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GLogus

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18-Apr-2019
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14-Mar-2024
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Post
#1559538
Topic
Asokha Radical Redux Ideas thread
Time

The only great episode of this series was EP 4, for which I give the director of this episode, Peter Ramsey, the credit. EP 5 was a fan favorite for giving up some great Hayden Christiansen scenes, but without the member berries, it’s ‘good’ at best. EP 6 was also good, but the remaining episodes ranged from bad to embarrassingly bad. I am hopeful that an fanedit of this series won’t be too utilitarian in its approach, i.e., keeping only what’s absolutely necessary and cutting even the very good stuff. Rather, I’m hoping it is more liberal in cutting the bad, and more conservative in cutting the good.

Post
#1559535
Topic
Asokha Radical Redux Ideas thread
Time

DarthMarv said:

So I thought I’d share a few ideas I’ve thought in my head for editing Ahsoka and fixing some lingering questions:

  • So for Huyang, a big question for me is why he’s with Ahsoka rather than Luke: So an idea I liked was that he’s sticking with Ahsoka because she’s the last from before the Empire and he feels a connection to the generation of padawans he’s taught, Ahsoka being the last one left. I’m not sure where a dialogue an AI created voice line could fit but it would be good explanation.
  • Another thing with Huyang voice AI ideas is to try and see if it’s possible to move his conversation to Ezra about Sabine’s family fate on Mandalore to much earlier episodes to get the audience to understand why she’s willing to anything to get Ezra back.
  • Another AI voice/ voice over idea could be used on Morrok: his dialogue could explain he’s magik created from the Great Mothers in Peridia to give him a more solid explanation rather than just not explaining him.
  • I’d also fix the remnant troopers making them feel more human by adding voice lines for them & conversations, making them more competent shots too.
  • For story beats I’d also make sure for Sabine force moment- I’d have Ezra do the full jump no help and Sabine (who doesn’t use the force in this edit) would have to make a choice to go save Ahsoka or go with Ezra.
  • Oh and I’d also tweak Huyang’s line about Sabine being worse than a youngling in terms of force potential, maybe a line emphasising her untapped potential might make the finale land moments better.

Some great ideas if they can be done well. I especially like ideas 2 and 5. Both Ezra and Ahsoka seemed totally fine with Sabine’s reckless and irresponsible behavior. I was dumbstruck by the lack of accountability! Your idea might help to emphasize her reasons for doing what she did.

Also, I have no issue with Sabine having some Force ability, i.e., being a skilled Mandalorian warrior first and a novice Force user second, but her pushing Ezra like that was just silly and unearned. Huyang was right in pointing out her inadequacy. (When the Force can do anything, and anyone can use it, it makes the most interesting thing in Star Wars completely meaningless.)

I also want to add that the zombie noises that the Night Troopers make is ridiculous—far more laughable than creepy. In fact, the Night Troopers coming back to light was pointless because they didn’t actually pose a threat.

Post
#1558779
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

smudger9 said:

So, after watching the finale, this is definitely a one movie series. There just isn’t enough meat for 2 films. The finale itself was a very action heavy 40mins, a lot of which can be heavily trimmed or cut like the TIE fighter attack.

The whole Peridea sequence could probably be shortened to an hour, which would fit nicely into a third act. That leaves an hour or so for the middle act on Seatos.

So for the through-line story I feel the focus of the movie, in order, should be.

  1. Thrawn’s return.
  2. Ahsoka and Sabine’s relationship.
  3. Ahsoka’s rebirth.
  4. Baylan’s quest.

And as has become a theme with these edits, the New Republic scenes (and thus Hera), add little to the overall plot and will be largely cut.

I’ll hopefully have a first cut completed by the end of the week.

This all sounds spot on to me. The only thing I would caution against is cutting the Anakin/Clone Wars scenes as they are an important part of Ahsoka’s journey. However, it seems like you have are feeling more inclined to keep them at this point.

I must confess I didn’t really like the finale. It was mired by the usual, contrived nonsense that characterizes most Disney Star Wars these days. Ahsoka, the character, lacks the charisma she had in The Clone Wars, and Sabine is never held to account for her reckless actions (and I definitely feel like those Force powers were unearned). The series lacked any real tension throughout, and the stakes never felt very high (although I would count episode 4 as a noteworthy exception).

I think you have the right idea. There’s a lot of fat to be trimmed here. There are no filler episodes, strictly speaking, as every episode does something to further the plot, but within each episode there is still a fair amount that can be cut.

