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Thought on de-SE'ing the DVD — Page 12

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Were you able to record the AC3 soundtrack as AC3 in that manner, or was it converted to PCM in the process?

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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I think I posted a few pages back, that Adobe After Effects has the ability to do soft wipes, and be able to choose how much to feather them.

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
Were you able to record the AC3 soundtrack as AC3 in that manner, or was it converted to PCM in the process?


Happily I can record the AC3 stream. I had to buy a separate AC3 decoder off Ebay, originally expecting that I'd be recording six separate analogue channels - but then I found I could convert the RF digital output of my LD player to SPDIF, and use my SPDIF USB box to pass bits straight through to the recording program. I remember making the first recording, then playing it back out through the box and watching my amp display "Dolby Digital 3/2"! Although my laptop has a SPDIF-out of it's own, I couldn't just play it out through that because of all the conversion and addition of other audio sources that ruin the stream.

What you end up with is an audio recording which looks like short bursts of white noise followed by longer runs of silence. If the recording was good, I was able to use a bit of PowerBasic (these days I use C) to put all the AC3 packets together, resulting in an AC3 file that I could decode.

David
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Wow, excellent job! My player doesn't have AC3 out, so I've never been able to try this (my audio card has optical/digital in/outs.) Nice to know it's possible.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Darth Editous ... that sounds amazingly cool, and quite obsessive.


I would, of course, prefer you use OT stuff rather than SE stuff, but that's just me. =)

Funny that most of what I do is putting mistakes back IN!

Speaking of which ...

>>24. I've painted out the guy in a green shirt behind Han, in the first shot of Han in the cockpit after they take off.


Guy in a green shirt is almost certainly Alec Guinness. I used him as Obi-Wan in my edit. =)



Anyway, excellent work ... keep up the craziness.



By the way, that Wookiee Groomer ANH splitscreen disc is great!
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Have a great Easter weekend, folks. I'll be off the boards for a few days, hiding eggs and watching The Passion. Whoever put those two concepts together?


Sounds good to me! The Passion and Resurection is what Easter's all about, after all.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Episode II: Shroud of the Dark Side

Emperor Jar-Jar
“Back when we made Star Wars, we just couldn’t make Palpatine as evil as we intended. Now, thanks to the miracles of technology, it is finally possible. Finally, I’ve created the movies that I originally imagined.” -George Lucas on the 2007 Extra Extra Special HD-DVD Edition

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I watched through my "beta" edit this weekend, and found a few more things to fix!

    There's a jump cut as the droids cross a corridor in the bloackade runner, when a Stormtrooper shoots the wall near their exit (all the Stormtroopers jump to new positions). The first time around I considered it too difficult to fix, but I've managed it without having to cut any frames or reorder anything.

    When the Jawa puts the restraining bolt on R2, one shot showed it too high up on R2's panels.

    I redid the removal of C3PO's wire as he stands in line in front of Owen.

    I redid the replacement of Owen's lines, "What are you trying to push on us/Yeah?/What about that one? We'll take that blue one." Using SE sound didn't quite work because the SE clip has too much ambient noise. Instead I used a graphic equalizer to make the DVD lines match the rest of the dialogue.

    Removed some remnants of the "There's no-one here!" line in the left and right channels as the Stormtroopers exit the Falcon.

    Just before the trash compactor walls start moving, there's a cut from Luke to Leia. On that cut, the ambient noise almost completely disappears. I've put it back in until the sound of the walls drowns it out.

    After Luke says "What good will it do us if he gets himself killed?", he and Leia run off down the corridor. Listen closely and it sounds like Luke spits! Ptooee! I've cut that sound.

    When Luke first spots Ben and Vader duelling, the next shot of Ben and Vader shows them both with uncoloured sabres, and Ben with his sabre raised (as he does before he gets struck down). I've painted in Vader's sabre and moved Ben's sabre to match what we see in the next shot.

    Just before the last shot circle wipes to the credits, Leia's hands move up and then almost immediately freeze along with the rest of the picture. I've kept them still through the wipe.


There's still a slightly dodgy edit in the soundtrack at about 2 minutes into the credits, but I'm not sure I can do much about it and it's barely noticeable.

