.Mac.

Well I for one was hoping that would’ve been a possibility, to dial down Vader’s intensity and yelling that’s earlier in ANH, but I understand if that cannot be done. Glad you at least considered it, though, Ady. Because I completely agree, even during intense situations, I also prefer Vader as cool, calm, and collected — that’s a significant part of what makes him so compelling and badass 😃

Now I gotta geek out for a minute and say that one of my favorite moments in all of Star Wars (and of course there are many) is when Vader, without even drawing his lightsaber, effortlessly deflects Han’s rapid blaster fire with his own hands. Then after all that intense gunfire and casually pulling Han’s blaster away, he still remains chill as he says, “We would be honored if you would join us.” That, to me, is peak Vader, calmly and easily taking control of the situation.

So I greatly appreciate the amount of effort that’s going into making subtle tweaks to Vader’s voice/tone where you can and feel it’s necessary. Donation sent your way, Ady! 😄

And btw, I am sorry to hear that about the low-life out there who tried to disrupt your efforts. I’ll never understand those who feel the need to go out of their way just to make it miserable for others.

JEDIT:
Just wanted to quickly add that the only time where I actually do like hearing a hint of anger in Vader’s voice is when he orders, “Bring my shuttle,” after Luke would rather sacrifice himself than join him. There he sounds pissed, and rightfully so. I mean, how can his own flesh and blood reject such a generous and irrefusable offer — the ungrateful little brat! 😄

Final stab at this, guys, I promise 😄

Been thinking recently how all of that open sky to the one side in my previous concept was making the shot feel a bit imbalanced.

The original idea for having Yavin Prime behind the Great Temple was to help guide your eyes there, so I’m hoping that this next concept will still accomplish that by instead using the planet (plus the edges of the screen and the treeline) to help “frame” the Temple, while also maintaining a more balanced composition. Hopefully I made that make some sense? 😃

I’m a complete novice at this kind of editing, btw, so it does look very rough, but wanted to try to putting more effort into the concept this time around and learn a thing or two. I know the clouds across Yavin Prime look terrible which is why I didn’t attempt to add more, lol, so hopefully I’ll have better luck at figuring that out another time. But anyway, this is just another possible idea for Ady if he likes.

And that is a great observation, ImperialFighter, in regards to the temple’s windows. I think that’s a good thing for Ady to consider, too, if he hasn’t already.

Paden said:

.Mac. said:

adywan said:

I was going to keep this under wraps until closer to the time of ANH:RHD’s release, but what the hell… (still a work in progress & the gif conversion has screwed up the colours a bit)

Had a chance to fully process the new Yavin Base shot, and while I understand it’s still a WIP, here’s a small but hopefully worthwhile suggestion.

I believe the focus of this shot should be more on the Great Temple itself — specifically the top. This will help guide the viewer’s attention to that point, as it will be the location for the next ceremony sequence.

A great example of what I mean can be seen in ROTJ during the exterior shot for the Emperor’s throne room. Notice how the camera is focused on that spire, indicating that the next scene will take place there.

So, for this WIP shot, if any part of the Great Temple is to be out of frame, I think it’s okay for the bottom portion to be, but definitely not the top as it is now 😃

Thanks for highlighting this .Mac.
Had never really thought about the exact location of the ceremony & hadn’t realised it was in the top! 😄

Cheers, Paul

Hey, I didn’t always know that either, so don’t feel bad 😄

krlozdac said:

.Mac. said:

doubleofive said:

I didn’t go to film school, but I think wiping from a static shot to a shot with a zoom breaks some kind of editing rule.

Oh, no I wasn’t suggesting a zoom… The point I was making was just the focus of the shot 😃

JEDIT: Actually, zoom shots can happen after static shots. Still wasn’t suggesting a zoom, though.

JEDIT 2: Once again, apologies for the very rudimentary concept, but you guys can get what’s going on…

This is essentially all I was suggesting: just making the top of the Temple the focal point for viewers. I feel that having Yavin behind it in the sky can also help draw your eye there as well — and for some extra visual appeal, since there is more sky 😃

I agree with this idea although I’d be fine with how it is right now. One thing that I think could be good is to flip the shot so the temple is on the right side of the frame, given that the very next shot of Luke coming out of the shadows is on the right side of the frame as well. That way you can keep screen direction consistent which means your eyes don’t have to bounce around as much between shots which is something that George Lucas was very big in trying to maintain.

Ah, your idea is sound and I like it. So this then:

Honestly, I think I actually do like this orientation better — not only for the reason you gave, but also because it visually aligns with this shot too (Yavin in the sky on the right).

Well, we’ll just see what Ady makes of this and whether he likes this possibility too 😃

doubleofive said:

I didn’t go to film school, but I think wiping from a static shot to a shot with a zoom breaks some kind of editing rule.

