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ADigitalMan

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Join date
26-Sep-2004
Last activity
14-Jun-2025
Posts
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Post
#74472
Topic
Letter to LFL about DVD Defects (No OT vs SE discussion)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/74472/action/topic#74472
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: INv8r_ZIM
That's very nicely crafted. I'm going to add one more comment to it about the music mix during the battle of Yavin sequence (particularly the horn fanfare being dialed WAAAY the hell under the effects audio), and send a copy of my own, with the brilliant BBB CC!


Go for it! That change does bother me too, though I chose to leave it out thinking they'd take the "creative decision" copout, but we'll see.

The BBB has already been responsive (beyond the auto-responder acknowledgement, even) so I think that is a solid way to go. They will keep the complaint on file for three years at a minimum, no matter what the outcome is.

Any idea from you all on how to drive other boards' attention to this letter-writing campaign? I'm not a contributor on other boards (yet) and, after 12 years online, I still don't know if it's good nettiquette to post the same thing on numerous boards.
Post
#74434
Topic
Letter to LFL about DVD Defects (No OT vs SE discussion)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/74434/action/topic#74434
Time
Here is a letter I have sent to LFL regarding the mastering defects in the trilogy DVD set. Feel free to customize it to your own tastes and send a letter of your own. Individual mail makes the biggest impact in getting something fixed. Of course, many of you will hate that this letter doesn't address the OT vs SE debate, but that is a different argument for LFL. The point of this letter is simply to get them to acknowledge their mixing/mastering errors and doing something about it.

--
[your return address here]

To:
Lucasfilm, Ltd.
P.O. Box 10228
San Rafael, CA 94912


Dear Lucasfilm:

After many years of waiting for the classic Star Wars Trilogy to arrive on DVD, I was pleased to make this purchase on opening day. I was aware of the narrative changes that had been made in this edition in advance, but was willing to accept them for the great experience of getting the trilogy on DVD in any form. This letter is not designed to discuss the creative decisions in this update of the film. Nor is it to debate the merits of releasing the theatrical versions of the films (non-special edition) to DVD.

My concern is primarily the technical problems present on the Episode IV: A New Hope disc. Upon viewing the disc on its release day, I noticed several problems in both the video and audio. I noted these, and over the past month, I have studied what others are saying in print and online. Many customers agree that there are significant problems with this disc, and that Lucasfilm refuses to acknowledge these problems. Because these problems only exist in the English angles/sound mixes, it is clear that they were NOT intentional.

These problems seem to be limited to the Episode IV disc, and not Episode V or VI. I should point out that I used the on-disc THX setup utility to ensure that my TV and amplifier were properly calibrated for this disc. Some problems were fixed by this setup, but the problems enumerated below remain:

1) The "Star Wars" logo fades into the background much too quickly. As I understand it, this sequence had to be re-created on computer after the digital-capture/cleanup process erased the starfield. Apparently the re-creation was not timed to match either the original film or the rest of the Star Wars saga.

2) Luke's lightsaber shots now show the saber with a green hue. Whereas the saber was always washed-out in previous versions of the film, re-rotoscoping the saber should have certainly provided the same corrected detail to Luke's saber shots as was provided in the updated Kenobi/Vader duel. Instead, now the blade color is completely wrong.

3) The most grievous of errors is in the audio mix, where the right and left rear channels of the musical score were accidentally reversed. For musicians and audiofiles, this can be quite unnerving to listen to, as it creates a wholly unnatural sound balance. Because the music is correct in the French language track, it seems obvious that the channel swap was accidental, and not intentional as Lucasfilm so quickly asserted in its press release on the subject. Because this "change" was not applied consistently to all audio streams, it is shafting either English-speaking people or French-speaking people. To any audiophile, it is clear that an unintentional mixing error is present in the English-language track. This simple mistake in the mixing process can be corrected fairly easy.

4) Audio levels are inconsistent throughout the film, rendering certain dialogue spots almost inaudible. The two biggest offending spots are in Tarkin's dialogue about Alderaan, and in Luke's line "What good is it if he gets himself killed?" Dialogue spikes notably out of the mix in a way that sound accidental, and in a way that never existed on previous sound mixes.

