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Matt.F

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Join date
26-Feb-2012
Last activity
10-Dec-2023
Posts
276

Post History

Post
#1559650
Topic
The Rings of Power - The Film Cut [Released - Workprint stages finished]
Time

Thanks for sending the link Anjohan, I enjoyed the watch and I really appreciate the effort that must have gone into editing such a big (and rather messy!) series.

You’ve done a good job at removing extraneous scenes and clunky moments, and for me - you’ve definitely improved it and made a decent Rings Of Power ‘the movie’ part one. On a quality level it’s never going to be up there competing with Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy but with your edit it becomes way more watchable and enjoyable than it was. It’s got great visuals and costumes, clearly a lot of money and attention to detail went into the series, and now with the faster pace of your edit… it does feel more of a companion piece to Jacksons movies.

On the whole, the scenes all flowed really nicely. There were just some small nitpicks that felt a bit ‘off’. When Galadriel and Halbrand get on the boat and ask Elendil where they are heading, we get a big dramatic pause and the answer “home”… I was expecting that to seque into the Numenor establishing shots, but instead the next scene jarringly follows the map to Khazad Dum. As audiences if we get a big dramatic “were going to Numenor…” then we expect the next shot to be of Numenor.

The other small nitpick was cutting that epic shot of the Numenor cavalry charge with Galadriel in the middle. It was arguably the ‘money shot’ of the entire series, and certainly the most grandly cinematic. If the aim is to make the series feel like a movie then could there perhaps be a way to keep that shot in?

But really they are small nitpicks, you’ve done a fine job with this, well done chap!

Post
#1555659
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EP5: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

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!

Post
#1555471
Topic
<strong>Ahsoka</strong> (live action series) - general discussion thread
Time

In Episode 6 I particularly enjoyed the visuals. The approach to the witches planet was commendably stately and unrushed, the statues and the tumbled stones gave it a timeless ancient feel (they’ve been subtly referencing ancient Henges, leylines, etc a fair bit in Ahsoka which is giving it a nice distinction beyond what we’ve previously seen in Star Wars).

A couple of things caused dissonance. Firstly was that the galaxy they arrived at seemed exactly like the one they left - perhaps it should have had a different visual look (for example a bright Milky Way style band across it)… Secondly, the Stormtroopers suspected Sabine - with all her fighting prowess - wouldn’t last long, they set the wasteland up as being Mad Max brutal… but then we arrive at a Hobbiton village of friendly turtles! The turtles wore waistcoats and appeared to have a culture that would be at odds with such a barren environment. (That said, the creature work on them was fantastic!).

Those small niggles aside, I think the series has found its stride and improved immeasurably after the first two rather clunky episodes. Good stuff!

Post
#1554411
Topic
<strong>Ahsoka</strong> (live action series) - general discussion thread
Time

I’d like to see The Prequel Trilogy receive Special Edition versions.

They’ve all got at least one or two decent deleted scenes that could be reinstated and some early-era CGI that could be improved upon.

This episode of Ahsoka is the first time we’ve seen ‘actual’ physical Clone Troopers, rather than the animated CGI ones. Wow do they look better. It was a major disappointment to me that AOTC and ROTS felt like watching an animated movies for large swathes, it didnt look good, it didnt look real, and it was a world away from the grounded, tangible, touchable aesthetic of the Original Trilogy.

So thanks to Ahsoka I’m now imagining Prequel Special Editions, where some of the CGI toon troopers are replaced with good old fashioned blokes in suits! That i’d like to see…

Post
#1552370
Topic
The New Republic Movie Series EP5: A Threat From Beyond (An Ahsoka Series Edit) [RELEASED]
Time

Maybe going from a reworded crawl straight to the Corellia scene as an opener could be a radical approach? The crawl can have the ‘Rebels gang’ of Ahsoka, Sabine and Hera together and unified from the off, and investigating suspicious Imperial activity at the shipyards. The encounter with the Sith and the tracker on the engine part then leads them on into the rest of the plot.

That would do away with all the tedious (and unnecessary) scenes of Ahsoka and Sabine being estranged, and do away with the silly Rubiks cube map.

If you’re looking to cut a big sizable chunk off the run time to make the series movie length then that could work?