Oh, no I wasn’t suggesting a zoom… The point I was making was just the focus of the shot 😃

JEDIT: Actually, zoom shots can happen after static shots. Still wasn’t suggesting a zoom, though.

JEDIT 2: Once again, apologies for the very rudimentary concept, but you guys can get what’s going on…

This is essentially all I was suggesting: just making the top of the Temple the focal point for viewers. I feel that having Yavin behind it in the sky can also help draw your eye there as well — and for some extra visual appeal, since there is more sky 😃

That guy with no name said:

.Mac. said:

That guy with no name said:

.Mac. said:

adywan said:

I was going to keep this under wraps until closer to the time of ANH:RHD’s release, but what the hell… (still a work in progress & the gif conversion has screwed up the colours a bit)

Had a chance to fully process the new Yavin Base shot, and while I understand it’s still a WIP, here’s a small but hopefully worthwhile suggestion.

I believe the focus of this shot should be more on the Great Temple itself — specifically the top. This will help guide the viewer’s attention to that point, as it will be the location for the next ceremony sequence.

A great example of what I mean can be seen in ROTJ during the exterior shot for the Emperor’s throne room. Notice how the camera is focused on that spire, indicating that the next scene will take place there.

So, for this WIP shot, if any part of the Great Temple is to be out of frame, I think it’s okay for the bottom portion to be, but definitely not the top as it is now 😃

I think we’re getting to the point of nitpicking. Who the hell cares?

Did you consider the possibility that Ady might care?

This is his project, and I’m sure he’s open ears to anything he deems worthwhile, because he genuinely wants what’s best for this labor of love. It’s really as simple as this: if he agrees with an idea, he can take it — If he doesn’t, he can disregard it. Leave it for him to decide.

No reason at all for you to be come in like that — that was uncalled for. If you don’t like something being suggested, next time try responding with something constructive and civil, not impertinence. We went over this with you before.

I’m just giving my opinion… I guess, according to you, we should zoom in on the Falcon cockpit every time it appears before cutting to the interior… for the past two pages, you’ve just been throwing suggestions after another, and when Ady delivers, you can’t but ask for more… you do know he’s practically finished with ANH:R HD, right? I don’t think we’re still in the “suggestions” phase…

You were not just giving your opinion — there was animosity behind it, and you know it.

There was no need for your ridiculous claim about the Falcon’s interior, so I’m disregarding that.

Yes, he is getting closer to the finish line with ANH:RHD, but until Ady stamps it as officially complete, there is no harm in a couple suggestions which (at least to my knowledge) haven’t been discussed here before. As an artist myself, no matter where I am in a project, I appreciate insight and constructive feedback from others, because when you have fresh eyes on your work, they may see something I didn’t notice or hadn’t considered. That shows maturity and growth as an artist. That is the whole point of why he shares images/clips, by the way: for feedback.

Now you have a good day.

That guy with no name said:

.Mac. said:

adywan said:

I was going to keep this under wraps until closer to the time of ANH:RHD’s release, but what the hell… (still a work in progress & the gif conversion has screwed up the colours a bit)

Had a chance to fully process the new Yavin Base shot, and while I understand it’s still a WIP, here’s a small but hopefully worthwhile suggestion.

I believe the focus of this shot should be more on the Great Temple itself — specifically the top. This will help guide the viewer’s attention to that point, as it will be the location for the next ceremony sequence.

A great example of what I mean can be seen in ROTJ during the exterior shot for the Emperor’s throne room. Notice how the camera is focused on that spire, indicating that the next scene will take place there.

So, for this WIP shot, if any part of the Great Temple is to be out of frame, I think it’s okay for the bottom portion to be, but definitely not the top as it is now 😃

I think we’re getting to the point of nitpicking. Who the hell cares?

Did you consider the possibility that Ady might care?

This is his project, and I’m sure he’s open ears to anything he deems worthwhile, because he genuinely wants what’s best for this labor of love. It’s really as simple as this: if he agrees with an idea, he can take it — If he doesn’t, he can disregard it. Leave it for him to decide.

No reason at all for you to be come in like that — that was uncalled for. If you don’t like something being suggested, next time try responding with something constructive and civil, not impertinence. We went over this with you before.

adywan said:

I was going to keep this under wraps until closer to the time of ANH:RHD’s release, but what the hell… (still a work in progress & the gif conversion has screwed up the colours a bit)

Had a chance to fully process the new Yavin Base shot, and while I understand it’s still a WIP, here’s a small but hopefully worthwhile suggestion.

I believe the focus of this shot should be more on the Great Temple itself — specifically the top. This will help guide the viewer’s attention to that point, as it will be the location for the next ceremony sequence.

A great example of what I mean can be seen in ROTJ during the exterior shot for the Emperor’s throne room. Notice how the camera is focused on that spire, indicating that the next scene will take place there.