I am concerned that certain quality control measures were not met with this disc's release. Given that this was one of the most sought-after films on DVD, errors such as this should have never made it into production. That said, mistakes do happen, and it is incumbent upon the manufacturer to admit mistakes and to rectify them promptly. I do not expect to be forced to buy a later version of the release to correct manufacturing defects in this version. These errors should be addressed now.

Lucasfilm should make available a corrected version of the Episode IV disc to all who request it, and publicly announce the program to raise consumer awareness. Lucasfilm engaged in a similar program a decade ago due to mastering errors in The Empire Strikes Back laserdisc. Furthermore, DVD releases from other companies such Universal's Back to the Future trilogy have been replaced for far less offensive trespasses. Lucasfilm's refusal to acknowledge these problems is increasing the ire of its fanbase and of digital media reviewers around the globe. In the interest of maintaining good public relations, not to mention simply doing the right thing by your customers, it is imperative that you release corrected replacement discs for Episode IV and make them available through a mail-in exchange program.

Respectfully,
[your signature here]

Cc: The Better Business Bureau serving the Bay Area (info@goldengate.bbb.org)
Fox Home Video disc exchange program (foxdrop@4icc.com)



Post
#74407
Topic
EpIII Teaser Poster
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/74407/action/topic#74407
Time
Whoever the designer was, they were so enthralled by the concept that they didn't bother to see if anybody else "got it" without having it explained. The poster looks to me like Lord Dark Helmet with a black veil over his entire head, and then a small shot of Anakin peeking around him a la "where's waldo." The only thing really interesting to me is the giant scar on Anakin's eye. I haven't seen that in any of the footage so far.
Post
#74343
Topic
Original Trilogy set I made from Laser Disc to DVD (using the Faces LDs) (Released)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/74343/action/topic#74343
Time
Originally posted by: MeBeJedi


(snip) people can see that my project isn't vaporware.


MeBeJedi, you take your time and whenever we get to see your work, we get to see it (I'm REALLY looking forward to it). You've been through a lot recently and this bunch of SW geeks (I include myself in that label) should count its blessings that a fellow geek like you hasn't disappeared altogether. I'm glad this project and this board have been a good refuge for you in recent weeks.

Hopefully your son is recovering well.
Post
#74330
Topic
MagnoliaFan Edits: Ep I "Balance Of The Force", and Ep II "The Clone War" (Released)
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/74330/action/topic#74330
Time
Thanks for the kind words, Rik. Again, I wish to reiterate that this is not a wholesale change from MF's brilliant work. It's merely an option in the subtitle dialogue. Changes are mostly subtle (I'm no video editor, but I was once a good print editor), with a few additional plot points such as Gunray not realizing that Padme was the queen (why would he, I always wondered).

Most importantly, MF's subtitles are still preserved on the disc, giving the viewer the option of which stream to view. No menu has been created (I haven't figured out how to do menus despite serious efforts) but since it's only one movie, the subtitle button does the trick nicely. If anybody here is good with menus, I could certainly use a hand.

Post
#73453
Topic
Song In Jabba's Palace
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/73453/action/topic#73453
Time
Get ready for more GL musical hilarity in Ep III. I read (on the official site was it?) recently in an interview with GL that he realized we haven't had a stunning song and dance number in the prequels yet, so look for that in Episode III.

That ought to fit in REALLY nice with the republic being overrun by a tyrant, and our hero being burned alive in a volcano, only emerging alive and converted into the most purely evil being in the galaxy. Oh, and being torn from his secret wife and newborn children too. Damn, we really need some singing and dancing in that story.

I think the dark side is growing in that goiter of his.

Here's the link:
http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/artofrev/2004/10/artofrev20041018.html

And here's the relevant text:
With the prequel trilogy lacking in elaborate musical numbers, Aaron McBride and the rest of the Art Department were given the task to create visuals for a new spectacular in Episode III.
Post
#72703
Topic
Info Wanted: What other LDs are you all transferring?
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/72703/action/topic#72703
Time

I thought it would be interesting if some of you masters of mastering were working on LD captures other than just The Holy Trilogy. For example, TPM, whose LD represents (to the best of my knowledge, based on Rikters SW Stuff page) the theatrical version, as opposed to the official DVD release.