Post
#1539380
Topic
Mando EP4: Return to Mandalore 4K [RELEASED]
Time

I’ve just finished watching this edit, and I’ll admit the climax had me a little misty eyed (that didn’t happen when I watched the original Season 3). Thank you so much, you’ve really created a magnificent and seamless well-paced movie out of something that was previously rather overlong, unfocused and clunky.

You’ve got a great sense for editing, and the only notes I’d have would be to perhaps consider removing the somewhat redundant conversation between Peli and the Rodian (just cut straight to Mando touching down in the hangar) and as others have said to clean up the technical issue with the crawl background.

Every choice you’ve made has worked in this edit, and I watched it with my wife (who hadn’t seen any of Season 3) and it completely worked for her too. You would not know this was a fanedit.

(And you were right about the comedic transition with Grogu’s ‘yes, yes, yes’ into the campfire scene too - very effective!).

100% recommend - to anyone who was a little disappointed about The Mandalorian Season 3’s dip in quality, smudger9 has redeemed it - you need to watch this!

Post
#1538902
Topic
Mando EP4: Return to Mandalore 4K [RELEASED]
Time

smudger9 said:

Matt.F said:

Sounds great, I’d love to have a download link?

(although bit sad you cut the comedy bit with Grogu stuffing his face with food at the market stall, I loved that little moment!)

PM sent. That was a nice comedy moment, but with a running time of 2h45, some sacrifices had to be made. And I actually feel that the “yes, yes, yes…” is the funniest and the wipe transition from that to the campfire worked really well.

Nice, I’ll look forward to seeing that new transition.

This might be a dumb question but downloading to USB and watching this on a big 4K screen, which of the two file options will be best? (the 10GB MP4 or the 5GB MKV)?

Post
#1512455
Topic
Andor: The 7 Episode Cut (Released)
Time

I’ve just enjoyed your Episode 1 cut, combining the first four Andor’s into one movie length feature.

First and foremost, it’s a professional cut that never once jars or has any technical ‘tells’ that betray it as a fan edit. Watching it for the first time you’d never know this wasn’t a studio product, well done!

Did I like it? No, I loved it! Watching the combined episodes without the interruption of titles and credits felt seamless and your instincts of what could be carefully trimmed and tightened seemed to gel with my own. The cuts are not overdone, and the pacing is still measured and relatively slow to what we are accustomed to from Star Wars. Repetition of setting is a staple of television as the budget constraints dictate but you made this television show seem truly cinematic by prioritising scenes that had visual interest and majesty, and by reducing the number of recycled settings. It really allows the set design, props and costume work to shine - and Andor is incredibly good in this regard.

I’m holding back on watching the second Episode as it sounds like you’re still working on a revision, but I’m looking forward to it already!

Post
#1505837
Topic
Andor: The 7 Episode Cut (Released)
Time

“I did very little editing to this actual episode, other than making it flow out of the previous episode.”

Personally I thought Ep 4 could do with some trimming and tightening too.

Cassian meets a heist gang member who doesn’t want him there.
Cassian meets a heist gang member who doesn’t want him there.
Cassian meets a heist gang member who doesn’t want him there.

The same scene is repeated three times in short succession, and the point is belaboured. Also the campsite setting isnt very visually interesting, so I’d really look at moving things forward a bit faster.

Post
#1505800
Topic
Andor: The 7 Episode Cut (Released)
Time

Those sound like sensible cuts. There was a lot to like in Andor epsidoes 1-3 but the pacing did feel a bit off to me. It sounds like your thoughts have tallied with my own in terms of what could be edited to improve it. The Timm scenes and the chap who talks to Stellan Skarsgard on the shuttle were both unStar Warsy and uninteresting, I also suspect the childhood tribal flashbacks will work better in abridged form (or perhaps even removed entirely, although I did enjoy that shot of the damaged vessel streaking across the sky).

I’ll look forward to seeing this progress.

Post
#1494514
Topic
KENOBI: A STAR WARS STORY [The Radical &quot;Help Me Obi-Wan Kenobi&quot; Cut]
Time

Bravo sir! I watched your edit last night and it entirely succeeds in its central ambition to create a movie out of a TV series.

You’ve done brilliantly to make the pacing match that of a feature length film, and you’ve refocused the attention on Obi Wan (and it helps tremendously that in Ewan McGregor we have an A-list star, in fact rewatching his expressions in close up I’d say his work here might be the best acting performance we’ve had in a Star Wars production).

