The "Darth Editous" Episode IV DVD Info and Feedback Thread - a partially "de-specialed" DVD — Page 5

Author: Gillean
Time: 13-Jun-2005 7:37 AM
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Originally posted by: Darth Editous

Originally posted by: Gillean
Apparently the actual typeface used for alien subtitles in every episode was ITC Franklin Gothic Demi Bold, 69pt with -30 tracking. It is at least what was definitely used for the prequels. I only have the movies on DVD so I can't check, I also can't check whether that means just Demi or if they are faux bolding the text, I presume the former.

I've read the same page as you, but Franklin doesn't match what's on the Special Edition Laserdiscs, and the font size is meaningless if you don't know the size of the image it was being written to. The o has vertical sides, for example, much like the O in A NEW HOPE on the title crawl. But the LD has a fancier g than the Univers font. AlternateGotNo3D is an almost perfect match.

I haven't checked the subtitles on the prequel DVDs, but they may have been prepared by the DVD team. IIRC, the subtitles on the OT DVDs are some completely other font, and not very Star Wars-y.

DE

Righteo, funnily it looks like the PT VHS may have used yet another as it appears to use a single-storey g as opposed to the LD and cinema double-storey (I don't have any proper copies, only an old copy of the first disc of the Phantom Edit 1.1, so the editor may have replaced them).

I was actually going to mention about the meaningless point size myself, don't really know why they bothered mentioning that!

Both my OT and prequel DVD sets use player-rendered subtitles for the aliens, don't know if the PAL version of the OT was different to the US release.

As for the Demi Bold issue, it was just Demi (and they just used the long form, even though it isn't the official name used by Linotype).

Ooh, a laserdisc. The Cheat's playin' something on a laserdisc.
Everything is better on a laserdisc. Whatever happened to the laserdisc? Laserdisc!

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 13-Jun-2005 12:18 PM
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Yup, it's nearly all separate subtitle tracks these days - lets them cut costs and only make one disc for multiple countries. I much prefer burnt in.

DE

Author: Davidian
Time: 13-Jun-2005 3:31 PM
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Any chance of slinging one our way so I can get the down under distribution rolling?

"Give us all your money and a tank of gas. We're taking this bird to Cuba" ~Stimpy

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 13-Jun-2005 4:19 PM
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PAL, right? If you don't mind PayPaling what could well be astronomical postage

I can send it in a paper case inside a small padded envelope to cut it down.

Can you email me your address? dartheditous (at) hotmail (dot) co (dot) uk

Those who are still waiting, I'm still waiting for more padded envelopes to come in

Author: Hal 9000
Time: 13-Jun-2005 6:57 PM
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Thank you, Darth Editous, not just for making the DVD etself, but for the great quality of shipping. I wasn't expecting first class shipping in a padded envelope in a full DVD case!
That was really nice.

And anyone in the US who wants a copy of the NTSC version, PM me.
EDIT: First three, anyway. I need the other two padded envelopes in the package I just bought.

My stance on revising fan edits.

Author: Davidian
Time: 14-Jun-2005 2:41 AM
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Ya PAL all the way Darth, cheers. I've emailed you my details, thanks again, cant wait to see Empire!

"Give us all your money and a tank of gas. We're taking this bird to Cuba" ~Stimpy

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 14-Jun-2005 6:03 AM
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I wasn't expecting first class shipping in a padded envelope in a full DVD case!

When you say first class, it's not literally first class, as we don't have such a thing where I live

And you would have had it in a paper cover if I hadn't bought 100 DVD cases two years ago before I realised I was never going to use them all

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 14-Jun-2005 6:14 AM
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And in the meantime, any more screenshot requests?

DE

Author: Boomstick
Time: 14-Jun-2005 7:14 AM
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Darth Editous, did you manage to send mine out yet? I'm only asking cuz I'm expecting other DVDs from elsewhere and am thinking I have a shifty postman.

Author: Davidian
Time: 14-Jun-2005 8:01 AM
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Heya Darth, no screenshots for me. I did have just one quick question. You said you were gonna clean up the top hatch Lando scene on Empire. What would you do with the GI Lando shot? Is that salvagable at all or will you just have to cull that 'un?

"Give us all your money and a tank of gas. We're taking this bird to Cuba" ~Stimpy

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 14-Jun-2005 8:57 AM
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Darth Editous, did you manage to send mine out yet? I'm only asking cuz I'm expecting other DVDs from elsewhere and am thinking I have a shifty postman.

Fraid not. I've still got your details but I haven't cleared the original list yet.

What would you do with the GI Lando shot? Is that salvagable at all or will you just have to cull that 'un?

I'm not sure if you still mean the hatch shot when you say GI Lando. I was thinking of taking out the second hatch again and cutting it a bit tighter, so you see the one hatch open slightly, then the top shot with the hatch already slightly open, which seems a nicer way of fixing the shot, although it might not quite explain the bright light seen around Lando when he comes out.

DE

Author: Hal 9000
Time: 14-Jun-2005 4:47 PM
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I will be sending a copy of Darth Editous's version to the following three people in the near future after I burn them and take care of a few other things that need to get done first:

Infodroid
Starpc
agr1170

Sorry for the other two who PMed me after. The reason I picked the number three is b/c that's how many special envelopes I have left over. But you can contact these three, and I'm sure they will be gracious enough to mail you a copy too.

My stance on revising fan edits.

Author: Hardcore Legend
Time: 14-Jun-2005 5:24 PM
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Mine hasn't arrived yet, and I was going to request some screencaps, but I thought about it and want to be delightfully suprised.

The Jedi are all but extinct.......

Author: InfoDroid
Time: 14-Jun-2005 6:40 PM
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People in the U.S. - As soon as I receive my copy from HAL9000, I'll be happy to burn it and send more out to whoever needs it.