So, for this WIP shot, if any part of the Great Temple is to be out of frame, I think it’s okay for the bottom portion to be, but definitely not the top as it is now 😃

Matt.F said:

Yes Mac I like the sound of that shot - it follows the classic cinematic trope of establishing ‘menace’ - going back to silent film, when you had a damsel in distress tied to the train tracks whilst the locomotive barrels towards her.

Plus a few more seconds of Death Star can only be a good thing!

That’s a great comparison! Now that also makes me recall a recently made silent film called The Artist (sadly underrated) where it eventually has a scene with a sudden explosion of sounds 😃

doubleofive said:

We can assume the DS1 can travel at lightspeed because it does. I don’t think it’s necessary to see it.

Now where’s the fun in assuming something when experiencing it is more fun? 😉 That’s part of the ride! That’s part of the adventure! That’s a part of Star Wars 😄

But that’s totally fair; part of me actually agrees with you, honestly. Still think I had some pretty decent points in its favor, though. I also remember Ady saying recently that he “wanted something visually different” in ANH, which is why he now has a Star Destroyer exiting hyperspace (even though one could make the same claim that isn’t necessary seeing either). So I figured this would kind of fit with that line of thinking… and it’d definitely be visually different, too. If Ady’s even a little interested, it might be worth just seeing how it looks and feels. If it works, it works — if it doesn’t, it doesn’t 😉

That guy with no name said:

Would also make the plot hole of why the DS doesn’t just hyperspace to a positon were it can instantly destroy the rebel base less explicit.

Never thought there was a plot hole with this. Always figured the reason the Death Star exited lightspeed where it did was because the tracking on the Falcon did it first. And since Leia knew they were being tracked, she probably told Han to exit hyperspace where they did — hoping to put Yavin between the Death Star and Yavin 4 to buy them more time. That’s how I see it and I’m sticking to it 😃

JEDIT:

adywan said:

I was going to keep this under wraps until closer to the time of ANH:RHD’s release, but what the hell… (still a work in progress & the gif conversion has screwed up the colours a bit)

Oh WOW!! Even for a WIP, that’s fantastic! I wonder if seeing the planet Yavin in the right corner of the sky could add to the beauty of shot, too, or would that look too busy? Totally cool if you wish to keep any more of this a surprise, but man I’m so happy to see this and to know that you want to open up the base more 😄

Sorry, there is just one more thing I was hoping to bring up… In fact, I was writing this first and had it nearly complete before putting it on hold to focus on and submit the previous post. Since it is already written, I might well share this too, and that should be it from me for a while 😃 …

So, I’ve been thinking about this idea more and more since the amazing Exit From Hyperspace clip Ady showed us. The more I think about how it could work, the more I find myself in favor of it. It’s not even an original idea either, so it’s likely Ady has already considered it. Since I don’t recall this being discussed here before (apologies if it has), I was just curious what you all thought.

Would it be worth establishing for the audience that the Death Star does in fact have hyperdrive capabilities?

One benefit of this is that it finally settles a common question casual viewers (and even some fans) have had: “How did the Death Star get there so fast if the Falcon used lightspeed?”

Furthermore (and perhaps more importantly), it reinforces the notion that the station is a massive threat to the universe (“this station is now the ultimate power in the universe”) by revealing to us that it can easily get around and isn’t limited to slow movement that almost anything (except planets) can easily evade.

Only a single quick shot (~5sec) is all that’s needed, inserted right after the shot of R2 in the Yavin Base uploading the plans.

Imagine this possibility:

• a new shot of nothing but open space and stars. It’s completely silent.
• Then, a second or so in, we begin to hear a rumble. It gradually and rapidly gets louder, like thunder approaching.
• 2-3 seconds go by and we still see nothing. By now, though, we do get the sense that something massive is fast approaching, as the thunderous roar and bass grow louder.
• Then suddenly, like an explosion, the massive Death Star bursts into view. We see it in its entirety (slightly off-centered to the right), and the only sound we hear now is its normal “engine” hum.
• Then we cut to the original shot of the DS slowly approaching Yavin (a reverse shot from the new one).

It’s true it worked fine before without this, but on the other hand, like many shots in Star Wars, it would be an opportunity for a thrilling visual/audio experience (albeit a brief one), and that is a plus (in addition to the benefits already mentioned). Anyway, what do you guys think? Yea, maybe, or nay? If anyone can pull it off in a way that looks cool, it would of course be Ady 😃

Originally I was going to continue this conversation in the ROTJ:R thread, but because it got to be ANH:R heavy, figured it’d be more appropriate in here instead…

Bingowings said:

And it would be nice to see Rogue One elements in the rest of the saga.

Oh absolutely, Bingo, I agree! Scarif is already confirmed to be the planet near the Death Star during its introduction, and it would even be nice to perhaps notice, on just one or two occasions, a K-2SO-type droid casually and inconspicuously walking the halls somewhere on the Death Star (I know, it feels like I often bring that up — sorry!).

