Yes, as much as I appreciate NeverAr’s Version of the climax, I agree that there is merit in the one used for this project so I don’t plan on changing it or anything.
I can leave the holochess alone.
Here’s everything I’m thinking about for V4. Please let me know if any of these register as undesirable, as I’m sensitive to this edit being a true ‘disc replacement’ for many, and I don’t want to intrude on that. So I’m hoping to stick mostly to near-consensus changes. Some of these audio-only changes can just get an alternate track, like adding Palpatine to the vision.
Ideas:
Add subtle Emperor’s theme to the shot of Vader’s helmet, likely Ridley’s clip
Make that one X-wing firing on a TIE on Takodana sound like the trailer’s version
Add “(Find me.) It is unavoidable. It is your destiny” to the Force vision.
Maybe add Palpatine telling Rey “kill him” when she beats Kylo, which is an internal voice she hears in the novelization (though likely not intended to be Palpatine per se).
Attempt to reinstate Han’s no-look shot with an added “huh” afterward.
Experiment with replacing a few of the native bird sounds on Ach-To with porg sounds
OT.com logo at the end
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From NeverAr’s Starlight edit workprint:
May as well make it look like Finn wakes up at or just before dawn after crashing on Jakku.
Removed Han’s somewhat kindly “come on outta there,” leaving directional nod only.
Could remove Han tossing the guy to the rathtar but leave the punch.
Remove the holochess table coming on.
Have Snoke stand up while saying “so,” removing a continuity error from TFA:R
Add Rey separated from Finn on Han’s freighter to her Force vision. Nice ‘whole buffalo’ approach.
Use shot of sunlight being absorbed by the thing and Kylo watching right before “remove these restraints.” I think this can be done without reordering scenes. If so, then great; if not, oh, well.
I will play with the idea of Poe ordering a retreat which explains why they are in space later in the battle, but I think it would require reordering scenes and jettisoning other things, so this one is unlikely.
If Deepfakes were easy to do, which they’re not, I think it’d be fun to try them on as many continuity variables as possible. Make Hayden look like Shaw and vice versa, etc.
One thing I’ve wondered about Deepfakes… is it possible to apply them at 50% so that someone looks halfway between themselves and someone else, or is it all or nothing?
PM sent
I don’t imagine that being a thing I would be able to do in even a rudimentary way, but it’s an interesting idea.
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V3 is uploading to the Google Drive now. Lookout for it on the other venues soon, whenever I can find an hour to sit down and make it happen.
While I don’t doubt that cool and interesting ideas may surface with time, especially ways to tie into TROS, I am more than happy with this V3 and can precariously call this final.
It’d be nice to imply some sort of surprise from Kylo in reaction to hearing Palpatine’s voice for the first time, if indeed he is just tracking some series of things from Snoke.
I would hope the proper deleted scene will be available, as something like that would seem impossible to contrive in an acceptable way.
In this idea, we cut from a shot or two after Han says “I know” to Kylo dropping his saber. (What was originally in response to initially sensing Leia’s death.)
That wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, because we are clearly witnessing Ben interact in some non-reality space.
There’s a certain story equity of Ben exchanging his life for hers after she healed him. I wouldn’t change that for no reason.
Ha.
I like it; subtle. And that’s an interesting idea from the visual dictionary, but I think this musical implication makes more internal sense, and TROS already flatly contradicts some things from the TLJ visual dictionary.
This probably doesn’t need to be said, but I’d like to anyway, especially as I anticipate a sporadic process of production come April. I’ll truly have to work on stolen time whenever I can get it, and will not be nearly as able to just sit down with ideas, instead having to jot them down and get to them later.
The things that have made for good end results that I’ve been involved in have come from the community, you guys and FE.org primarily. Ideas, visual and audio effects work, refinement feedback, cover artwork, etc.
I hope we can come together to make the best possible fan edit of TROS possible within the sensibilities displayed in the other Hal9000 edits. Though it’ll ostensibly be listed under my screen name, and I’m happy to serve as MC in the interest of executing and completing this, YOU are all Hal9000.
Yeah. It’s not ideal, and I’d have to play with that line to see how it might play without it.
Schemedrick PM’d me an interesting idea about how to restructure Leia reaching out to Ben, in text format. It’s essentially this:
Rey and Kylo are fighting on the DSII.
Leia is shown in silhouette, calling out to Ben.
Ben appears distracted (using shot from right before Han appears).
Leia lays down, holding Han’d medal.
Kylo hears Han address him; “Hey, kid.”
Their conversation plays out, removing direct mention of Leia being gone, right up until Han says “I know.”
Back into reality, Kylo drops his saber. Rey impales him, heals him, and leaves.
It’s a very interesting approach, highlighting the imagery of death and rebirth. In this ordering, Kylo makes his resolution first and is then baptized by Rey in a way. And it’s directly tied in with Leia, making that feel clearer.
I’m not sure it makes good story sense, though, for Ben to be reborn and Rey to immediately flee into self-exile. But it’s something to think about.
I don’t care what they call it or the political implications, I would like to see an extended cut with bits and pieces plugged back in. Doesn’t even need to change anything.
“What she has to do now will take all the rest of her strength” or whatever she says hardly clarifies much. It just says “Carrie Fischer’s character is about to go die.”
@HAL9000
I recently had the great pleasure of watching all your SW work in a 72-hour chronological marathon, culminating in my second screening of TROS.
Thanks for the kind words and I’m glad you enjoyed them!
And I’d be leery of restructuring Leia’s death since I think it was done well, but if an idea has merit once I can actually play around then sure. Moving the Han scene between Leia reaching out to distract him and the actual impaling would higher the idea of Kylo Ren being dead but Ben Solo being alive. It’s an interesting idea.
Maz really was weird in this movie. If it’s smooth to cut her at times like announcing what Leia is doing, I’ll at least try it.
Good call on Luke’s hand making a sound as if catches the saber. I’ll see about that when it’s possible to do so.
I’m not leaning in the direction of changing Rey’s parentage, and I think a simple continuation of Rey Nobody would be the only alternative for me to try. Even ROTS only made the vaguest of allusions to Anakin being a creation of Palpatine. I seem to recall the EU novel Darth Plagueis describing Anakin as being conceived by the Force in response to the shenanigans he and Palpatine were up to with trying to create life. So it’s possible to interpret Anakin not as being Palpatine’s sort-of-son. That’s what I consider the truth, personally.
Thanks, we’ll see if it’s needed.
I’m hoping the right people can be like “well god damn, at least we can put it on the BR” rather than the wrong people being like “ don’t you dare” for political reasons.
God damn, was what I just read about supposed behind-the-scenes studio meddling infuriating.
I hope, however unlikely, that an extended cut is presented. Or that those with the power to do so give us as much deleted material as possible. Sounds like a great deal of it was pretty much finished.
We Star Wars fans seem to be made to suffer. It’s our lot in life.
Can we get a much lower budget episodes 10 to 12 set 100 years in the future directed by Rian Johnson, with story ideas about the Force being front and center? The goal would be to explore the meat of the concepts we’ve been shown and about building the Jedi back up without there being a ‘holy crap bad guy uberthreat.’ Small scale, spiritual stakes on a personal level. Could be made soonish, with the ST characters all having died by that point, but could be referenced or perhaps shown in flashbacks. Luke and other Jedi could always pop in as ghosts, but this would have to be done soonish for much of that.