Post
#1557554
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

When you think about it, not a lot has happened over the course of 7 episodes. It’s basically just “Star Wars: The Return of Thrawn”. Seeing Hayden as Anakin again was nice (more satisfying than in Kenobi), and I really like the the actor who plays Ezra, but over all, the show has not covered a lot of ground.

Post
#1556615
Topic
<strong>Ahsoka</strong> (live action series) - general discussion thread
Time

Octorox said:

I don’t think this show is perfect by any means, but it’s pretty good: solid mid-tier Star Wars with some particularly high highs. I’m personally going to enjoy the ride, let the show wrap up and sit with it for a while before I start putting my faneditor’s hat on.

I would watch and thoroughly enjoy an Octorox fanedit of Ahsoka, no questions asked.

Post
#1556277
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

I watched your rough cut, Smudger9. I was so blown away by your Mando/BoBF cuts that I’m confident that this will be a success, too.

Having said that, you’re dealing with a different showrunner and writer here—Filoni as opposed to Favreau—and I wonder if a different approach to editing is needed.

First off, there is a lot of talk on this thread about editing the series into two full-length movies. I understand the rationale. The Mando series were very episodic with a lot of extraneous plot elements, i.e., filler episodes. Ahsoka, on the other hand, doesn’t have filler episodes per se, but nevertheless has a lot of “filler” in terms of slow pacing. Filoni thinks the way to emphasize a point is simply to linger on it for far too long. The acting is also monotonous, the dialogue is shallow, and the characters overly stoic. There are a lot of good ideas being presented here, but they are being stretched out to an excessively threadbare duration (I would contend that the only episode that didn’t have significant pacing issues was episode 4). If the problem with Mando was its filler, then the problem here is its pacing. It may require a different approach, but I don’t believe there is any justifiable reason to try to divide this series into two movies. There’s not enough here to necessitate it. Infact, I think your usual goal of keeping your edits to under 3 hours would greatly benefit this series.

I think the first two episodes are very good at establishing our protagonists and villains, and what they’ve been up to, and what they’re looking for. I think these are important elements to keep, but the stuff with the map, while necessary at a rudimentary level, is a little cumbersome. I’d keep the worthwhile character development but jettison everyone else I possibly could. I honestly believe you could shave another 15 minutes off of your rough cut.

I haven’t really mapped this out in my head yet, but I wonder if Sabine really needs to battle Shin on Lothal at all. Perhaps it is enough for Sabine only to draw her lightsaber, and to have Shin run away immediately as Ahsoka approaches. I say this because their battle later on could be much more dramatic and impactful if it was indeed their first confrontation, especially with the, “You have no power,” line. I say this because, as it stands, neither Shin nor the viewer has any reason to think Sabine won’t get her ass handed to her a second time, i.e., it diminishes the tension in episode 4. Rather, I’d keep the earlier encounter with the droids after Ahsoka retrieves the map (but trim the ridiculous self-destruct sequence which would have destroyed the map, too, had Ahsoka not escaped with it—the bad guys also want the map, so they should not be so reckless). I say this because it’s a decently cool action sequence that breaks up the monotony.

Removing the confrontation between Shin and Sabine on Lothal introduces a chain reaction of plot problems, admittedly, but most of this is just contrived map stuff anyway, so I’m wondering (without having really worked it out yet) if some of it can’t be skipped over. For example, Ahsoka happening upon the droid at Sabine’s residence (why was it there?) was completely contrived so that Ahsoka could take its head and Sabine could crack it open and they could figure out the whereabouts of the enemies. Again, all very convenient, contrived, prolonged, and certainly not very interesting.

Also, am I wrong in thinking you removed the sequence at the manufacturing plant and the initial confrontation with Marrok? Perhaps I am wrong about this and your edit just cuts off before you get to it. Nevertheless, I thought the manufacturing plant was interesting because it gave broader context to the political backdrop of the post-Empire world, and Marrok provided a lively action sequence to break up the monotony (I also think Marrok might still be a more interesting character than we realize, seemingly held together by Nightsister magic).

A lot of faneditors are preoccupied with preserving canon and the integrity of the characters and lore. I’m less about that and more concerned with preserving the elements of a good film. If editing Mando is about retaining only the most important plot points, then I think editing Ahsoka is simply about keeping what happens to be the most interesting. If you look at the IMDB fan ratings for Ahsoka, the first three episodes (especially episode 3) rank quite low in comparison to the episodes 4-6. It would make sense to me to heavily truncate the early stuff in order to get to the really good, fan-favorite stuff that follows it.

