Well this sounds rather damn fantastic! I don’t know if you discussed this elsewhere on the forums so it’s come out of nowhere for me, but it sounds great. I haven’t seen TROS since it appeared in the cinema - I was waiting for a Rey Nobody cut or the broken lightsaber VFX for Hal’s, but the cuts you describe sound very well thought out, so think it’s about time I give this a shot. Please PM a link!

Yeah, Hal I think we all felt that way before (and during the early seasons of) the Clone Wars. It needed to justify its own existence- and by the early midpoint it had done that. And by the finale it has absolutely created a net value add, with near zero incongruity.

I know you’ve put years of work into your prequel edits but I have to say I agree with Sade- TCW (at its best) is so strong that I’d personally have ROTS bend over to match TCW than the other way around.

Yeah, that’s fair. I’ll certainly account for feedback on ideas like this. I wouldn’t want to break canon where there’s a chance it gets referenced again in other core media - i.e. it damages the franchise’s cohesiveness. But in this case I was considering both sources as fair game since it feels like Malevolence and Trench are both ‘siloed’ plots unlikely to be revisited. But you’re right - there has to be a call made on where things land on the spectrum of quality versus purity. The ‘purer’ alternative would essentially just be a heavily trimmed Malevolence. Which would be fine.

I suppose this comes from an intention to creatively preserve the best elements of otherwise not particularly good episodes - nice if it works, because then you get nice lumps of quality. But potentally messy of course, and as you say, technically non-canon, though I wouldn’t want it to cause an actual canon conflict.

On the other hand, this stuff’s all optional either way. This edit would definitely be way down at the low priority end of things, one that could be toyed with long after the initial Malevolence trim were produced. (I’m just thinking about it now while I focus specifically on Ahsoka.)

I’ve just watched Cat and Mouse and I think using Trench with Malevolence would give us the best of both. The Trench scenes in C&M are either him being quite malicious and capable, or Yularen talking about how much of a threat he is. The stealth ship feels a bit out of place (especially early in the Clone Wars) and while it shows off Anakin’s tactical skill, that isn’t exactly new texture to his character.

I think the best use of these four episodes is basically to frame it as some new Separatist general who’s devastating Republic ships and taking no survivors. It’s believed Plo’s fleet has been hit the same way - we don’t see how (it’s implied to just be a regular battle against overwhelming odds/strategy), we just see Plo trying to save the lives of the clones, as Ahsoka (under Anakin’s wing) breaks the rules on a hunch to save him. After the save, Yularen goes back to his terminal and realises it was Trench. Yularen and Anakin agree immediate aggression is a good idea, at which they track and destroy his ship. I might see if I can do something to imply Trench’s survival so his presence can hang over the series.

This should pay off nicely later too, since ultimately he attacks more clones in the Order 66 arc, and then is killed face to face by Anakin in the Bad Batch arc.

I think the only thing left from those episodes which is any good is seeing Bail working on relief efforts, which doesn’t make an episode in itself. That might be able to work with Ahsoka’s intro episode, or the theoretical ‘return to Christophsis’ episode where we see the defector clone (which just doesn’t belong that early in the series either).

As a reminder, we really should crack through this one as quickly as possible if at all, because it looks like shit.

So, I’ve rewatched the Malevolence arc.

-That’s right bitches, Eddie’s rewatching the Clone Wars yet again and making YOU read about it for a second time!-

This time I’m doing a deep dive into the episodes composing Ahsoka’s arc, since that’s the emotional core of the shwo. So I’m just looking at where the value is and what makes the best complete story. Interestingly, she’s only a main character in 18 arcs of ~60.

While the Malevolence arc ends really poorly, the first episode is really good, especially for Ahsoka. It has light Snips/Sky Guy, which is far less obnoxious, but a good plot about Anakin teaching Ahsoka how do disobey orders the right way, and both of them demonstrate good instincts and a care for those around them.

The second episode retreads a lot of the same ground in terms of Anakin/Ahsoka and Ahsoka/Plo, and frankly very little of importance happens in it - except for some good shots of the ship starting to explode, which could get you a lot of the way towards just cutting right after the first part.

