI that still looks nothing like the character. 😛

I HATE creepy puppet Yoda. HATE!!!

Author
Time
Post link

Setzer said:

Maaga said:

reference

Some original color references

Production stills =/= color references

Often production stills can provide relative colors that help in color grading. This one shows that the guards were not a rich blue, but muted and from seeing the costume in person, a touch more green.

Author
Time
Post link

yotsuya said:

Dek Rollins said:

ChainsawAsh said:

My biggest “compromised purism” in Star Wars is wanting to conform the BR cut of TPM to the theatrical cut - that is, keep the editing of the theatrical cut exactly, but with all the visual updates of the BR (CGI Yoda, mainly).

It’s the only one where something like that would outright replace any official version forever for me.

But Creepy Puppet Yoda™ looks infinitely better than CGI Yoda. CG Yoda constantly has his head at a downward angle and looks up at the people he’s talking to only with his eyes, and he lacks the little bit of expression that CPY had left. Screw consistency, I prefer a decent but weird puppet that looks nothing like the character over awkward CGI that still looks nothing like the character. 😛

I HATE creepy puppet Yoda. HATE!!!

Honestly there’s something off about the CGI Yoda in TPM. Like, it’s not looking in the right places and it’s moving too much. As bad of a puppet as it is, I kind of prefer creepy puppet Yoda.

Author
Time
Post link

If all be honest I was hoping for some rich deep blues on those guards

Author
Time
Post link

Maaga said:

If all be honest I was hoping for some rich deep blues on those guards

As deep as the blue background, whose color has to be replaced by CGI…

Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

Dek Rollins said:
But Creepy Puppet Yoda™ looks infinitely better than CGI Yoda. CG Yoda constantly has his head at a downward angle and looks up at the people he’s talking to only with his eyes, and he lacks the little bit of expression that CPY had left. Screw consistency, I prefer a decent but weird puppet that looks nothing like the character over awkward CGI that still looks nothing like the character. 😛

I agree wholeheartedly with all of this.

Maaga said:

The puppet looks a lot chipper than the CGI one. A theatrical version is what I would like to see, puppet and all.

He sure does. And that’s what I want too.

Author
Time
Post link

ZigZig said:

ChainsawAsh said:

A 35mm scan is in the works at the moment. I believe ZigZig would be the person to get in touch with about that.

The scanning process is currently locked down in a Parisian lab due to Covid-19…
But I’d be happy to share with emanswfan the rough scan of reel #4 (which was done 2 times with 2 different lenses).

Emanswfan, if you’re interested, please feel free to PM me.

I’d love a copy too actually.

Author
Time
Post link

Chewielewis said:

ZigZig said:

ChainsawAsh said:

A 35mm scan is in the works at the moment. I believe ZigZig would be the person to get in touch with about that.

The scanning process is currently locked down in a Parisian lab due to Covid-19…
But I’d be happy to share with emanswfan the rough scan of reel #4 (which was done 2 times with 2 different lenses).

Emanswfan, if you’re interested, please feel free to PM me.

I’d love a copy too actually.

Me three

Author
Time
Post link

Don’t get me wrong guys, I want the 100% theatrical version preserved as well, CreepyPuppetYoda and all, and I’d keep it for archival purposes. But the “theatrical but CGI Yoda” version would be the only one I’d ever watch outside of full-on fan edits.

Author
Time
 (Edited)
Post link

ChainsawAsh said:

Don’t get me wrong guys, I want the 100% theatrical version preserved as well, CreepyPuppetYoda and all, and I’d keep it for archival purposes. But the “theatrical but CGI Yoda” version would be the only one I’d ever watch outside of full-on fan edits.

Of course, I don’t think anyone was under the impression you don’t want it preserved. I just can’t fathom a preference for CGI Yoda. He constantly has a scowl on his face, giving everyone the Kubrick stare at the same time. Like, yeah, Creepy Puppet Yoda looks bad and doesn’t look like Yoda, but the same can be said about CGI Yoda. Creepy Puppet Yoda is so much more expressive, and actually matches the expression in the vocal performance.

Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.

Author
Time
Post link

He looks like Yoda while the puppet doesn’t at all, and he matches the other prequels. Those two things mean he’s immediately superior to me.

Plus CPY always made me uncomfortable.

Author
Time
Post link

emanswfan said:

Is there any place with a scan of a theatrical print or more images of it?

I sent you a PM.

And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns.

Author
Time
Post link

Tantive3+1 said:

The reason Lucas went with a CGI Yoda was so that he could make him into a backflipping twirling ninja who was never supposed to fight to begin with.

Enough said.