I’d also be careful of fans both here and elsewhere on the Internet who treat Star Wars like a religion and will therefore attempt to defend Lucasfilm’s most egregiously stupid creative choices. Ahsoka using her lightsaber to slice through enemy aircraft is just dumb, period. Doing cartwheels through space is also glaringly moronic.

I think one thing that I have heard many times that bears repeating is that, for whatever reason, the villains are much more engaging, compelling, and interesting than our protagonists, particularly Ahsoka and Sabine. When the bad guys are on the screen, the show is pretty damn good. When the good guys are on the screen, it’s pretty damn boring. I would make an exception for Jacen though, which I believe will become a very important character in the future. And obviously Hayden Christensen put in an amazing performance.

Overall, my thoughts are that this is a good series that just needs little nips and tucks here and there in order to speed up its meandering pace (There’s also some stupid and overly contrived stuff that obviously should get cut as well). I find this is the case with all of Filoni’s live action work, and the style is markedly different than Favreau’s. As such, it may merit a different editing approach.

Post
#1555702
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

Matt.F said:

szopman said:

smudger9 said:

Yes, it was a rather meaty episode. For the sake of my edit I was hoping for lots of filler. Not a huge amount that can be cut on first viewing, but that often changes on subsequent viewings. One thing I will say is that this series feels the most cinematic of the D+ shows.

I guess I could cut more by weaving it into episode 5 but it is going to be very difficult to cut this season down to 3h.

Maybe the 7th episode will offer us some more fillers. I feel it in my bones that the next episode will be New Republic-centered.

If you cannot cut it down to 3h, well, c’est la vie 😉 As long as it’s a good, quality content and a coherent, well-paced story, it doesn’t matter if it’s 2.5h or 3.5h 😉

I agree, the Lord Of The Rings EE are 200+ minutes each and they fly by. Don’t self-impose a runtime that means the edit becomes incomprehensible or you lose great scenes that viewers will miss. And it goes without saying, don’t cut any of Ray Stephenson’s scenes!

I’m sorry, but I’ve watched eps 1-6, and I already know there isn’t going to be two full-length movies worth of content here. It’s good, but it’s sloooooooooooooow. What has happened in eps 1-4/5 that would in any way justify a full-length movie? Barely anything happens in the first three episodes, and things don’t get rolling until episode 4. It also doesn’t help that Sabine and Ahsoka are the most unengaging part of this series, and that the villains are way more interesting.

Post
#1555701
Topic
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Another Happy Sanding. (Released)
Time

I am a huge fan of your episode 3, but I do believe it could still benefit from a slightly more “sanded down” version. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Since you’re asking, I always thought the end (after Obi Wan defeats Anakin) of your V1 dragged a bit and could be further edited down. I will always maintain that your prequel edits are the best out there.

Post
#1555699
Topic
Mando EP4: Return to Mandalore 4K [RELEASED]
Time

I just watched this finally. I thought Mandalorian Season 3 was really weak, way worse than S1 and S2, and nearly as bad as BoBF. But you’ve redeemed this season and now I think your four edits of the Mandoverse represent some of the best Star Wars content out there. Audio is perfect as usual. Your edits really are a work of art. I can’t wait for Ahsoka.

Post
#1555566
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

losthead said:

With episodes 5 and 6, I get the feeling you could very easily cut out most of the Hera and Jacen subplot, as well as the New Republic arriving on Seatos, and instead intercut Ahsoka’s WBW journey with Sabine and the others on Peridea? That way, once Ahsoka rides the whales, the witches alert Thrawn about it. I think it could make it a lot tighter, and we could reduce the Jacen subplot to an expository line. I also feel you could cut out the New Republic arriving, and have Ahsoka depart with no interruption. If they are still on Seatos and that becomes a plot point, you could easily slot in their arrival after Ahsoka leaves.

I would only caution that I think Jacen is going to be a very important character eventually, given that he is very Force sensitive. Might be a mistake in retrospect to cut down his story too much. I also liked the part where he could hear Ahsoka and Anakin’s lightsabers clashing (although I didn’t understand why tf Hera could hear it, too).

Post
#1555563
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

Jar Jar Bricks said:

Am I crazy or does the bandit music that plays when they are watching Shin and Baylan sound exactly like the theme of the Knights of Ren? See the comparison below:

https://youtu.be/KjGtYdsg4to?si=LMp6sGDqTcxm9AzR

It would be interesting if, since these guys are from the home world of the Dathomirian witches, that their fascination with the dark side stems from that. Plus, it’s fitting that their first Jedi opponent had the last name of WREN.

Oh boy, I’m definitely reading too much into this. I’m probably wrong, but thought it would be fun to share.