The third, where the ship’s infiltrated, contains a lot of the worst bits of Clone Wars. Cheapened Padmé, cheapened big bads, and goofy C-3PO moments. The infiltration and exfiltration scenes are serviceable, and there’s some good cheering and 'job well done’s at the end to cobble together an ending.

I think the whole arc would be stronger, though, if we don’t see the weapon fire (it’s goofy and not used again), instead allowing it to be a far more ominous mystery, with the escalation/threat really being that they’re targeting escape pods and the emotional impact on the clones and Ahsoka. I’d also take Grievous and Dooku out entirely (since it’s yet another easy win), instead using the opening text to make it either simply a “Separatist Weapon” or maybe something to do with Geonosians.

Ultimately, it’s a pretty damn good Ahsoka episode if the focus is taken off the Malevolence itself. I think there’s a very serviceable 30 minute episode in here, and switching Trench in for the other villains and making his whole thing that he’s pod-killing survivors makes him more malicious too when we see him later in the Order 66 and Bad Batch episodes. Our options for an ending are as follows:

• Something fancy using the stealth ship, where Obi-Wan gives it to Anakin (as in Cat and Mouse) though I think on reflection it’s best not to use it because “no ship that small has a cloaking device” (I know this episode tries to retcon that), and stealth really isn’t much of a thing in Star Wars. There’s a line in the second episode about Anakin “taking a small ship” which would work nicely too.
• Something where Anakin takes the stealth ship and we maintain more of the Malevolence elements where Obi-Wan thinks Anakin is crazy, though it makes us question where Anakin got a stealth ship. Unless it’s not stealth, and maybe there’s an angle where he made it himself? He is an engineer/pilot… I wonder.
• Something to do with the infiltration and re-plotting the hyperdrive to make it crash (a bit boring) though this is probably relatively hard to make work because more characters appear in those scenes, and the infiltration adds little
• Something to do with infiltration and self-destruct or similar (there is an “the engines are overloading” line which is originally used to refer to Padmé’s ship)
• Just have the goodies catch up with it and kill it with regular laser fire. I think this is cleanest since we shouldn’t be wasting time trying to drag this out, and we’ve had our main course with the Anakin/Ahsoka/Plo stuff. Ahsoka helps rescue Plo, scene of them saying “let’s go get them”, shot of them coming out of hyperspace and a brief scuffle, cut to explosions, cut to cheering. Straight to the point.

I couldn’t tell you where, but he definitely says it a few times.

I think that’s more likely Palpatine after becoming Emperor, I think it’s really likely that this show’s setting is going to be the immediate formation of the Empire, starting around roughly day one of the change. Which is really cool, because it’ll be the first major canon deep dive into that time period, before the Dark Times had ‘bedded in’. It looks like an immediate successor to The Clone Wars, with Zygerria etc, so it might follow up on a few of the open threads (and hopefully adapt one or two of the more exciting sounding unmade TCW episodes if they can shift their place in the timeline).

I don’t plan on rolling that into this project for a couple of reasons. Firstly, since it looks like it’ll be a successor but still definitely its own thing. And secondly, because I doubt any Disney era show will ever be nearly as swingy in quality as TCW was. Rebels could do with maybe a little tightening, and Resistance is pretty much throwaway, but I’m pretty sure all the main shows will be absolute bangers from here on in.

Gross!

In that Bad Batch trailer, I spotted Kamino, Zygerria, one of Saw Gererra’s crew, and Tarkin. Any other key TCW elements that’ve been noticed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYIW9MJzrRw

I don’t think so. To be honest, my main focus by a mile is the Quality Cut, and the Mandalorian cut is just a smaller selection of that. The QC is intended to present the best* end-to-end Clone Wars “right now”, but recognising that “right now” is a moving target, it’ll be a living project. For example, the best* Clone Wars today doesn’t include Jar Jar meeting Admiral Ackbar, so that won’t be my editing focus. But if the Obi-Wan show really builds on and reinforces that relationship to the point that showing Jar Jar’s first meeting with Ackbar becomes a net value add, then it deserves to be in the QC.