I mean, yeah, but it’s also because the TPM puppet looked like straight trash.

Author
Time
Post link

My version would have CGI Yoda, but would use CPY for just the shot where he says, “leads to suffering.”

I know I’ve made some very poor decisions recently.

Author
Time
Post link

Maaga said:

Chewielewis said:

ZigZig said:

ChainsawAsh said:

A 35mm scan is in the works at the moment. I believe ZigZig would be the person to get in touch with about that.

The scanning process is currently locked down in a Parisian lab due to Covid-19…
But I’d be happy to share with emanswfan the rough scan of reel #4 (which was done 2 times with 2 different lenses).

Emanswfan, if you’re interested, please feel free to PM me.

I’d love a copy too actually.

Me three

me four!

Author
Time
Post link

ChainsawAsh said:

Tantive3+1 said:

The reason Lucas went with a CGI Yoda was so that he could make him into a backflipping twirling ninja who was never supposed to fight to begin with.

Enough said.

I mean, yeah, but it’s also because the TPM puppet looked like straight trash.

I disagree. I think CGI Yoda is the one that looks like straight trash.

While TPM puppet Yoda doesn’t look enough like the real Yoda - I’ll grant you - the same is certainly true with CGI Yoda (both models but especially the ROTS/TPM one). The main difference to me is that I actually think the TPM puppet, despite being inaccurate, at least appears very real to my eyes and actually looks like he belongs in the scenes he’s in. Comparatively, CGI Yoda looks like he was pulled out of a not very impressive video game cutscene and jarringly plopped in the movie. The TPM puppet’s movements and expressions are also more consistent with the Yoda we know and love.

Author
Time
Post link

Been reading the conversation here and was thinking maybe my memory, which is long and increasingly filling with holes as I age and more gaps appear in it, was playing tricks on me. So I went to YouTube and typed in “Yoda comparison,” which brought up this video. So I put it on fullscreen and watched it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxaZxpNTm8A

The CGI model is a massive improvement in basically every way. It looks better, it interacts better, the performance (paired with the vocal work) is better… I certainly can’t agree with the idea that CG work for the blu-ray is “pulled out of a not-very-impressive cutscene.”

That puppet was a big, well-intentioned misstep, but a misstep nonetheless. The CG correction is just so observably, obviously better that I’m wondering if you guys are just trying to trick people into rewatching The Phantom Menace, haha.

Author
Time
Post link

No, I think the puppet matches the vocal performance 100% better than the CGI replacement. CG Yoda lacks any expression in TPM. When Yoda is talking to Anakin, and says “Everything!” look at the facial expressions. The puppet expresses exactly what the vocal performance is conveying, while the CG replacement does not.

Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.

Author
Time
Post link

Some early scenes in the Temple are improved by the CG Yoda but the ‘hate leads to anger’ bit I feel is more expressive in puppet form. Similarly, in the ‘your apprentice Skywalker will be’ scene, the puppet feels more lifelike and present in the scene. Note also in the final shot of that scene how the puppet’s face is illuminated by a soft cool light while the CG model has almost no definition. Finally, the CG in the funeral scene and the celebration scene looks egregiously bad. It almost feels like the animators got more and more pressed for time as the film went on because the first scene of CG Yoda actually looks great.

You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)

Author
Time
Post link

The Force 5 said:

Comparatively, CGI Yoda looks like he was pulled out of a not very impressive video game cutscene and jarringly plopped in the movie.

So…just like almost everything else in the prequels?

CPY looks nothing like Yoda or the AOTC/ROTS CGI models. CGI Yoda doesn’t look any more like Yoda than the AOTC/ROTS CGI, but it’s at least consistent with AOTC/ROTS instead of being the one odd man out.

Author
Time
Post link

Dek Rollins said:

CG Yoda lacks any expression in TPM.

Did you mean the puppet? I’m confused.

The TPM puppet literally has only one possible facial expression. The way they constructed the puppet made it impossible to do any thing other than basic lip flap. It has the same face in every scene. The ears and the eyes have some movement, and that kinda/sorta makes up for the lack of expression on the puppet, but it’s never utilized very well.

Again, if I was just working off memory, I could be convinced that I’m misremebering how stiff and ugly the puppet was, and how that stiffness inhibited what performance the puppet could give. But that video is right there! And the CG looks more like Yoda, acts more like Yoda, and is a better replacement in basically every way.

ALL THAT SAID: I’d love to finally get my hands on a theatrical restoration of TPM, and any reconstruction claiming to be “theatrical” needs to have that ugly, stiff mistake of a puppet in there in all its pop-eyed, ack-ack glory.