Or, are any of you guys working on LD releases for other stuff totally un-SW related? There are a host of great movies (and concert vids) that were released on LD that have never seen a DVD release and are currently out of print on all formats.

Just curious, and I didn’t want to pull one of the other threads off-topic.

Post
#72717
Topic
Anakin's ghost?!?!?!
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/72717/action/topic#72717
Time
Don't you guys get it? The 1983 film is incomplete in Lucas' mind. See, even in 1983, he always envisioned Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, but with technology limitations, he couldn't digitally age a two-year-old into a 50-year-old man back then. But with the advance of digital technology, Lucas has now been able to achieve the vision he had 21 years ago, that a full-grown Hayden Christensen would appear onscreen with Alec Guinness and the puppet-version of Yoda. No, really. Putting Sebastian Shaw into that scene the way he did in 1983, well, he knew it was a mistake. After all, Sebastian Shaw played the scarred-up version of Anakin Skywalker, and really now, who'd believe that his ghost would look "just like new" after dying in that condition -- and being burned up in that funeral pyre afterward. No, Lucas knew that this two-year-old Hayden Christensen was the ideal choice for the scene, but thought that people would have problems reconciling the age issue. So he put story and plot first, and special effects second, knowing that in about 20 years he'd be able to finally realize his true, completed vision.
Post
#72576
Topic
Attack of the Clones soundtrack
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/72576/action/topic#72576
Time
I have the Ultimate Edition soundtrack for Episode I and was hoping they'd release that for Episode II. There was some great stuff in there. The Clonetrooper theme is beautifully bombastic, and it only gets a snippet, and added in out-of-place at the end of the Bounty Hunter's Pursuit.

I just finished rearranging this soundtrack to make it more chronological, got the fanfare as the opening track, and moved that snippet of the Clonetrooper them earlier in the tracklisting as a standalone. It's short, but at least it tells the musical story in the right place.

I noticed there was a LOT of music in "The Arena" track that wasn't in the movie. I'd really love to see the cut that John Williams scored and see how it's different. I don't have any real complaints about the final result musically, but why screw with a Williams soundtrack in the first place?

Maybe MagnoliaFan can restore some of this music in "The Clone War 2.0." You listening MF?
Post
#72548
Topic
Episode III trailer Nov 4 on Access Hollywood
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/72548/action/topic#72548
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: Bossk
The END? Since when have they ever done that? You're gonna have a bunch of pissed off people if you pull that crap. What kind of marketing would that be on the part of Fox? You want to expose your trailer to the greatest number of people and that's before the film starts. Afterwards, you're lucky if 5% of the theater is still there.


Actually, they did that with the Episode I trailer when it ran with Meet Joe Black. They ran it at the beginning, and then again at the end. That movie was three hours of my life I can't get back.
Post
#72066
Topic
Song In Jabba's Palace
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/72066/action/topic#72066
Time
I have such a special place in my heart for Lapti Nek. In High School, our marching band used to have that piece of music which we played in the stands, usually at the end of 3rd quarter as I recall. Having played Lapti Nek for five seasons (I was drafted into HS band when I was in middle school; I didn't flunk a grade) I really loved that song. That cheesy replacement pointlessly broke the dark mood which, I should add, was not broken by Lapti Nek. To be clear: John Williams did not write "Jedi Rocks." And what a stupid-ass title for a song sung in ROTJ in Jabba's palace. Lucas, if you wanted to make a CG sy snootles and add a Yuzzum and other pointless stuff, I don't really care, but why did you screw with the music? Now you can't even get Lapti Nek on the soundtrack. You have to dig up the boxed set on CD.
Post
#71909
Topic
Holiday Special vs. PT
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/71909/action/topic#71909
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: jimbo
Quote
Originally posted by: ADigitalMan
[snip] I think the single best sequence is learning that Chewbacca's dad is into Wookiee porn.


God this movie sounds bad. Still I would be interested in seeing it for the sake its Star Wars and I have never seen it. Still people comparing this ovious disaster with Attack of the Clones should be a sin. Wookie porn you got to be making that up.


Nope. I guess it wasn't wookiee porn, though. He's a wookie into erotic holovisions of humans. I should clarify that point. Any way you look at it, Itchy is a perv. And he even watched his holovision in front of others.

Art Carney is is porn dealer, by the way. Sick. Truly sick.