By comparison, the Mando Cut will really just need creating once and then probably not returned to, since it’s mainly an offering for today’s audience, rather than tomorrow’s.

The QC is core. Mando cut is the trimmed version, and the other two versions are really just about presenting them in the right order for people who’d rather consume more SW.

But like I say, the Quality Cut is really THE project as far as I’m concerned. Once I have its draft chronology worked out (which should be this weekend), it’s on to editing properly. First edit will be our first episode, which whether or not it features Domino Squad will at least give us the cold open which focuses our attention on Mauldalore plus introduces Ahsoka. Once you have both that episode and the chronology which allows Mauldalore to be more of a running thread, you essentially have v1 of TCW:Refocused. It’s launched.

I’m aware that sounds kind of ridiculous - slap one scene at the start of one episode and call it a new TV show - but at that point this becomes a living project for me. I’ll have the chronology, I’ll have the sense of priority (currently about 19 full episode edits to make if I remember right), but the work turns into me taking a handful of episodes from that new chronology, seeing what can be done to trim them in line with our goals, polishing them up, and putting the new episode in place of those it replaces. There are more straightforward ones, there are more complex ones, but then there are the more radical ideas which may come later. I feel like we very quickly get this up to a decent standard, and then it becomes a case of maintenance and constant tinkering over a longer term. The goals will always be (1) best* quality episode, and (2) best* quality holistic show experience.

*In my subjective, limited opinion, etc etc

Hal, the microseries is pretty much compatible with the current canon (aside from Anakin and Obi Wan being notified that the Chancellor’s been captured, as has been pointed out), but I don’t think it belongs in the main ‘Quality Cut’ because it’s so tonally different. By this point in The Clone Wars (and especially the way I think it needs formatting for maximum impact), everything is far darker. It’s known that the war may be fabricated, the force users are aware of a coming tragedy, the Republic’s aesthetic is swinging Imperial, and a lot of dark third parties are circling. There’s some very heavy emotional stuff for a lot of our main characters, which is about to get paid off in the absolutely magnificent finale. As much as the microseries is so much fun, by that point I feel like it’d be a very distracting change of gears - we should feel opressed and tense and concerned by this point, not entertained by that pitch-perfect Tartakovsky comedy timing.

And yeah, Yoda and R2 have a full arc together. They even go to Dagobah! I can see the issue you have with that. But again, it’s one of those things where there’s still a net value add, even though it takes away a little from elsewhere.

Great news! Looking forward to their rerelease!

G&G, I agree regarding Anakin’s visions, but for Anakin it was about saving the one he loved and fear of loss. Ulitmately it was a very emotionally significant scene, which led to major character development. Same for Luke on Dagobah when he sees his friends in pain.

My issue (though it’s a minor issue) with Ahsoka’s is that she’s got a vision of Padmé, and this is literally in the second episode where they both appear, and in neither this nor their first episode together do they demonstrate any particular emotional bond. So it’s not a particularly significant use of visions. And it raises more questions than it answers - if Ahsoka’s sufficiently in tune, why doesn’t she later get visions relating to Anakin’s fall, since their relationship was far more significant to her? But bottom line: The visions serve the plot, but they don’t add emotional value.

Assassin is a strong episode otherwise - it’s got very good Padmé content (and I do want to serve Padmé as well as possible as she’s quite light currently), the Ahsoka/Assaj content is good, it’s set on Alderaan, and it features the early rebel leaders (who also aren’t well served yet).

Random thought: I don’t like Ahsoka’s visions in the Assassin episode, since she never demonstrates that power again. However, it’s got good Padme and Ahsoka content. I wonder if I can do something which merges the non-vision elements of Assassin with Duchess of Mandalore - since the latter’s plot is about Death Watch putting a hit on Satine, but they’re responding to events which Padme was a part of too so could feasibly be putting a hit on her also.

Just seen your edit there. That’s fantastic analysis Sade, thanks for getting into that much detail! It’s interesting that you’ve approached it from the perspective of wanting to isolate live action from CG, I hadn’t considered that. To be honest I was mainly thinking of breaking it around the four days which Delpheas mentioned in her thread. But this is definitely food for thought…

Yeah. It’s definitely a lower priority, since it’d already be presented as a few good options and it wouldn’t need actual content editing, but I’ll certainly see if we can add some breaks in.

