Hal 9000

benduwan said:

• insert german track

I don’t have a great deal of free time right now, but if you were so inclined, it would be a genuinely easy and doable task to take any post 1997 audio track for ESB, sync it to my video stream, and make a few slight cuts to bring it in line. There were only 4 changes made which should affect sync with the 2004 or 2011 version: the wampa, the Emperor, and parts 1 and 2 of the extended shuttle sequence at the end.

ESB is coming together nicely, and should be out soonish. It’s a very, very simple and quick project, since Adywan’s two sources were all I needed to draw from. Again, I’m just putting this out there in case it hits the spot for anyone else.

I already have a customized version of ANH out there, though I would like to update it. ROTJ becomes the next priority. All I really need for sources is a decent color-corrected 2004/2011 source. I am hoping that perhaps Adywan’s upcoming color corrected version would be a close enough match to the Despecialized in order to use those as the two primary sources. We’ll have to see.

In order to revise ANH again, I would need a color corrected source, being either NeverarGreat’s or possibly Adywan’s upcoming. I suspect Adywan’s upcoming may be closer to the current version of the Despecialized than NeverarGreat’s, and would look nice as a “Special Edition” look.

Looks like ESB is all I can accomplish for the time being. If I wanted to do a non-OUT watch-through this very minute, I’d probably use my customized ANH, this new customized ESB, and KK650’s ROTJ. I’m hopeful that the entire OT can be finished prior to a marathon viewing for Episode 9. And this will be my final work on the OOT until such glorious times as a proper restoration is released to the public.

EDIT: Oh, and I don’t think there’s enough merit for a second audio track for ESB. I included the 2011 updated sound effect for Slave I, but retained the original Boba Fett voice. I don’t think anyone who would possibly be interested in this project would actually prefer to watch ESB with Temuera Morrison’s voice even for the novelty of it.

Surely not, as that would be comically “take turns telling a story.”

Thanks, I’ll do that for the subtitles. And you’re right about the shuttle; that wouldn’t have occurred to me! It’s another Adywan change which assists with continuity with a SE change. Since I decided to keep two shots of the shuttle ascending to his SSD later in the movie, makes perfect sense to incorporate that change as well. 😃

I seem to recall him teasing that he did, but did not wish to release it out of a sense of wanting to avoid unduly relentless criticism on Lucas.

Each of the films has a looped section of music at the end. Although I have bent this guideline, doing this would fall outside the goal of the project. Also, I doubt sync would be an easy thing to line up perfectly.

The ‘Custom Special Editon’ of ESB will be forthcoming. It’s a fairly quick and easy project to edit, basically just cobbling together two sources from the illustrious Adywan. It’s something I would have done anyway for my own viewing enjoyment, so I may as well present it in case others may find it closer to their preferences.
Primary source is his 1997 SE Reconstruction, as the colors are the best around and it is a little closer match in quality to the 720p Revisited source. It may not be the technical pinnacle of picture quality, but it is sound and more than fits in with the 720p, cobbled-together-by-fans standard that we, sadly, have to settle for for the time being for most OT-related projects. The primary audio source is the wonderful 1997 SE theatrical DTS mix, once again. Until the OT.com eschaton, when the originals are given a proper release, this will be my final word on ESB. (Or, rather, the best that can be achieved in terms of a Special Edition version as a companion to the original theatrical.)

Video Changes, beginning from Adywan’s 1997 SE Reconstruction:

• Used wampa escape scene from Adywan’s Revisited, which brings enhancements while retaining the pacing (and, indeed, sync) of the original version.
• Used the conversation between Vader and the Emperor from Adywan’s Revisited, as he essentially honored the content of the original version of the scene while realizing the potential the 2004 DVD version presents.
• Used Adywan’s Revisited to avoid a continuity error posed by the Special Edition as an expanded cityscape out a Cloud City window disappears a few shots later.
• Recreated the original pacing of the escape from Cloud City, removing Vader departing for and arriving on his star destroyer, though leaving two brief shots of the shuttle ascending.
• Used color corrected footage from KK650 to include the 2004 alteration of correcting Piett’s and another officer’s badges appearing on the opposite side of their uniforms.

Audio Changes, beginning from the 1997 Special Edition theatrical DTS audio mix:

• Reinstated Luke’s line to R2 of, “You’re lucky you don’t taste very good.”
• Used 2011 BluRay audio to include updated sound design for Slave I during its first appearance to match Episode II.
• Removed Luke’s scream from the 1997 mix as he falls down the Cloud City shaft after his confrontation with Vader.

No, since it would be even less of a match to the SE Wampa. I may just use his Wampa sequence flat out, though, since my above hybridization clip is a bit ‘innovative,’ whereas his cleans up and enhances what is fundamentally the original version of the scene.

Adywan’s 1997 SE restoration is the primary source, and his ESB: Revisited is a secondary. For this scene, I tried to bring each one to a rough halfway point. I tweaked it myself, yes.

Here’s a stab at a hybridized wampa scene. Avoids ‘showing the shark’ too much, while providing a more effective reveal. Saber retract sound effect has been removed for continuity.

https://vimeo.com/286703539
password: fanedit

And yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and tackle ESB since all the source material I need is already out there. 720p, a compliment to my ANH Custom Special Edition from a few years ago.

The final act of 2001 synced with Pink Floyd’s ‘Echoes’ is pretty cool.