If you think you've spotted something I've missed, please let me know!

David
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All of those recent additions sound GREAT, David! I think you posting about your project on here has kept you on task. Now you've got tons of fans waiting with baited breath about your next modifications!
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If you think you've spotted something I've missed, please let me know!


I don't know if this is too difficult to fix, but in some scenes in the Death Star battle, the comlink is on the wrong side of the pilot helmets.

Great work, by the way!
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Originally posted by: Mr Freeman
If you think you've spotted something I've missed, please let me know!


I don't know if this is too difficult to fix, but in some scenes in the Death Star battle, the comlink is on the wrong side of the pilot helmets.

Great work, by the way!


Thanks!

Unfortunately I can't fix the comlink goofs. The only practical way to do it without ILM to help me would be to unflop every flopped shot. This would break the continuity of travel (an X-Wing shot from the left should have the close-up of its pilot shot from the left) which would make for a very confusing viewing experience. We'll just have to assume they have two Captain Scarlet style comlinks that flip down when needed

David
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David, I don't know if you were aware, but some of the edits you have made (motion blur on the TIE attack, fixing lightsabres, jumpcuts, etc.) mirror those detailed by Mike Verta on his site. However, whereas he is attempting to restore the original version, you're sort of making your own Special Edition. (Which is cool, a DVD-quality SE version with Han shooting first and Jabba removed definitely gets my approval. Although I'm dubious about a green R2 unit suddenly appearing in the jawa's droid lineup!)

Anyway, just thought that site might be a useful reference for some of the defects present on the DVD, there may be something there that you've missed.

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Although I'm dubious about a green R2 unit suddenly appearing in the jawa's droid lineup!)

I did consider replacing the shot with a repeat of some other shot of R2 in the line-up, but I decided on the green paint as the most minimal change that would correct the goof.

Anyway, just thought that site might be a useful reference for some of the defects present on the DVD, there may be something there that you've missed.


I certainly missed the fact that (apparently) the receding Star Wars logo goes quicker on the English language bit of the DVD than on all other languages! I've added it to my list. I'm sure as hell not going to recolour the whole movie like that guy, though!

David
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Editous, my PM doesn't work for some reason so would you mind e-mailing me so I can send you a DVD and get a copy of this great project? the address is mattfitch at hotmail.com. Thanks.

In fact, does anybody have any idea why I can't PM or post pictures? I can't access the help either and I've e-mailed the site but no reply. It's really limiting my enjoyment of OT.com so any help would be great.

War does not make one great.

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Yoda Is Your Father, you might want to edit your e-mail address (use "at" instead of @, or something), before an e-mail-bot gets it.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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David -

Per your request, I've looked at the list of 68 changes you've made and I feel strongly that you and I approach this sort of thing from nearly polar opposite ideals. You removed a shot of Vader because he appears 'pantomimish?' You've removed 3PO's blink under the assumption it was a mistake? You did a Mark Hamill impression and added a line of dialogue? I appreciate your kind words regarding the Legacy project, but I have to tell you, your list of 68 changes, by and large, gives me the creeps.

But, I'll bet yours will be torrent-able, so that pretty much settles that, doesn't it?

_Mike

View the Restoration and join the discussion at StarWarsLegacy.com!

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"your list of 68 changes, by and large, gives me the creeps."

For what it's worth - and I don't want to come across as knocking your efforts - but as interested as I am in the technical challenges of making these changes, I don't think this is a version I would want to sit down and "watch" - except simply to see the changes themselves. Other than that, I would probably find all these changes distracting or jolting.

Nonetheless, it sounds like an interesting project.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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(mverta) You removed a shot of Vader because he appears 'pantomimish?'

It's just as the shot cuts from behind Leia ("Only you could be so bold"). Vader comes to a stop, puts his fists on his hips and sticks out one knee, and to me it makes him look, well, less than macho

(mverta) You've removed 3PO's blink under the assumption it was a mistake?

It seems a reasonable assumption, as to the best of my knowledge, he never "blinks" at any other time.

(mverta) You did a Mark Hamill impression and added a line of dialogue?


I'm sure you won't be the only person to find it highly objectionable, and I can totally see your point, but every time I see that scene I wonder why there's no response from Luke.