Episodes imply time passing, so things like Anakin being raised to the Council then asked to spy on Palpatine would be a little more mysterious and exciting.

I think I’m tending towards generally having all episodes in the 22-50 minute range (so longer arcs may be released as part 1 and part 2), but as before, pacing and enjoyment of the individual stories will be master.

ADR14NAT1ON, yeah, I’ll take a close look at Malevolence. The Ahsoka/Plo stuff is good, and the escape pod killing is great, I just don’t think the rest of the arc is strong, especially the ending, which becomes a bit of a Scooby Doo caper. I think if it has any hope of preservation it needs a different ending which quickly gets Anakin onto the ship without faff - and the stealth ship might achieve that. I think the chances of me pulling that off are low, but I’ll try it.

I’m intending to change the music, but yes, to do it in such a way that the new music gets a good while to sink in and set the tone. Replacing the fortune cookie with Solo text allows for a lot more flexibility.

KoK, agreed on Bounty, I’ve shifted that up into Continuity at least. Order 66 arc I’ll at least work into the Siege of Mandalore intro text for the Mandalorian Cut audience. And Citadel is an important one for me to review, so it’s a priority.

Delpheas, I’m so glad to have your input, and your permission to use FotR. I was always a big fan of the original idea to make RotS match the Clone Wars (since it developed even our core characters so much), and intersplicing it with Siege of Mandalore is the obvious sensible choice for presenting it in a way that lets it really give you a good kick in the guts. I might think about offering an alternative presentation where it’s episodic (suprise suprise), maybe cut around days, if it’s possible to cleanly do so just to make it more digestible. But again, only with your blessing (and crediting you).

That reminds me, I said above that I probably would try to avoid offering A and B versions of episodes, though I think the finale has as many as three: (A) RotS movie then SoM arc, (B) RotS and SoM interlaced as FotR, ('C) B but episodic. I can see valid reasons for someone to want to watch any of these.

Hal, thanks again. I will ultimately allow this to be my own project because I think I’ve got an angle here worth sharing - especially I’d like the live Clone Wars Wednesdays airings to be a more curated list than people are expecting because I’d like to test this theory on people who don’t know what to expect and so have fewer preconceptions. Feedback from the live airing might cause me to backstep a little towards a more conventional level of inclusion. But I also want there to be a hell of a lot of community input along the way. Already people have added huge value by catching things I’d missed, or arguing the case for episodes, or presenting ideas. The project is already better than it would have been if I’d approached it alone.

Darth-gary, yeah, I’ll think about this. I was suprised to find that the Clone Wars only last three years. I do want to give viewers a sense of the passage of time to at least some degree of accuracy. I don’t know if I’ll land on exact dates (since I am shifting content around and that might upset the purists), but I want to use my intro text to at least include a bit more sense of cause and effect (couldn’t destroy Kamino clone facility so now we’re dependent on building more droid factories, etc), and also of the war’s ebb and flow over time (for example emphasising that the outer rim sieges are having the effect of pulling Jedi away from the core).

Having gone over all of my prior notes, small things I need to review again (these are mainly notes to myself, but discussion is welcome as always):

• R2 Captured - any opportunity to use R2’s interrogation elsewhere? What about Ahsoka vs Grievous? How is R2 saved?
• Malevolence trimmed with alternate ending? Possible to use the stealth ship from Cat & Mouse?
• Ambush - any opportunity to have Yoda tell clones in a cave they’re unique to him?
• Hunt for Ziro - can Obi-Wan and Quinlan Vos attempt to capture Cad Bane (maybe as part of the Holcron arc?)
• Padme - can anything be pulled from Hostage Crisis, Senate Spy, Corruption on Mandalore, Pursuit of Peace, Senate Murders, etc, into a coherent whole? Or scattered across the rest?
• Merge Bounty Hunters with Holocron or Trandoshan arc? All Felucia.

