Exactly! If your selling point is the gender of the character than you’re story must be pretty shallow.
I don’t think they’re selling anything at this point. Likely just trying to make it clear that their television protagonists won’t be exclusively male, which has been the case thus far.
Personally I found it obvious that saving Rey would make him die, and the kiss didn’t change my mind (though it is possible they were aiming for a “will he?” sort of suspense there). At least when it comes to my edit I’d like to have two versions, depending on which the viewer wants - one where he dies and we see him later as a ghost, and another where we don’t see what happens to him after the kiss, and the suspense remains until he shows up at the homestead, alive. I think merely cutting his death and never showing him again would just make it seem like something was obviously missing.
I think the crawls tend to be in the low 80s actually so yours is definitely on the wordy side.
It’s a severe misunderstanding of his character. Just because he’s the butt of jokes doesn’t mean he is a joke. But like I said there really isn’t anything to be done about it.
Unfortunately I’m not really sure what can be done with that to improve it.
Truth be told I’m not sold on the chess scene move, only because I think the first third of the movie moves fast enough as is and that’s a nice ‘slowing things down’ moment. If not for that I think it’s a wonderful change.
I don’t really like changing the title of my edits, so probably not. If I were to remove the “Rey Skywalker” line, I might consider it though (in a way using DOTF wouldn’t be too off since it is sort of an official title in a couple ways).
Personally I’d love to add Ben Solo as a ghost, but I don’t really have the know-how to do it, and I’ve yet to see anyone else do a polished version of it to the extent that I’d include it.
As much as I wished they had gone the Finn/Poe romance route, I don’t think there’s a way to make it work. The celebration edit is a cute idea but there wouldn’t be any set up for it.
I’m not sure about the old lady interaction on a few different levels. It’s something that’ll have to be played around with.
Now that I think of it it would be nice if we could figure out some solution(s) to Mustafar. I do have a couple ideas in mind.
I’ve seen some other people post tests were they added more establishing shots culled from other sources. I think that’s probably your best bet. There is a canon reason why Mustafar looks the way it does in this movie but for someone only tuned into the films it’s a bit confusing.
Basically I think there’s the ‘lean it to not looking like Mustafar’ approach, and the ‘try to make it obviously Mustafar’ approach.
For the first, I’ve found a decent shot that matches what we see, although it’d be great to add a couple TIE fighters and/or some distant laser blasts.
For the second, there’s a shot from Rogue One that’d work, but you’d have to swap out Krennic’s shuttle with some TIEs, then I think it’d also be helpful to try to make the footage of Kylo seem more like Mustafar as well.
Either way involves VFX unfortunately.
Now that I think of it it would be nice if we could figure out some solution(s) to Mustafar. I do have a couple ideas in mind.
Both kisses remain.
@Dominic
Have you considered maybe using some pieces of the Kylo/Vader fan film? Like for eg. You mention in the opening crawl that Kylo Ren is trying to find this Fleet. So it could be some kind of His vision After touching Vaders helmet in which at the end he hears Vaders voice saying Mustafar or something. Then he knows where to go next. It could make His journey longer.Are you planning to use some different ideas/pieces from other threads like for eg purple lightsaber or shots of Coruscant etc??
BTW, i cant wait to See your work 💪🏽 i m So hyped 😉
I don’t think there’s really a natural place to use that footage with the way I have the film cut right now.
The purple lightsaber I’m considering. Not entirely sold. If someone could do it in this specific shade of purple I might use it though.
Coruscant for the celebration I’d love to use but I haven’t seen anyone do it yet. I’m also curious about the conference room scene taking place in Coruscant’s orbit but again I don’t think anyone’s done it yet.
As for other things, I’m keeping tabs. I’m not a big fan of the visual Force ghosts but I kind of like the idea of seeing flashes of them in the wide shots only. I do kinda like the idea of Ajan Kloss being Naboo, and I go back and forth about the tank of Palpatine clones.
What with all these people doing VFX shots, I should probably go back and see if I had any crazy ideas I wanted that might be accomplished that way.
But maybe it isn’t the wrong direction. If Rey’s journey is about her being afraid of herself and her powers, then I think the logical resolution to the story is for her to accept herself and her powers.