(MeBeJedi) For what it's worth - and I don't want to come across as knocking your efforts... I would probably find all these changes distracting or jolting.


MBJ, you quoted Mike (mverta), but were you addressing me or him? I wasn't sure...

David
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I quoted mverta, because I kinda echoed his feelings.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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If you really want to fix a Vader pantomime, look at the discussion between Tarkin and Vader about Leia's lie. He is flailing his arms around like he's trying to sign the whole thing to Tarkin. Vader stops talking at one point and then points at Tarkin, which should have lined up with him stopping. It's always been that way. But if I was in the room when they were doing all the other changes Lucas was doing to the films (not the stupid ones), I would have told him to fix this. It was a dubbing mistake and should have been corrected in 1977.
The Jedi are all but extinct.......
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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
I quoted mverta, because I kinda echoed his feelings.

Ah, okay, that makes sense Still, I'd hope that not all my changes would be traumatic. I've tried a few on friends (like the back projection replacement of Alderaan, or the dish added to the Falcon) and the general response was "Huh? What's different?"

Originall posted by: Hardcore Legend
If you really want to fix a Vader pantomime, look at the discussion between Tarkin and Vader about Leia's lie. He is flailing his arms around like he's trying to sign the whole thing to Tarkin.


That should have been listed between items 29 and 30 on my list (I think I mentioned it in a subsequent post).

I reversed and slowed down Vader to cover up his gestures.

David
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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
Yoda Is Your Father, you might want to edit your e-mail address (use "at" instead of @, or something), before an e-mail-bot gets it.

Thanks for the heads up.

I think you guys are being too hard on Editous. I mean, I see your point, and I definitely think that Mverta'a restoration will be the ultimate OT experience, but what Editous is trying to make is a non-crap special edition. He's doing what Lucas and co should have done for the DVD (and in '97) but didn't. He's making a watchable special edition, unlike the unwatchable official versions. Both Editous and Mverta's projects have their merits, and as Mverta pointed out, they are polar opposites.

However, I do agree that the 3po blink should be left unchanged becasue I always saw that as a sign of his weariness and tiredness (if a droid gets tired) and maybe he is malfunctioning slightly due to his ordeal, and I also am not too keen on the green R2 unit. If you must have a green R2, maybe try dulling down the green a bit - it's way too bright.

War does not make one great.

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Just to offer my point of view on David's changes.

I've never even seen the Lucas Special Editions, let alone the DVD versions. I never wanted to, because I just knew I wouldn't like them.

The Darth Editous version is one I would like to see, because it sounds like all the Lucas stuff I would find objectionable has been removed. For the "wow" factor as well, everything is in Lowry-cleaned-up DVD quality, there are new CGI effects (remember I've never seen the SE) and the soundtrack is in Dolby Digital 5.1 (I assume?).

For personal nostalgic viewing I would still chose my own Laserdisc copy, but for demo purposes or for watching with others, I imagine I'd chose this version.

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Oh yes, and regarding the green R2 unit, there is another shot of R2-D2 earlier in the scene where the red unit is still in the background, only not as obvious. Unfortunately Luke and C3P0 walk in front of the camera, but if you could take the section of the clear shot and extend it to the same length as the original segment you want to replace (it's only about ~ 30 frames long) I think that would be a better option.

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Originally posted by: Yoda Is Your Father
If you must have a green R2, maybe try dulling down the green a bit - it's way too bright.

I think you're right. I'll go back to the drawing board on that one. I changed it to a pure green hue, but shifting over towards yellow and desaturating a bit gives a nicer result (still to be tweaked):

http://img14.imgspot.com/u/05/89/05/newgreen.jpg

Originally posted by: Moth3r
The Darth Editous version is one I would like to see, because it sounds like all the Lucas stuff I would find objectionable has been removed. For the "wow" factor as well, everything is in Lowry-cleaned-up DVD quality, there are new CGI effects (remember I've never seen the SE) and the soundtrack is in Dolby Digital 5.1 (I assume?).


PM me your address and I'll put you on the list. I'm sure you'll have an interesting take on it, as it will all be new to you.

David