On that note, though, ever since Rogue One and, more recently, Andor, Yavin Base has certainly been opened up more. We have now seen the Great Temple/Massassi temples in full view, so this is something I actually hope Ady has already considered and is interested in exploring as well: expanding the Yavin Base for ANH:RHD.

Actually, if you’ll all permit me (and please excuse my very rudimentary editing), here’s a concept I just quickly tossed together that hopefully sells the idea better:

And how about a new, more scenic establishing shot (similar to the following) focusing on the Great Temple for the beginning of the Medal Ceremony sequence?

Or perhaps something even more awe-striking for that same sequence?

Anyway, I’d definitely be on board with any of this if Ady was wanting to — there’s some real potential there 😃

Grand Admiral Thrawn said:

I could be wrong here, but I don’t believe we ever see a ship in or exiting hyperspace out of the tunnel in either the OT or the PT.

Yep, indeed we do see the tunnels in ANH, just before the Falcon reaches Alderaan (what’s left of it), and again in ROTJ, when the Falcon and the rest of the Rebel fleet arrive at the second Death Star.

Personally I think it fits and works perfectly right there — a beautiful “visual bridge” (if you will) connecting that cockpit scene and the flight toward Yavin 😃

I’m not speaking for Ady, so he can correct me if I’m wrong, but what I understand he’s trying to do is make the 3 OT films feel visually consistent with one another. Since ANH is the oldest of the three, that might mean it’ll be getting a little extra polish here and there.

I absolutely LOVE that exit from hyperspace! Was not expecting to see that but certainly welcome it wholeheartedly. Very nicely done 👍

Everything else to me looks wonderful, too! And yes, I even dig Yavin IV’s new blue sky 😉 😄

So I donated £50 when this latest drive was announced and was planning on helping again next month, and while I still aim to do that… man, that hyperspace shot just got me amped that I had to send another £50 your way. Thank you as always for sharing and phenomenal work, Ady!

And by the way, TGWNN, I previously caught a glimpse of some of your editing and that’s some great work! Including the shot of the Rebel ships heading back to Yavin 4 after destroying the Death Star, where you added a more noticable camera shift towards Yavin 4. The original had a very slight camera shift but you made it appear more intentional and therefore artistic, and thought that was an absolutely nice touch, as subtle as it was 😃

Also really liked the idea of Vader using his hyperdrive to escape in the final shot of his Tie Advanced. Since it’s canon it’s equipped with that capability, it makes total sense and it’s a more definitive wink to the audience “This is not the last you’ve seen of him” 😉

I sincerely hope that Ady had also noticed, really liked, and may implement those exact ideas for his edit too!

That guy with no name said:

Bepis28 said:

I’m not sure why we have this argument every few months. Tatooine has blue skies. Get over it.

Saying ‘get over it’ is kinda considered snarky my guy

Yeah, I know. I was referencing an infamous Star Wars video title, “The special editions ARE the movies, get over it” by Rick Worley. I wasn’t being serious with that line. Either way, I’m sorry for being brass.

And it’s totally fine to have differing opinions; just be mindful of how you express it going forward and also it surely helps to have read and understood the other side’s opinion first and foremost 😉 After all, we’re all here for the same thing - for the love of Star Wars and wanting the best for it.

And since you admit to and apologized for tooting your brass instrument, I think you’re good now, mate 😄 Now let’s all move on!

Bingowings said:

Yeah but what about the blue milk?😁

Woah there, Bingo, only one blue topic at a time!! 😄

I kindly ask that you re-read/read my previous post, TGWNN. Nobody was suggesting that the skies of Tatooine shouldn’t be blue, just that the rich blue possibly be dialed down; I even mentioned how the original Revisited already had the perfect color, and that’s clearly blue. In my previous post I did also acknowledge that Tunisia can get vibrant blue skies, but frankly it’s irrelevant, as we are discussing a fictional dust ball planet in a galaxy far far away… so it comes down to what feels right to the artist, which in this case is of course Ady. If he wants to keep it the current blue, I said he should, or if he was trying things out and is open to honest, constructive feedback, that’s what we’re here for 😉

Alright a new clip! Thank you for sharing, Ady! And in typical fashion, here is one of my long posts 😄

Regarding the 3PO/sand crawler shots, couldn’t speak much about filmmaking rules so I’d defer to the folks who know that stuff better, but I will say this: Did I find it jarring? A bit at first, but I think that was just because of how used to the original I am. Did I feel lost as a viewer? Nope, in fact I could confidently draw and label a triangular map. Can or should the 180 rule be broken in this instance? That I’m not sure, but if there is a possible way to avoid it then that might be ideal. So take that as you will 😃

There is another shot I am hoping to bring attention to and it’s the one with R2 heading to the mountains immediately after parting with 3PO. Does anyone else notice how the mountains ahead appear to be less detailed in the Revisited:HD than the Official version? Here’s an image:

At first I thought it had to do with the blue atmospheric haze that was applied, but then I see at the bottom that the ripples in the sand are also less obvious. I rewatched the original Revisited and that has the details just fine. Here’s an image from the original Revisited:

Thought this would be worth mentioning, just in case 😉

And while we’re on this shot, if I may, from an artistic perspective, I have to admit I do prefer the mountains of the Official better for its dusty brownish color over the R:HD bluish color. I understand it’s because of the atmosphere, but the current dark blue hue does give the mountains a bit of a lush appearance, as if there is much vegetation (which of course there’s not 😄 ), whereas the dusty brown more clearly gives that dry and arid look as it should. So perhaps maybe just a little more brown and less blue could make all the difference? Even if more like the original Revisited in the above image. A constructive feedback at least worth considering I hope!

Now as for this next part, I had a long debate with myself if I should even bring it up or not, but since I’m already here, I my as well and let the chips fall as they may. And no worries if anyone disagrees 😃

Let me first say I really do like the pretty, vibrant blue skies! That rich blue is striking and really pops against the sand, better than the Official’s mostly-colorless sky for sure. But… there is also the other part of me that thinks it could actually be too rich of a blue for Tatooine skies (most notably during the “Look sir, droids” and the sand crawler shot after that). Hear me out. Imagine if this blue hue were, overall, dialed down to be more of a light-blue with a slight hint of cyan, like how it was in the original Revisited, as a perfect example:

And for reference this is how it is currently in the Official and R:HD:

Notice how the original Revisited sky is somewhere between the Official and R:HD in color, which I feel could actually be the sweet spot for a normal sunny day on Tatooine. Then, what if that same deep blue color was instead applied to Yavin 4 and/or Endor, making it a noticeable and deliberate contrast to Tatooine. Indeed this makes sense from an artistic and storytelling standpoint by making a desert planet all the more different from the other planets we’ll see. And before anyone says “Earth has variations of blue skies,” yes I know and also know Tunisha can have vibrant blue skies too, but once again, from an artistic and storytelling point of view, I’d point out it’d look great to give each planet their own little idiosyncrasies, which is what makes a lot of these planets in Star Wars so great and memorable, even if it’s something as simple as what’s happening with the sky (such as Bespin always having beautiful clouds during the day and evening [which on a side note, if I’m completely honest, I might’ve preferred not seeing some of those beautiful clouds again for Tatooine, such as during the first good look of the sand crawler when the two gorgeous moons would have sufficed, but I admit that might be nitpicky]). But, Ady, if you are perfectly happy with how your Tatooine sky currently looks then you keep it - you’ll just have to forgive me as I tend to speak my mind from time to time 😄

I’ll finish this post by saying how I loved your attention to detail on everything else, Ady! Others have already spotted the various other fixes but I haven’t seen anyone yet mention the small blink-and-miss flash you added to the approaching sand crawler (for when the sun hits the cockpit windows), which is of course in homage to the flashing from the OG original (but not in the original Revisited). Chef’s kiss on that! Btw, I wonder if I was the only one, as a kid, who thought those flashes were actually hazard lights, lol.

Braltika said:

.Mac. said:

…Alright steering this back on topic 😄

oh_riginal said:

adywan said:

Something i promised to show a while ago but ended up completely forgetting about, was the shot of Luke’s shuttle escaping the Death Star. So here it is:

Original version:

Revisited Version:

That shot took a hell of a lot of work. I had to slow down the gantry and other elements, yet keep the camera movement and the shuttle at the original speed, then track and add the new background. Couldn’t use the original stars to track because they suddenly stop their movement before the end in the original.

Should we not be able to see Endor in the reflection also…?

I think this is actually a great question, oh_riginal, so I hope this doesn’t get overlooked. I didn’t have a problem with it at first as I feel the forest moon is sooo far off in the distance that we wouldn’t see its reflection? But, I rethink that when I see a picture such as the following of a mountain where, even though it is far away, we still can see its reflection on the lake (granted, the distance between the forest moon/DSII is greater than the mtn/lake):

So really I’m not sure, lol, but I am leaning more towards “yes we should”. Maybe someone who definitely knows the science behind reflections can reflect on this and let us know? 😄 Or are you confident that it would, oh_riginal?

I know, this is a fantasy/sci-fi film, but getting even small details like this right is a very nice touch and does help with the immersion that this is all happening and “real”, imho 😃

I don’t think it should be visible because the hangar floor is “above” the planet. In the image you used as reference, the mountains rise higher than the lake. So I think the (the lack of planet) reflections are valid, the floor should reflect things that are “above” it, not below, from our point of view.