Maybe this isn’t the right direction to go in, but I think it is worth thinking about at least.
All I know is it definitely seems wrong to me to have the climax of the whole saga being a Jedi using Force lighting to melt someone’s face off.
I get what you mean about wanting the moment to do something, anything for the character, I just don’t know if going in the wrong direction is better than no direction at all.
I do think if you’re gonna do it you have to go full hog though, the yellow lightning, and I think putting that Leia line in prime placement really drives the point home in a way it wouldn’t if it was one of many lines.
You know, I actually think using her lightning would actually be a good resolution to the story.
I mean, throughout the movie she is absolutely afraid of her inner dark side. So much so that she tries to exile herself to Ahch-To. She isn’t afraid of Palpatine, she’s afraid of herself and what she is capable of. I actually could see it being satisfying to realize she doesn’t have to afraid of herself if she acknowledges the dark side within her.
If you think about it, that has always been the flaw of the Jedi. They’ve taught their students that their emotions are dangerous, and their dark side is something to be feared. Ben Solo thinks that because the dark side is in his nature, that he is a monster and can’t go back to his mother.
The Sith, on the other hand, totally let their negative emotions control them. They’re consumed with hate, greed, and selfishness. They’ve let their Shadow-self take over.
But a balanced person has to find a healthy relationship with their emotions, between their self and their shadow-self. Someone who bottles up their emotions, like the Jedi did, are much more likely to let their shadow-self consume them, like Anakin or Ben, because they didn’t cultivate a healthy relationship with their repressed shadow. So this has given the Jedi the mistaken idea that the dark side will corrupt instantaneously.
Someone described integrating your shadow as “having weapons and the ability to use them, but being determined to keep them sheathed”. Being totally harmless isn’t a balanced way to live. Instead, it is having the ability to defend yourself when necessary, and choosing not to harm others even when you have the power to do so.
I’m actually beginning to think not having Rey actively destroy Palpatine is actually the wrong path. Rey, Luke, and other Jedi killed plenty of people in self defense. Why is it suddenly bad for Rey to kill literally the embodiment of evil?
And I think that would make Rey’s yellow lightsaber work well. Rey has the power to protect others, but she has control of it (represented by it being contained by the hilt).
And just as the conscious mind can put the questions, “Why is there this frightful conflict between good and evil?,” so the unconscious can reply, “Look closer! Each needs the other. The best, just because it is the best, holds the seed of evil, and there is nothing so bad but good can come of it. (Jung 133).”
It’s an interesting idea to ponder but I feel like it’s too radical a change to the mythos for an edit to attempt. Knowledge and defense, never attack, etc. The problem is not that Rey kills the most evil guy, it’s that the final climatic moment of the saga is a Jedi killing someone. It felt much more fitting when Luke threw his saber in ROTJ and Vader sacrificed himself for him. Especially coming off TLJ where Luke saves the day without hurting a fly, and they spell out that the message is ‘save with love, not fight with hate.’
Anyway, if you’re serious about this idea it’d probably help if you have Leia repeat “never be afraid of who you are” right as Rey strikes the fatal blow.
Well, people already feel like Rey basically killed Palpatine, not that Palpatine killed himself while Rey is defending herself. Rey is clearly pushing the lightning back in his face.
And maybe “integrating the shadow” can be interpreted as “your dark side doesn’t define you”. You have to learn how to control it, not let it control you.
EDIT: just spitballing btw
I get it but in this scenario she’s basically beating the bad guy by using the dark side.
Well my mind does think of Hal (and others’) had about Rey’s lightning being yellow to help differentiate her use of it from Palpatine. And how the lightning she’s deflecting back at Palpatine could turn yellow, showing that she can embrace her anger without letting it control her. Basically, accepting her shadow-self without being afraid of it. And then that can help tie her yellow lightsaber to her newfound self-awareness.
But that kind of just doubles down on “Rey actively kills Palpatine” doesn’t it? I like the idea of Rey accepting her emotions but I don’t really like the idea of Rey being a good guy who is cool enough to use dark side powers too.