Knight of Kalee, I have to say, I think we’re particularly in sync. I keep thinking I’m having original thoughts, but then on review, finding that you had them long before I did! Please keep it up!

I might be a little busy now for a few days - worst case, expect a proper new chronology around Saturday.

Thanks for thinking it over, Sade. I’ll try to get materialisation going as soon as I can, I promise! I feel like this might need to be a multiple iterations kind of thing, so I do want to start getting the core established so I can start cutting.

Yeah, I’ve not thought too hard about the Order 66 content in Siege of Mandalore, though it is my intention to replace all episodes’ intros with text that works both as the introduction and the ‘previously on’, so you could pick any episode without watching others and hopefully have proper context.

I have considered producing different edits of the same episodes, but I’d rather avoid producing A and B cuts for the same episode since it makes the problem space increase significantly (and it’s already pretty damn large).

If you’re game for any merge + polish + intro + outro passes of the straightforward episodes, that sounds ideal. I’ll let you know when we hit that point, but don’t feel obliged!

I’d absolutely welcome any challenges to any of the above - I’d like to break this if it needs breaking, and then pull it together better. All of this planning up front is going to help this become the best it can be.

Additionally, if anyone feels like they’d like to work on any of the edits, please feel free. (@RogueLeader you mentioned looking into the Tartakovsky arc.) I’ll certainly do them myself if nobody else is interested, but please, if you are, feel welcome.

Huge brain dump incoming - input welcomed here.

Please challenge any of this, I could really do with having this thoroughly tested.

So, I think we have four main audiences:

1. Those who want to get context for the Mandalorian
2. Those who want the best of the Clone Wars told in a complete way
3. Those who want the above, but not to miss key moments for any of the franchise’s big characters (whether or not they’re that good or important)
4. Those who just want everything except the absolute worst

Bear in mind the plan is still to edit episodes - sometimes with polish, sometimes more creatively - to bring them up to the best quality possible. The more important episodes will be allowed to consume less important episodes ‘for parts’.

Here’re the cuts I’ll therefore produce:

And here follows the current allocation of arcs to cuts - though this has changed a little since my reviews (in response to your feedback) and it may change again in response to your opinions and focused rewatching:

1. Mandalorian Cut

Focusing on Ahsoka’s most important moments, and everything to do with Mauldalore, plus highlights for Boba Fett and Sidious’ interest in force sensitive younglings. Importantly I don’t think this audience cares much about clones, Rex, Order 66, or other prequel elements or characters.

• Episodes highlighting Ahsoka’s journey/growth (I likely need to add to this from the lists below - please feel free to argue items upwards!)
  • Ahsoka’s introduction elements of the Christophsis arc
  • Cloak of Darkness (+ best of Lair of Grievous)
  • Storm of Ryloth (only this episode from the Ryloth arc, unless I can cut the whole into an episode focused on Ahsoka + Cham [sorry twi’lek kid])
  • Holocron Crisis
  • 2nd Battle of Geonosis (probably without Senate Spy)
  • Heroes on Both Sides
  • Hunted by Trandoshans arc
  • A Friend in Need
  • Ahsoka’s Fall arc
  • Martez sisters (heavily trimmed to focus on Ahsoka)
  • Siege of Mandalore
• Other episodes relevant to fans of the Mandalorian
  • Duchess of Mandalore arc
  • The Academy (but not the episode that leads into it where Padme investigates Mando schools’ soft drinks - boring!)
  • Boba vs Mace arc (but NOT the later Ventress and Boba story, because frankly Boba isn’t badass enough in that, and Mando fans want badass Boba I reckon)
  • Nightsisters arc
  • Return of Maul duology
  • Maul Piracy / Shadow Collective arc
  • Son of Dathomir audio comic

2. Quality Cut

Focusing on telling the best (in my subjective opinion but with community input) end-to-end story of the Clone Wars (if you’re seeking a TV style episodic experience). Importantly this one doesn’t care for including every beloved character just because they’re beloved - it’ll be built around the best moments and a cohesive experience.