The original series had so many great moments but also a few clunky ones, that either confused or raised a question mark. You’ve deftly negated them all with your edit. I’m also thankful that your choice of shots to keep or jettison match my own taste - shaky cam is nearly entirely gone as are those moments where the production values seemed a little below par. Your musical additions also serve to elevate the onscreen action. As a result the 2 and a quarter hours of footage seem more cinematic and Kenobi can take its place alongside Rogue One and Solo as a standalone adventure.

Any nitpicks? Well like someone above I do miss little Leia’s memorable putdown of her cousin (recalls her burn of Tarkin in A New Hope), and the sewer segueway into the Imperial Base isn’t 100% successful (but I dont know that there’s any more could be done given what you have to work with). However these are minor things, and if you were watching this version without having seen the series it would work - and I guess that’s really fundamental to a good edit.

Well done!

Post
#1490317
Topic
The Kenobi <s>Movie</s> Show (Spoilers)
Time

Fan_edit_fan said:

Matt.F said:

Fan_edit_fan said:

Anyway, I stand by my point that a Jedi executing a fallen foe would be completely out of character with the compassion and chivalry that is their code.

Yeah, it’s real chivalrous to get people’s kids to commit murder because you’re just too “compassionate” to carry through with it. Mace Windu was about to split Palpatine in two while he was mutilated on the floor yelling “No don’t!”. Obi-Wan cut Maul in half like a savage…and shot Greivous soo many times he exploded. There’s no “code” in leaving Vader alive in the show, it’s just irresponsible writing.

Yes, of course they kill their opponents in combat (Maul and Greivous). You’ll also remember that Mace had gone to arrest Palpatine - not execute him - before the situation suddenly went nuclear.

How does that change anything I stated? Obi-Wan and Vader were opposing combatants. Mace was trying to arrest with the intent to kill if necessary, you just can’t claim Jedi won’t finish off opponents because of their “chivalrous code”. There’s not even any evidence for it.

The whole saga is based around Anakin executing a fallen opponent and turning to the Dark Side, and Luke sparing a fallen opponent and becoming a true Jedi.

Even in this particular TV show we have this rather memorable line;

“Do you know the key to hunting a Jedi, friend? It is patience. Jedi cannot help what they are. Their compassion leaves a trail.”

Post
#1490314
Topic
The Kenobi <s>Movie</s> Show (Spoilers)
Time

Fan_edit_fan said:

Anyway, I stand by my point that a Jedi executing a fallen foe would be completely out of character with the compassion and chivalry that is their code.

Yeah, it’s real chivalrous to get people’s kids to commit murder because you’re just too “compassionate” to carry through with it. Mace Windu was about to split Palpatine in two while he was mutilated on the floor yelling “No don’t!”. Obi-Wan cut Maul in half like a savage…and shot Greivous soo many times he exploded. There’s no “code” in leaving Vader alive in the show, it’s just irresponsible writing.

Yes, of course they kill their opponents in combat (Maul and Greivous). You’ll also remember that Mace had gone to arrest Palpatine - not execute him - before the situation suddenly went nuclear.

Post
#1490300
Topic
The Kenobi <s>Movie</s> Show (Spoilers)
Time

DrDre said:

Matt.F said:

RE: Why doesn’t Ben kill a defeated Vader?

Jedi Knights are honourable and chivalrous. Killing an opponent in a duel is one thing, but killing a vanquished fallen opponent is something entirely different. That is an execution.

We already see that when Anakin ‘executes’ a defeated Count Dooku. It is a wholly evil thing, and not the Jedi way.

So leaving Vader alive to murder millions of people is honourable and chivalrous? The situation with Dooku is not comparable, because Anakin had the option of letting Dooku stand trial. Obi-Wan on the other hand has to choose between two evils, where letting Vader live is clearly the worse option. Also, Yoda in ROTS sends Obi-Wan to kill Anakin, and Obi-Wan tells Luke, that if he will not kill Vader, the Emperor has already won.

Leaving Vader alive results in Palpatine’s defeat and the fall of the Empire (at least until Palapatine returned “somehow” lol).

“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” to bring a bit of Tolkien into the Star Wars chat!

Anyway, I stand by my point that a Jedi executing a fallen foe would be completely out of character with the compassion and chivalry that is their code.