What if Yoda says “fear is a natural part of life.” Easily accomplished, ties into Luke’s pep talk with Rey, and shows some growth for the character.
Of course as you mention the real issue is Rey’s defeat of Palpatine and there’s really nothing to be done with that.
I the haziness is good but I think for the streak it’s more about the artistic flourish than the realistic look. I think it’s definitely better now.
On a quick watch, I think Option A is overall more seamless but the B Falcon seems to have a bit of a better shape to it, and a smoother path. But the lighting on the Falcon and the engine glow looks better in A, and I like how it gets further away from the screen faster.
Regarding the fatness (or lack thereof) in A, the distortion is good, visually it fits very well. I just think the Falcon itself seems a little thin, but maybe not. I suppose the Falcon’s shape changes throughout the films and I don’t know exactly what’s accurate.
Heroes leave Pasaana
Falcon is towed to the Destroyer. Leads into Palpatine and Kylo’s conversation about what kind of game he’s playing and he better watch out, buster.
Heroes regroup on the ship and decide fuck Threepio. They land on Kijimi and meet Frick and decide to do the surgery.
Hux sarcastically asks if Kylo wants them to destroy the city and gets a stern pointing to.
3PO and heroes continue on, Rey senses Chewie is alive, and 3PO wakes back up.
Blast doors open to reveal Chewie. Hux comments, Pryde sends Chewie off.
Kylo heads down to the planet. Things play out from there.
Except that after the heroes leave the Destroyer and Rey has a conversation with Finn about wanting to destroy Palpatine, we go directly to their arrival on Endor/Craft Beer.
Oooh, I like that.
By moving that Palpatine-Kylo leash-tug scene to before Kijimi, this means that when Kylo takes his helmet off for Rey in the hanger, he never wears it again. Gives a bit more visual continuity, and I think maybe a bit more agency for Kylo as a character by more quickly abandoning Palpatine, instead of being jerked back right after (but maybe I’m reading into this).
Yes I agree. Sort of why I liked that as the solution. I don’t really like Kylo appearing as a lackey again and I think putting that kind of scene after he’s already revealed his plans weakens his agency. Whereas before it’s him kinda being like “yeah yeah okay whatever gramps” then he takes off his helmet and reveals his plans. And then the next time we see Palps he’s promoting Pryde in Kylo’s place.
Looks great. I think it’d be nice to have the hyperspace streak be a little more prominent. I also wonder if the Falcon should be a bit fatter? But maybe not.
Where do you have that Chewie scene placed exactly? At the moment it’s not in my cut at all.
The dialogue change I made is in the phone call scene. Kylo says “I know where she’s going” which isn’t true at that point.
Hmm, wonder how easy it’d be to cut out the “First Order captain’s medallion.”
Checking the film again, technically seems like it should be pretty easy to do. What you lose is Zorii’s sacrifice, and an explanation for why they’re able to get on the destroyer. Arguably though, losing that Zorii moment makes her showing up at the end a bigger surprise, and as has been said the medallion don’t really makes sense as an explanation anyway (and potentially just adds attention to that fact).
Hmm, wonder how easy it’d be to cut out the “First Order captain’s medallion.”
I really like RogueLeader’s solution, “chasing whispers” so that it could be rumors or voices in his head. Could then easily slot in one of poppa’s “find me” I think.
My point still stands. I don’t think it’s heavy lifting anything since like I said it was established in TLJ. I don’t think it’s exclusively good because he’s trying to destroy the Resistance. And I think it’s important to end the crawl with because it establishes the stakes (if the cycle of war is ending, who will be the ones on top?). For those reasons it will be part of my crawl.
Regardless, I appreciate you taking the time to think through stuff like this deeply.
I don’t know what to say except I disagree. If he’s trying to end the cycle of war with the First Order victorious, I don’t see how that’s revealing anything, especially when that’s essentially his stated goal coming off the last movie. It’s just stakes setting and clarifying his motivations, which are otherwise far too obfuscated.
That’s not to say I’m married to the phrase, but any change would need to accomplish the same thing in my mind. Something about bringing a new order to the galaxy or something could work. But anything that casts him as purely megalomaniacal doesn’t do the film or the character any favors.