Thanks again, Hal! And BIG thanks especially to Darth Editous for making what looks like a friggin' awesome edit! That Obi-Wan screenshot (with his face in the hood during the duel) sells it for me. Incredible! I just can't wait to see it.

If only George Lucas' team (which is getting paid a hell of a lot of money) could've taken the time and care with the DVD that you have put into it...

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 14-Jun-2005 8:28 PM
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That Obi-Wan screenshot (with his face in the hood during the duel) sells it for me.

Whew. I was a little worried about that one at first. It's a pretty brief shot though - one of those things you probably wouldn't even notice without being told.

By the way, the quality of the screenshots on page 1 shouldn't be taken as an indication of the quality of the DVD. With no extras and no menus, I was able to keep the bitrate pretty high, probably around 80% of the original.

DE

Author: InfoDroid
Time: 15-Jun-2005 7:31 PM
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So, you're saying the quality of the DVD is better? or not as good as the screenshots? Because the screenshots look pretty good to me.

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 15-Jun-2005 8:24 PM
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The DVD is better [than the screenhots]. I was pretty heavy on the JPEG for the screenshots.

DE

Author: Hardcore Legend
Time: 15-Jun-2005 11:12 PM
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The quality on any fan edit will always be less than the DVDs. Think of the DVD as first generation. You have to take it onto your computer to edit. That's the second generation. Then, you recompress it and put it back onto a DVD, third generation. You loose data each time. It's unavoidable.

The Jedi are all but extinct.......

Author: MeBeJedi
Time: 15-Jun-2005 11:21 PM
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And the DVD is not a very good 1st generation, since MPEG was never intended as an editable format - simply a delivery format.

MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.

MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.

JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.

Author: ADigitalMan
Time: 16-Jun-2005 12:28 AM
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Actually, the GOP editors preserve the original MPEG encoding as long as you don't manipulate the image beyond cutting it. If you apply any changes to a frame or a group of frames, then only those frames gets reconverted, but the untouched segments still retain their original quality. It's the biggest reason I went that route. The actual original data doesn't get mucked around with. If the software could do the same treatment to the AC3 files (when you're fading or crossfading, because straight cuts in audio also result in no recompression) then it would be that much better. I'd love to do an analysis of just how much audio degradation happens when we demux to wav, edit, then recompress to AC3.

That said, DE's disc just looks so damn good -- even in single layer format -- that any recompression drawbacks are pretty much unnoticable. I assume they're there, but nothing grabbed my attention so much as junk mattes and jump cuts do. What he's done really is the dog's bollocks. I'd love to see a DL version.

I am fluent in over six million forms of procrastination.

Author: TheSessler
Time: 16-Jun-2005 12:35 AM
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I'm not a heavy poster in the Preservation section, but from what I can tell this project seems to be one that took a lot of care and effort to make and one that turned out very well. Great job.

Hopefully when the copies hit the US and start funneling through the usual distributors I can score me a copy.

"I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them during the long winter evenings."

Author: Klingon_Jedi
Time: 16-Jun-2005 3:30 AM
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Originally posted by: Darth Editous

What would you do with the GI Lando shot? Is that salvagable at all or will you just have to cull that 'un?

I was never bothered by the hatch shot myself. I always assumed it was a touch of backtracking when they showed Luke's POV. I've read a lot of books like that, so that's what I always thought. Show the hatch opening above Lando, then switch perspective and show the hatch opening to reveal Lando. No biggie. I kind of liked it.

Made for IE Forum's Episode III theme month - May 2005.

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 17-Jun-2005 8:10 AM
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Distribution update: four more copies going out today, including one to the antipodes. One more to go out next week, but I'm going to take a break from distributing after that - so if I haven't confirmed to you that I'm sending you a copy, you might need to try getting it from somewhere else.

Please don't feel slighted but this though - I just have to stop at some point before I use up all the padded envelopes and run up too big a bill for postage! There should be enough copies now to start the avalanche.

And please remember, if I haven't replied to a PM it's not because I'm deliberately ignoring you, but because I'm always going over my 25 PM limit. But I appreciate your interest!

DE

Author: Darth Editous
Time: 17-Jun-2005 8:13 AM
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I was never bothered by the hatch shot myself. I always assumed it was a touch of backtracking when they showed Luke's POV. I've read a lot of books like that, so that's what I always thought.

There's also a bigger case of that right at the start. We see the probe crash, and the droid float away, then we see the probe crashing from Luke's POV. I thought about editing it all together, but it's definitely a creative decision that shouldn't be messed with. The hatch seems more like it's done for shot length than anything else, so it might be fair game.

DE

Author: yanksno1
Time: 17-Jun-2005 12:28 PM
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Originally posted by: Darth Editous
Distribution update: four more copies going out today, including one to the antipodes. One more to go out next week, but I'm going to take a break from distributing after that - so if I haven't confirmed to you that I'm sending you a copy, you might need to try getting it from somewhere else.

Please don't feel slighted but this though - I just have to stop at some point before I use up all the padded envelopes and run up too big a bill for postage! There should be enough copies now to start the avalanche.

And please remember, if I haven't replied to a PM it's not because I'm deliberately ignoring you, but because I'm always going over my 25 PM limit. But I appreciate your interest!

DE

I can also imagine shipping it from the oversea's to the U.S. is somewhat expensive also. Thanks for the hard work, I hope to get a copy once it becomes more available here in the U.S. I'm really looking forward to getting it and anyone who can help me out in getting a copy I'd appreciate it. Please PM me or email me at my s/n @ gmail.com. I'm really looking forward to watching this as well as the Classic Edition. Thanks.

Now if someone would do these to Empire and Jedi, I think we'd all be pretty happy wouldn't we?