Oh, sh**! Wren=Ren. Why did I not see that before? That would be wild!

Post
#1555475
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

smudger9 said:

Episodes 3, 4 and 5 don’t actually do much legwork in terms of the story, the pace is really slow and there is a lot of scene repetition.

Three is a rather mediocre episode, but 4 and 5 are fan favorites so far.

Just watched 6. I thought it was pretty good except the reveal of Ezra was very anti-climactic. Not even sure how to improve that with an edit. Also, the episode was once again very slow paced.

Oh, and I’d gladly provide feedback on your Act 1.

Post
#1554776
Topic
Mando EP3: A New Path (A Book of Boba Fett Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

Smudger, I watched this edit again and just can’t believe how much of an improvement it is over the original. I simply can’t give enough praise. However, have you ever thought about ending Episode 3 with Mando leaving the armor with Ahsoka to pass on to Grogu, and saving the Luke/Grogu stuff for the beginning of Episode 4?

Post
#1554546
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

WitchDR said:

GLogus said:

Episode 4 was so good, including its pacing, that it imo it doesn’t any significant trims. All the other episodes, however, have felt needlessly slow.

It was definitely the best episode yet. But I would say the opposite. All of the search for Ahsoka and Purgil scenes were badly paced and need to be heavily trimmed. This episode could easily be cut down to about 35ish minutes as oppose to 49 minutes. The Purgil scene especially dragged on way too long. And all of the Ahsoka and Anakin scenes should be merged together with almost no jumping back to Hera constantly telling everybody to keep searching.

I agree wholeheartedly, but I think you are referencing episode 5. Episode 5 was great, but like you said, it could lose a good 15 minutes and be much better off for it. Episode 4, on the other hand, was impressively paced and had me on the edge of my seat.

Post
#1553525
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

I wonder if it would make sense to actually speed up certain lines of dialogue by about 10-25%. Ahsoka’s dialogue especially is said in such a slow, hypnotic way. I’ve experimented a bit, and this rather simple approach definitely makes her delivery come off as a little punchier, with a greater sense of urgency. It also makes her sound more like her TCW counterpart, albeit with an older sounding voice.

Post
#1553508
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EPIV: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

Ahsoka really only has two broad problems. First, the pacing of the first three episodes needs to be tightened up considerably. I swear so many user reviews I’ve read say the long pauses and slow, monotonous dialogue put them right to sleep. Second, like all Disney SW content, too much of the plot seems overly contrived. Sometimes that can be mitigated, sometimes it can’t.

On another note, Episode 4 was surprisingly strong and well-paced. There’s very little I’d change there.

Post
#1553405
Topic
The New Republic EP1: A Vergence in the Force 4K (The Mandalorian Season 1 Edit) [V4 RELEASED]
Time

I know I’m late to the party, but WOW was that good! The perfect audio transitions alone speak to how masterful this edit is. The beginning felt a little too fast paced, as we are no longer given a proper introduction to the Mandalorian, but after the first 20 minutes or so, the pacing hits a good stride and the rest of the movie is more or less perfect.

Post
#1493242
Topic
KENOBI: A STAR WARS STORY [The Radical &quot;Help Me Obi-Wan Kenobi&quot; Cut]
Time

Anjohan said:

Obi-Wan using the force on the window in the new, alternate Escape. Reason: Obi-Wan using the force in an impactful way does ruin the implication that when Obi-Wan DOES use his force powers in full (later saving Leia), is when Anakin can sense him. Therefore, Obi-Wan using the force can not be kept for reasons of believability and continuity.

Oops. You are totally right. I forgot about that. Sad to see it go, but I’m a big proponent of only having one kidnapping and also the way you’ve set up Vader sensing Kenobi. Can’t wait for v2. You’ve taken a pretty bad TV series and turned it into a pretty great movie.

Post
#1493044
Topic
KENOBI: A STAR WARS STORY [The Radical &quot;Help Me Obi-Wan Kenobi&quot; Cut]
Time

Just a couple of thoughts on Disney Star Wars as it may pertain to this edit:

First, I’m a big fan of subtlety and nuance, whereas Disney is always heavy-handed and super obvious. They overstate nearly everything without much sophistication.

Second, I love it when the First Order is depicted as inept and stupid but hate it when the Empire is. The way I see it, the First Order are a bunch of wannabe copycats, but the Empire is the real deal, terrifying and formidable.

I’m too busy (lazy) to make my own fanedits, but if I wasn’t, I’d be guided by these overarching principles in dealing with Disney Star Wars.