That’s a very good point, Braltika - good eye! Even if we see the moon outside (because of the height of the camera), I guess the hanger floor does appear to be slightly “above” the viewable portion of the moon, so you’re right (and Ady too!) we wouldn’t see it’s reflection after all 😃

Greatly appreciate the tremendous amount of work in just that short clip, Ady! Even the stars outside were atrocious not tracking correctly. I’m sure sweat may have been involved but I can only hope no tears and certainly no blood were shed 😄

…Alright steering this back on topic 😄

oh_riginal said:

adywan said:

Something i promised to show a while ago but ended up completely forgetting about, was the shot of Luke’s shuttle escaping the Death Star. So here it is:

Original version:

Revisited Version:

That shot took a hell of a lot of work. I had to slow down the gantry and other elements, yet keep the camera movement and the shuttle at the original speed, then track and add the new background. Couldn’t use the original stars to track because they suddenly stop their movement before the end in the original.

Should we not be able to see Endor in the reflection also…?

I think this is actually a great question, oh_riginal, so I hope this doesn’t get overlooked. I didn’t have a problem with it at first as I feel the forest moon is sooo far off in the distance that we wouldn’t see its reflection? But, I rethink that when I see a picture such as the following of a mountain where, even though it is far away, we still can see its reflection on the lake (granted, the distance between the forest moon/DSII is greater than the mtn/lake):

So really I’m not sure, lol, but I am leaning more towards “yes we should”. Maybe someone who definitely knows the science behind reflections can reflect on this and let us know? 😄 Or are you confident that it would, oh_riginal?

I know, this is a fantasy/sci-fi film, but getting even small details like this right is a very nice touch and does help with the immersion that this is all happening and “real”, imho 😃

adywan said:

https://youtu.be/Nw03j5wq0l0

Even with just the temp audio, wow, I think that works and flows perfectly - well done! It’ll take some getting used to (with the original so well-ingrained in memory) but this is certainly a good change to get used to 😉

I assume you’ll keep the siren blaring up until it gets cut off moments before the Imperials ‘fire-zipper’ the door, just like how you had it in the original Revisited? Always loved how you handled that detail and the impact it has on the scene.

And we’re glad to see you’re doing okay, Ady, even if your monitor currently is not. Hoping you can get that situation resolved soon but in the meantime we’re still here for you 😃

JoyOfEditing said:

.Mac. said:

Absolutely loved this, Joy! Very interested in seeing how this goes.

Also, couldn’t help but wonder what the Mon Calamari would possibly be saying to himself right after each kill.
…
“That was a trap.”
…
“That was a trap.”
…
“Heh, he fell for that trap!”
😄

“Wedge, why is Red 2 flying a Y-Wing?”

Wedge: “If I let Fadlan fly an X-Wing, there’d be War Crimes.”

Wedge: “Also he doesn’t know yet that we didn’t have the Mon Calamari in mind when we designed the T-65.”

Absolutely loved this, Joy! Very interested in seeing how this goes.

Also, couldn’t help but wonder what the Mon Calamari would possibly be saying to himself right after each kill.
…
“That was a trap.”
…
“That was a trap.”
…
“Heh, he fell for that trap!”
😄

JoyOfEditing said:

My general take on RotJ is that I completely agree with HAL-9000 that RotJ is the first “Prequel”. All of the editing and storytelling problems present in the prequels are already on display in RotJ. However, I also agree with Hal that it has the potential to be one the best if not the best of all of George’s STAR WARS films. Basically, you have to completely overhaul Jedi’s structure and then delete a bunch of the minor story points to make the film feel focused like A New Hope. If you do that, Jedi really sings!.

100% in agreement with that first assessment! I soon began to realize that once the prequels were all complete and had enough times to view the OT along with the PT.

And I’m certainly in agreement there is potential for ROTJ to be improved upon, most definitely, but for it to possibly be the “best” of George’s SW films, hmm… that my friend is a bold statement 😃 In my humble opinion, that would require much more than just rearranging scenes and removing minor story points. Even if it might never top ANH/ESB (at least for this scoundrel anyway), because, as you mention, it is hampered by certain storytelling problems (even if the Luke/Vader scenes are still among the best SW moments for me!) and specific plot point decisions (such as another Death Star) where editing can only go so far with that, I will say, however, that I have no doubt Ady will do the best he possibly can at bringing it more in line with the quality and tone of ANH/ESB and less so like the PT, and he will make it sing as well as Sy Snootles on her very best day!

JoyOfEditing said:

Okie Doke. Here’s a link to my opening of RotJ up to the point where Luke walks in through Jabba’s front door: //drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EleIyLvBBrk-D8zN9zy23NJhEeg6FMcs?usp=sharing

An example of what I’m talking about is in the clip I posted. If you recut the Tatooine sequence as a heist film, where you’re coming in in the middle of a plan in progress, the whole sequence suddenly works. Then if you use that structure to rework a bunch of the characters: Make Jabba more Godfather-y and competent, Threepio never gets “captured” he and Lando have been working in the background to take jobs close to Jabba. Han has full eyesight during the Sail Barge Brawl, so his shot on the tentacle is Han Solo being dope, rather than goofing around, Artoo also never gets capture and sneaks aboard the Sail Barge of his own accord (Threepio’s dialogue in that scene shockingly makes complete sense of that change), and if you completely overhaul Luke’s lightsaber skills with the editing techniques developed for the Prequels (think Arena Battle), he suddenly feels like a Prequel Era Jedi Knight like he should at this stage.

