Does anyone still have the first version of this edit? I need to get some data from it if at all possible.
A 720p AVCHD is now available as well.
One cut in the film has been changed from the DVD version which makes the film 1 or 2 seconds shorter.
The goal of this edit was fairly simple. That is, to tighten up the film and give it more of a centralized focus of the relationship between student and teacher and the journey Dre takes to overcome his issues of fear and displacement. I basically took an axe to much of the scenes involving Dre’s “love” interest, and to some of the scenes with Dre’s mom. There are other smaller pieces removed as well to improve overall pacing.
Original Runtime: 140 min.
New Runtime: 108 min.
Amount of time cut: 32 min.
Cutlist:
Cut opening scene in apartment in Detroit and of everyone sending them on their way, including Dre’s friend giving him a skateboard.
Cut scene of Dre’s mom forcing him to speak Chinese to the stranger on the plane as well as the rest of their conversation.
Cut Dre’s mom talking about nothing being old in China as they arrive.
Cut Dre’s line about where his mom worked.
Cut Dre’s mom’s talk about eating together everyday and the “Airplane lag” bit.
Cut shot of Dre trying to explain to workers about hot water being out.
Cut short scene when Dre first goes to school. Removed his mom demanding he return her “I love you.”
Cut Mr. Han’s comment about saving the environment when showing Dre how the water switch works.
Cut scene at school where Dre see’s girl practicing her instrument and then being picked on by Chinese kids.
CUt scene of Dre pretending to sleep with TV on.
Shorten scene of Dre’s mom trying to find out why he’s upset.
Shorten chase scene to remove some of the more over the top moments.
Remove girl asking Dre to festival.
Remove Dre trying to hide his jacket so he doesn’t have to work with it.
Cut Dre’s mom arriving at Mr. Hans to take them to festival.
Cut entire festival scene.
Trim Mr. Han working on car.
Cut Mr. Han telling Dre they won’t be working the next day.
Cut “date” scene (parts used later).
Cut girl’s audition and her father forbidding her from seeing Dre.
Removed scenes during training montage involving girl avoiding Dre (Replaced with a few moments from “date”).
Removed scene of Dre asking forgiveness from girl’s father.
Replaced music during tournament with “You’re the Best.”
Altered subtitle so Dre has more than just two minutes to have treatment given by Mr. Han (sorry for those who know Chinese).
New title added near the beginning.
A SL DVD is currently available (and should be up at fanedit sometime soon). It has 5.1 audio, but the audio may cut out in certain blu-ray players, including the PS3, due to Cinavia protection which was on the source blu-ray.
An AVCHD will be available in the near future.
I think it would have been more interesting if Tsu'tey had let human Jake do the deed, or just bestowed human Jake leadership.
There will be a version 2 with some extra footage inserted. The opening will be added, though I may remove the shot where everyone is wearing masks...I'm still iffy on that. Kind of bummed I have to remove the voice overs again though.
I'll throw in the hunting scene, the attack on the dozers and the discovery of the attack afterwards.
I'm still undecided on adding the first school scene and Tsu'tey's full death (the latter mostly because I question why Jake is back in his Avatar body already after the damage to the station they were using...I'll have to watch that bit again).
The blu-ray of this edit is now available.
I'm uploading the blu-ray version now (it'll take awhile!). Should have done this awhile ago, but I've been damned lazy lately.
I need to upload some stuff for my other edits too...then I can delete them off my HD and I can prep for my Matrix edit (which I'm going to go very slow on).
A lot of unfinished footage could be a problem for a 95% CG movie.
The Earth opening really interests me, but sounds like it might be an awful fit for my edit because of what it's trying to say. Still there may be some bits and pieces there that I could work into a stronger intro for the film. A couple of the other scenes that have been mentioned being in the special edition sound like they have potential, but a lot sounds like rubbish as well.
I need to figure out how I'm even going to get the newer footage because I certainly don't want to buy a new version of Avatar.
Sounds like there are a few potential possibilities there, but not too much. We'll have to see how the remaining footage on blu-ray turns out.
As for the beginning of my edit, the forest and voice over are completely removed. The voice overs in my edit are a result of Jake doing his video logs, so many of them, including the one at the beginning are removed.
Has anyone seen the new special edition release in theaters? If so, is any of the new footage worthwhile?
I'll consider adding more material into the edit when the blu-ray comes out in November, but am wondering if any one has any thoughts now?
Brian Eno's.
Wait, now you've totally lost me. There was humor in Avatar?
It sounds like you just want a completely different movie.
I can't see how that music would really fit any scene in the movie with possible exception of the beginning.
And, pretty much every Na'vi scene (save one which isn't involved with anything at all) is directly involved with the main storyline. Some human scenes are another matter.
Script is one thing, what's on film (or a computer in this case) is different and needs to be seen.
I don't remember if I even got around to uploading a DL DVD.
Edit: In fact I did not. I only got around to a SL DVD and as part of my Transformers collection on blu-ray. At some point I'll have to get around to it. I need to upload quite a lot of stuff actually, but I need to clear up some hard drive space for the .rar files first.
I think we all have to actually see how the scenes turn out before we can determine if there will be any changes to any edits.
I'm open to the possibility myself, but it all depends. It looks like there is possibly some good material there, and I certainly wouldn't mind a stronger opening.
The AVCHD is now available.
This is up on FE now (with cover art). The blu-ray has also been finalized, and I'll be making an AVCHD as well. Hopefully both of those will be uploaded within the next couple of weeks. I'll also replace the DVD that is currently available with one with decent menus.
A deleted scenes section will be available on the these newer versions which will show a sampling of scenes and what was removed.
This is finally up on fanedit.
Octorox said:
eek, double post. sorry about that
Also, although I didn't care for this movie all that much, I have to disagree with some of the ideas behind your edit. Avatar isn't just a heroes' journey, it's a parable, and I feel that by cutting out some of the environmentalist themes/plight of the Navi/2 dimensional characters you're really messing with the themes and message of the film.
I think you'd be more referring to my edit at the film with this, and messing with the themes and message that Cameron very poorly crammed into the film is exactly the point.
This has been uploaded, but hasn't been added at the usual places yet.
If someone is impatient PM me.
A bare bones DVD is now available..or soon will be.
With the blu-ray the subtitles are not coded into the video so they had to be created from scratch and made to say anything (though they don't really say anything too bad). At one point I had created a test clip of Neytiri, when she puts the little panther like thing down early in the movie, saying, "Burn in hell demon beast. Burn in hell!"
And it's possible to somewhat edit the briefing room scene, and I have done so. It doesn't completely remove the crowd, but does take out some of the idiot shots, especially at the end when they cheer and all.
Editing is now complete with nineteen minutes cut.
I have a few subtitles to add in which will take about 10 minutes, and then I'll get started on rendering. I hope to have a bare-bones DVD up by Monday.
Very near completion with this edit, and I was able to remove or cut down on every single scene that really bugged the hell out of me. The environmental "message" is now almost entirely gone, and what little is left is very minor and unobtrusive, and applies only to the world of Pandora (not some other planet light years away that is biologically very different Mr. Cameron - all your poorly conceived, and executed environmental points have been excised).
Pretty much all of the other political jabs were removed as well.
It looks like the total time cut will be somewhere between 18 and 19 minutes.