Collipso said:

i don’t get the “obi-wan should never refer to R2 by name”. honestly, it doesn’t change anything, because they’re still in the very same room and Anakin calls him by his name so… it just seems a bit pointless to me.

It’s a very small thing, for sure. I think the novelization of ROTS characterizes Obi-Wan’s attitude toward R2 and droids in general as somewhat dismissive in order to try harmonizing things with ANH. Probably also building on his comments about droids in AOTC.

Octorox, I do hope this edit comes to fruition and look forward to updates. I hope you are using primary sources for video and audio, and not borrowing them from existing edits, in the name of top quality (unless you are using parts of my lossless audio output).
I urge you to ask Sir Ridley to do a custom crawl if you desire, because he’s the best choice… by far.

I would like to offer you any and all help that I can, because I believe in what you’re doing here. While I am NOT going to re-edit the prequel trilogy ever again, I do think it would be very nice to have this as a companion to LOE. As such, anything to help it fit in would be wonderful, like a decent-looking crawl, chapter markers, etc.

I recently began a personal (not part of a group as with the last few) rewatch of the saga in chronological order, and just finished Empire. In watching my prequel edits, I rather enjoyed Episodes I and II, all things considered, but found III to be bland and uninteresting. It’s probably more to do with me than the actual film, but I can’t be sure anymore. One thing was inescapable: I and II were strong because they did not radically reinvent the movies, whereas III sort of did. It’s impossible to enter the theoretical headspace of a first-time viewer, and the one time I was able to do so vicariously went very well, yet I think it would be great to have a fairly conservative edit of III at the ready.

Thanks for the encouraging feedback; I recently watched Ep1 myself on a whim while taking care of my little baby and not being able to do much else! I was also surprised by how engaged I was, even after having agonized over the details of it for so long. If anything, I wish I would have cut a bit less here and there. (Not whole scenes and sequences, but little bits of dialogue. For example, Jar Jar’s use of his tongue in Watto’s shop and at the dinner table.)

It’s the worst one.

TPM holds together as a… weird, sort of boring at times… movie. And AOTC is a misguided… boring movie with bizarre slapstick cartoon portions.

ROTS is largely a powerpoint presentation in which everything from the prequels metamorphosizes into the way it was for ANH. Nothing anyone does makes any sense, and it is where the reality of the fact that these were prequel movies rendered itself onto this movie. It’s crunch time.

Just a quick idea from the peanut gallery:

Would it be simple and easy to export an alternate audio track free of audiobook narration? Might be a nice option to present. Provided that it is an easy task.

Not beyond what an already color corrected source would already have done. Hyperspace aside, I really don’t want to fix or correct things aside from hybridizing the official versions.

I don’t think I would want to reinclude a deleted scene not present in the SE. The scene as it is presented is neutral to me, so it would come down to whether the continuity issue can be addressed.
And yes, someone could take my video stream and make a custom audio mix fairly easily. Just sync it up with the start, and make adjustments when it goes out of sync.

Well, it probably won’t exist for some time, if at all. And even then, the DTS 1997 SE audio will likely be my primary source, which would rule out any alternate language tracks.

OP updated again for ANH, to reflect more thinking and refining on the subject.

In putting together a realistic battle plan for this project, here is what I would need (and a few wants included in parentheses) in order to tackle ANH, save for the upcoming NeverarGreat color corrected 2011 transfer and a Despecialized Edition based on it. Here follows what would be needed (or wanted), starting from only these two sources:

• Re-undo R2’s jump cut on the Taintive (Neverar’s source re-added the jump cut, and he ought to be able to export an untouched, color corrected version.)

• Add missing SE vaporators to one shot. (Or simply use OOT to remove them from the first shot.)

• Remove one set of stormtroopers to a SE Mos Eisley establishing shot which are perfect mirror images of each other.

• (Remove the shockwave from the SE version of the Alderaan explosion. If this were done, both Death Star explosions would retain their added shockwaves. Alternatively, Alderaan could keep its SE shockwave, and use the OOT for both Death Star explosions. The idea is to only have one ‘class’ of explosion depicted this way, rather than all and only OT explosions being depicted this way.)

• Depict the Falcon as being in hyperspace during the “sometimes I amaze even myself” scene, with flickering blue wormhole visible out the cockpit and flashing blue light cast on the set. (Refer to Disney-era films for the look.)

• (Smooth R2’s ascension into the X-Wing during the SE ‘Reunion with Biggs’ scene. The alternative is merely not to include this scene.)

• (During the award ceremony, manually modify R2’s red/blue light to match the rest of the saga.)

I agree. Nice thing is that you could offer both in the form of an alternate audio track.

That is a great idea, and I think option B works very well. Am I correct in thinking neither of these changes alter the length of the scene at all?

Replace the in-universe ‘Imperial March’ with the ‘Imperial Suite’ from Rogue One.

It would seem really strange to go from, “They’ve just made the jump into hyperspace,” to a shot of the Falcon exiting hyperspace and Han taking his gloves off, IMHO.

Thanks for the feedback! Moreso than 1-3 or 7, 8 is one which I easily imagine watching the original version rather than a fan edit on some viewings.
I think your read of the entrance to Canto Bight is as intended: one more “gotcha” sequence in the movie in order to remove the fathier stuff.
And I love the caretakers, for the record! 😉