The terrible thing is my whole rework of the opening sequence is just so I can cut directly from the Emperor’s Arrival on the Death Star II to the Rebel Fleet massing near Sullust. That one change COMPLETELY overhauls the tone of Jedi, and gets the hype train rolling for the greatest of all Space Battles. That specific change would probably work really, really well with the incredible stuff Ady is going to do.

Had the chance to finally check out your clip and let me start off with saying that I truly commend your work! There were indeed some very interesting choices of what you cut vs. kept and how you arranged them. If I may be forthright with you, though, I do feel that, while much of the trims and changes do technically work (even if I might miss certain bits of the original), some of the others might not land quite as well, especially for casual/first-time viewers. It’s easy for those of us who have likely seen this film over a hundred times (I know I probably have, lol) and can easily fill in some of the gaps in our minds, but as for the first-time watchers, there are certain situations occurring in here (especially during the Jabba’s Palace scenes) that are now no longer backed by some of the (I believe to be) essential footage (and weren’t replaced with something else, since obviously you didn’t bring your DeLorean to go back and re-shoot scenes, dang it! lol). And so, in these cases, I believe the casual viewers will be more confused and have more questions than before. For an example, the audience is now missing a proper introduction to Jabba the Hutt, so initially it would be confusing to a first-time viewer who sees this giant space slug the way you first present him now 😄 And Telion also brought up good points regarding the Dagobah scene in that it feels somewhat truncated, so I won’t reiterate that. So at least for this nerf herder, I might prefer an edit that doesn’t remove nearly as much (and that’s coming from someone who’s actually okay with excising existing shots/scenes [within reason of course, lol]) as I’d want certain scenes to have both flow and still make enough sense for a first-time viewer - even if it might mean keeping some of the flaws (and that’s where Ady often applies his magical brush at concealing much of that!). Otherwise, I still very much enjoyed this, Joy! Thank you for sharing it and I’m sure Ady will see something in there that works for his vision 😉 I look forward to seeing more of your clips!

And Joy, if you’re at all interested and have plenty of free time (emphasis on “plenty”), I invite you to take a gander through my ROTJ wishlist. There you can see much of my thoughts regarding ROTJ and understand my take on certain scenes (including what I think can be deleted/trimmed) and, who knows, perhaps there’s something in there you’ll like for your future editing 😃

IlFanEditore,

It was only at the beginning of March when I had stumbled across your page for the first time and so, after reading through your list of changes, I was ecstatic and knew I had to check out your ROTJ Renewed. I reached out and you were prompt, very friendly and happy to share it; now that I finally had the chance to sit my butt down and watch your edit from beginning to end… I absolutely enjoyed it!

Of course, it certainly helped going into this with the proper mindset that this is more of a “conceptual edit” and still a WIP, as opposed to a fully-polished and completed edit (as there are indeed some rough cuts around [most notably while the Emperor’s shuttle is now landing at the beginning - instead of Vader’s], certain compositing effects do stand out, some color/picture quality inconsistencies, etc.), BUT, you already know all this as you acknowledged it beforehand.

You and I share a lot of the same or similar ideas of where to possibly improve this film and so it was a delight to actually watch them in action and see how well these worked out (some scenes I even had to watch more than once to be sure). Some examples are: I loved the reorganizing/trimming of scenes during Jabba’s Palace, or cutting out the unnecessary “soap opera” drama between Han/Leia on the bridge at the Ewok village (that was executed perfectly!), or even the blink-and-you-miss-it removal of Vader falling on his ass after Luke kicks him down the stairs (we didn’t need to see that - I’ve always been a proponent for Vader appearing stronger overall as a character in certain instances in ROTJ, no matter how big or minor). There were even some other ideas I hadn’t thought of before but it was like, “Wow, that worked so well!”, such as the music you added while Luke is in his X-Wing and on his way to see Yoda, or the audience seeing Ben’s Force ghost already standing there when Luke initially sees him (so you cut out Ben walking through the vines before finally coming to Luke) - those unexpected edits, for example, worked so well for me! There were, of course, some choice editing that didn’t quite land as well with me, such as the removal of Vader’s proper intro at the beginning and thus also removing the build-up for the Emperor (though I completely understand why and what you were going for!), or certain music you inserted/replaced in some areas (especially during Luke/Vader’s final duel - Williams’ original score was already fantastic there), or some of the changes to Jabba’s dialogue, or some other things that, at this point, were very minor niggles and not worth mentioning.