• Everything from the above list
• Episodes featuring Ahsoka in a primary role (which may do with tightening/focusing up)
  • Assassin (though she has premonition/visions here, something we never see her receive again, so maybe not this episode, though we’re running out of Padme)
  • Citadel (I really need to review this again because apparently it’s good for both Ahsoka and Rex but I really don’t remember it this way)
  • Kadavo (I also need to review this again with an Ahsoka/Rex focus)
  • Onderon (Same, I need to review quite how much this adds for Ahsoka)
  • Jedi Younglings (Are they the stars or is Ahsoka? It’s cool to see her lead but we get that in other episodes. It’s fun but so removed from the rest of the show. And it’s yet another easy Grievous beat.)
• Episodes focusing on Rex, in particular his relationship with orders vs morality
  • Hidden Enemy (but maybe cut as a later ‘return to Christophsis’ episode, maybe cut with Cat and Mouse)
  • The Deserter
  • Umbara (tightened to focus on Rex)
• Episodes focusing on other Clones
  • Domino Squad arc (maybe wrapped around Ahsoka’s Christophsis intro like Smudger’s #1)
  • Order 66 arc (tightened)
  • Bad Batch (tightened)
• Other episodes that’re included because they’re great
  • Bounty Hunters
  • Rako Hardeen (one of the few arcs along with the Mandalore arc which really develops Obi-Wan beyond what we already know about him)
  • Yoda investigates Sifo-Dyas
  • Yoda investigates life after death (cut to make the more overt elements more of a vision)
• Other episodes that help tell the complete Clone Wars journey
  • Tartakovsky episode focusing on Anakin’s knighting and Ventress’ recruitment
  • Massacre
  • Senate Spy
  • Scipio (cut to focus on Anakin’s jealousy)

3. Continuity Cut

Those extra episodes that give extra context for existing key characters and context beyond just the Mandalorian and Prequels.

• Everything from the above list
• Bounty
• Mon Cala arc
• Mortis (heavily cut to make it much more of a vision and far less explicit)
• (This section is fairly light for now, but I need to review especially those Ahsoka episodes from the above section again)

4. Complete Cut

Everything but the absolute worst. A full run-through in a sensible order but skipping the episodes which are both unnecessary and hard to watch.

• Everything from the above list
• The remains of the Ryloth arc (if there’s enough left after I change it to focus on Ahsoka/Cham [as episode 1 of 2])
• Cat and Mouse (if I don’t cut it into Hidden Enemy or the Ahsoka intro episode)
• Malevolence (though I’ll review it again for Ahsoka)
• Dooku Captured arc
• Crash on Maridun arc
• Trespass (though need to review for Rex focus)
• Zillo Beast
• Grievous Intrigue (unless I borrow this for Ahsoka’s intro episode like Smudger)
• Lightsaber Lost (a really flat solo Ahsoka episode)
• Corruption on Mandalore (unless I can cut its best bits into The Academy)
• Pursuit of Peace / Senate Murders (unless I can do something creative with Padme)
• Mercy Mission / Nomad Droids
• Missing in Action (if I can make it its own thing independently of the Droids in the Void arc)
• Tartakovsky Nelvaan episode
• Crystal Crisis
• Tartakovsky Palpatine kidnapping episode

5. Chopped up to use elsewhere

The episodes which have had scenes or other elements used elsewhere, so watching them might cause the viewer to notice duplicated scenes or content.

• Lair of Grievous (cut into Cloak/Lair)
• Supply lines (all that can’t be reworked into an Ahsoka/Cham cut of the Ryloth arc)
• R2 Captured arc (if I can use the one good element of it, where data is pulled from R2 by Grievous and he reveals that Anakin never reset him, in some other arc, otherwise this is merely not recommended)
• Evil Plans (in concert with the R2 Captured shots to show R2 getting captured in a different way)
• Shadow Warrior (discusses Grievous and a trap, good material to use in a Cloak/Lair polish cut)

6. Not recommended / not going to be included in any cut / not going to be polished up to quality standard

Hard to watch episodes which I’m not even going to wrap up nicely.