One last note that’s worthy of its own mention: I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but the way you now have Han blindly looking around after he sets off Boba’s jetpack was hilarious to me - I legit lol’d at that 😄 In all honesty, though, I don’t think I’d want that in a final edit (it definitely had a “Marx Brothers” vibe, which I don’t think is wanted in this context) but just wanted to give that a shout out anyway!

So would I recommend this to anyone looking for a new and fresh way to watch ROTJ (or to anyone looking for ideas/concepts for their own edit)?? To that I would say a resounding “YES”! But, again, one must go into this with the correct “viewing lens”; I feel that anyone who may have been overly harsh with criticisms didn’t prepare themselves and expected a fully-polished and completed edit, which it’s not yet.

Thank you so much for all of your hard work and for sharing this edit, IlFanEditore! You mentioned to me that you’re taking a break from the editing for now but may possibly renew the Renewed in the future, so when you do decide to do that, hit me up and I’d be more than happy to lend you any helpful pointers I can 😃

Cheers!

JoyOfEditing said:

Okie Doke. Here’s a link to my opening of RotJ up to the point where Luke walks in through Jabba’s front door: //drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EleIyLvBBrk-D8zN9zy23NJhEeg6FMcs?usp=sharing

Hey I’ve actually been meaning to reach out to you on your page, JoyOfEditing, to say I’ve recently watched your vids and, truly, they’re a hoot to watch and I enjoyed them! Especially the ones related to the prequels. But then when I got to the ESB vids, I gotta say, while I respect the approach, to me that movie is like the Bible, lol, so don’t tamper with “Holy Scriptures” man! 😄 But seriously, you got great talent, love your humor, and between what you, Ady, and numerous other big names here are doing, it’s very inspiring for someone like me who’s uninitiated to serious editing (it’s just unfortunate I haven’t enough time these days to learn - but maybe some day!).

So back on topic for ROTJ:R, personally, I’m always up for reading and seeing what all ideas people would like to share about it, so share anything about it you wish here, Joy! I’m sure Ady won’t mind any extra potential ideas/concepts, especially if they’re video clips where we can actually see how it looks and feels. I am one who believes this movie needs as much of our ideas together as possible, and from there Ady will pick what he feels is the best and most appropriate option. Btw, I hope people don’t get me wrong, I still very much like ROTJ and it will always have a special place with me (and through the hard work of preservationists, we’ll still have the original), but if we look at this film objectively and compare it to the previous two films of the trilogy, at least imho, it isn’t quite on par (for various reasons), which is why, if Ady is wanting and willing, I’m a proponent for some bigger changes and not just VFX updates that ESB:R only needed.

Ugh, and of course “it’s late, I’m in for it as it is!” as it’s a work night for me. TGIF though! I’ll definitely be checking out the above clip as soon as I get the chance and let you know what I think, Joy!

Bingowings said:

Years ago I proposed that the film started with Luke on Dagobah completing his training by creating his lightsaber telekinetically. Yoda dies, having trained Luke and not just in mid sentence. Luke returns to Tatooine only to discover that in her inpatience Leia has already attempted to rescue Han and failed. Luke then has to rescue the rescue. It means shifting some scenes around and construction of new shots. But the technology to do so is almost upon us.

Love that concept, Bingo! I definitely understand the appeal for many wanting to have Luke continue his training with Yoda before Han’s rescue - it makes total sense. Not sure if it’s the same with you or anyone else, but for me it would also help fix the (minor) plot holes of a) how did he appear to gain more wisdom/skill with the Force (on his own, btw) in just about a year, and especially b) how and where did he learn to construct his new snazzy lightsaber (I have a potential idea in my wishlist that helps “remedy” this, for anyone curious, by adding a little extra dialogue from 3PO to R2 as they’re walking to Jabba’s). But, if we do see Luke before Jabba’s Palace, though, I’d worry might this undermine the already-great first reveal of Luke as he’s marching into Jabba’s palace while looking ominous? That’s my biggest hold-up. Also the original reveal of his lightsaber and then him igniting the green blade after his stunt on the skiff is amazing, too.

Okay on that note, gotta share a quick story… I was very young and at a friend’s house who had a swimming pool with a low-ish diving board… so you better believe I had to reenact Luke’s heroic stunt on that! Minus the flip back up of course 😉 Did that a few times until I was finally told to stop because it was “dangerous”, lol. Please tell me someone else here also used to do that! I know I can’t be the only nerd who did that 😄

But anyway, if one could actually pull off a new good first reveal of both Luke and his lightsaber, just like how you described it, Bingo, and it looked convincing, I for one would definitely be open seeing it and how it works along with the original surrounding footage. So you’d also obviously need to trim a bit of the original Yoda/Luke scene; I’m assuming you would keep the Obi-Wan/Luke dialogue after Yoda, right?