• Huttlet Crisis (cut entirely from original movie, leaving only Ahsoka’s intro)
• Ambush
• Bombad Jedi
• Blue Shadow Virus arc
• Sphere of Influence
• Ziro arc
• Droids in the Void arc
• The Disappeared

Therefore, the edits I should make, in rough priority order, should be:

1. Intro/outro tests
2. Full pipeline demo (probably Cloak/Lair + shots from Blue Shadow Virus + scene from Shadow Warrior)
3. Ahsoka intro episode (whether mixed with Domino squad arc or something else)
4. Something with the Domino Squad arc if I don’t wrap it around Ahsoka’s intro
5. Ryloth: Focused on Ahsoka/Cham
6. Geonosis: Intercutting Legacy of Terror / Brain Invaders (basically stealing from Smudger directly)
7. The Academy: Incorporating best scenes from Corruption on Mandalore
8. Martez Sisters: Focusing on Ahsoka
9. Citadel: Focusing on Ahsoka/Rex/Tarkin
10. Umbara: Focusing on Rex
11. Kadavo: Focusing on Ahsoka/Rex (and the Anakin slavery angle)
12. Onderon: Focusing on Ahsoka/Steela/Saw
13. Order 66: Heavily tightened
14. Scipio: Focusing on Anakin’s jealousy
15. Yoda’s Quest: With the force planet less overt, more of a vision
16. Bad Batch: Focusing on emotional beats
17. Some sort of Padme episode, or her content added to others? She’s not well served at all.
18. Mortis: Made less overt, more of a vision
19. Missing in Action: Make this its own thing split from the horrible Droids in the Void arc
20. All others merged into arcs + credits + polish pass (though probably do these throughout)

And finally - my short term to-do list (non-technical items)

• Stick all of the above in my new order which better paces around Mauldalore and Ahsoka’s growth
• Take a solid look at Ahsoka’s arc in chrono order, and refine the lists on this basis
• Take a solid look at Rex’s arc in chrono order, and refine the lists on this basis
• Think about Padme in the quality cut - is she well served? Can I do anything about this?
• Think about how best to land the opening. Is it just a trimmed Smudger’s #1 with the cold open? Or is it something where Ahsoka’s more of a feature throughout?

In terms of length, yes, that’s absolutely up in the air. I’d like each episode of my cut to feel like a three-arc, focused narrative, however long that is. So as I pick up each individual arc to edit I’ll see where the emotional breakpoints are. This might result in, for example, presenting the Domino squad arc as just three original episodes.

I think that example is unlikely since they’re better together (you want to get from 99 in Clone Cadets back to 99 in ARC Troopers quickly because that is one of our best early ways to tell the new audience “there’s more to the clones than you know, take interest, there are emotional stories to be had here”). But I use that as an example to illustrate that I’ll more likely present most episodes in the 22-50 minute range than the 60+ range - though there will be some that run to nearer 80.

Smudger, lovely to have you with us, your input is very welcome here! I think your first movie intercuts really nicely, which manages to permit the slightly compressed timeline. It definitely works.

I can’t imagine a version of the Huttlet crisis storyline that isn’t painful to watch, but maybe that’s a failure of imagination. I’m glad you mention rescoring though, because like Downfall/Duel of the Droids it does have that really awkward rock music that they experimented with early.

Szopman, I actually quite like both Cat and Mouse and Hidden Enemy, enough that I’ve thought about seeing if I can include them as a later “return to Christophsis” arc.

But I feel like you’re right that this project would prefer to trim them from our first episode (assuming I use some variant of Smudger’s), for pacing and to best help focus the audience on what will be our central character.

I think you could definitely drop the stealth ship, and you should cut the traitorous clone from a story this early in the series. The Eeth Koth content could go by quicker too. But I do admire what smudger did very much.

That said, I’m thinking about pairing Ahsoka’s intro with some other content which allows her to be more present in our first episode.

Thanks Sade, I’ll give that a shot. I was planning on using (Dolby dynamic?) stereo as opposed to full 5.1 surround, but I confess I’m very ignorant of this problem space. If I can render to 5.1 without much hassle I’ll gladly do that. My home setup is only 2.1, or whatever a soundbar with subwoofer is, so I can’t test full surround, but I can still cut the rear like the front and pass it through.