NeverarGreat

https://i.imgur.com/CtHlpS7.mp4

RogueLeader said:

Cool idea! Looks pretty good I think. I think we take for granted how a well-placed establishing shot can help buffer a scene. It’s a thought I’ve had recently while I’ve been thinking about Prequel edit ideas.

When you originally talked about it, I liked the idea of the transition from Kylo looking outside, to the dogfight, then down to Han and co. also watching the dogfight. But you should trust your judgement. I would like to see some mockups up the scene orders you’re thinking about.

When I get the Falcon scene in some presentable shape I definitely will share a mockup, as there are quite a few small changes that have been implemented since the last version.

JEDIT: Here it is

https://vimeo.com/353066606

Password: fanedit

DigMod said:

That establishing shot looks fantastic!

Thanks, it’s basically a digital version of this effect:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdHTlUGN1zw&t=3s

I cut the still image into five planes and zoomed them towards the camera at differing speeds to achieve the 3D effect. The large areas of featureless white snow helped to hide some of the seams.

jkimm said:

I really like what you’ve done with the ending. I’m wondering if it could be trimmed more and still be as effective.

After Rey is staring at R2 and BB8:
-Outdoor night shot
-R2 hooked up
-Rey sleeping
-Island establishing shot
-R2 waking up
-Closeup of Luke turning around
-3P0 informing Leia about BB8
-Luke lifts hood
-R2 displays map
-Luke staring at camera while fading to white
-Leia says “Luke”…

Only seeing Luke from Rey’s point of view might make it feel more dreamlike. Rey arriving on the island and wandering around in TLJ will be something we wouldn’t have seen before.

I have considered removing some of the wide shots like the one with Rey and Luke and the cliff on the left, and you’re right that it would probably heighten the dreamlike nature of the events, but on the other hand a lot of these shots are the best in the scene, compositionally. There’s only so much of the scene that can be removed without losing some of the essence of what made the original scene work.

After making a version with and a version without the TLJ Rey waking up shots, the version without feels much more sudden and less dreamlike. Going from the night shot, to Rey, to R2, to Rey fading into her waking up, makes for a much smoother flow into the weirdness of the Dream/Vision. It’s the difference between telling the viewer that the dream is happening and immersing them in the moment.

The new structure works for the most part. I ended up dropping the scene where Kylo talks about Rey’s power for two reasons; the first is that Rey’s powers speak for themselves at this point, and the second is that the trooper’s line was used for the Phasma conversation.
I also moved the part of the Kylo Falcon scene where he steps outside to right after Han decides to go into the Oscillator. It still needs work.

The Kylo Falcon scene still felt a bit jarring no matter where it was, so I created a new shot to introduce the scene (and give our first glimpse at the reclusive First Order speeders):

https://vimeo.com/352819835

Password: fanedit

Eh, these covers aren’t as bad as some, and in the case of TFA it’s actually better than the theatrical poster.

Yeah I dunno…maybe I should just go back to the original ending.

😉

Seriously, thanks everyone.

I thought it would be a good time to take a step back and look at the whole third act as it is now, so I rendered out a test from the Hux speech onward (I think the Restructured placement of the Hux speech is much better and works as a clear indication of the beginning of the final conflict in the film). The good news is that a lot of it works, but the bad news is that I still don’t think the Starkiller infiltration works nearly as well as it could. The Kylo on the Falcon scene seems unmotivated, and it generally feels unfocused. It’s very noticeable when comparing the infiltration and Reyscue to the Kylo/Han confrontation. Kylo needs to be more proactive in his actions. I’m also bothered by the addition of more loose threads where Phasma is concerned. So here’s a new sequence, which I will test when I get some time:

-Rey’s failed escape attempt
-Falcon flies in, crashes
-Rey’s successful escape
-Kylo discovers Rey’s absence
-Han and Finn discuss how to get in
-General Hux update
-Rey runs through the halls
-Han and co are through the doors, Finn has a plan
-Kylo is informed that sensors are triggered, worries about Rey’s power
-Rey enters the hangar
-Phasma goes to investigate, is taken out by Chewbacca and Finn orders her around
-Troopers walk past Rey hanging out on the wall
-Phasma lowers the shields but activates the silent alarm as Han and Finn discuss her fate
-Kylo is updated, is concerned about her stealing a ship, hears the alarm: ‘Han Solo’
-Hux deploys the fighters as Rey goes into hiding on the wall
-The Resistance goes in, encounters resistance
-Han and co rescue Rey, they leave the base
-Kylo searches the Falcon, notices the sun dimming, looks out at the battle
-The battle goes ill for the Resistance, Han and co decide to help
-The Oscillator is infiltrated
-Kylo arrives at the Oscillator

With this sequence, Kylo has much more information than my previous edit. Now he knows that Rey has escaped, and when the alarm is triggered he senses Han and knows that his ship is how Rey will leave. Thus he immediately goes there to wait, and since this waiting happens as Han and co are returning to the Falcon, there should be a lot more tension in the scene.

I think it’s safe to assume that any planet not in the Hoth ‘solar system’ would take years to reach on sublight engines, so unless Hoth, Bespin, and Dagobah were all in the same solar system Luke would have to have had hyperdrive on his X-wing. My headcanon is that Bespin is in the same solar system as the planet with the rebel base, and this is actually referred to as the ‘6th planet of the Hoth system’ in the movie so both the rebel base and Bespin are technically in Hoth.

Update time! The move has gone well, the new floor is not yet installed but most other things are unpacked including my workstation. So I’m back at it, still trying to nail down this ending sequence right now:

https://vimeo.com/351538137

Password: fanedit

There are a great many changes to R2 searching for the map, Rey asleep (outside this time to make it clear that she isn’t just waking up inside the base somewhere), more dreamlike island shots recut in somewhat new arrangement, and recreated sound effects for the final shots of the edit.

ziggyonice said:

Welcome back, Nev. Good luck with the move into the house and looking forward to seeing your work again.

NeverarGreat said:
There was a bit of a lull in work today though, so I tinkered around a bit (more work on the Starkiller firing) and took another stab at parallel editing the Luke dream with full dream filters:

I think parallel editing is definitely the way to go here for the maximum benefit of the music.

First of all, I absolutely agree with you that the parallel editing is the way to go. It is far more polished makes the build up with the crescendo in the music much better than in the sequential version. Some may disagree with me here, but it looks super slick.

Secondly, a few notes…

1. When Rey wakes up, I think we need to see a shot of the island from afar — maybe the ocean shots from The Last Jedi trailer? My thoughts here are that, in the current state, we see Rey wake up, but don’t have any indication that she ISN’T still on D’Qar. For all the audience knows, she was sleeping in a room with stone-lined walls to begin with at the Resistance base. So then it’s a little confusing if someone doesn’t notice the “dream effect.” Bottom line: can you fit an island shot in there, just as she wakes up and just before R2-D2 wakes up?

I definitely took these critiques into consideration with the latest version, with two fixes for it.

2. I compared this most recent edit with your previous take and I noticed you swapped the position of the scenes where C-3P0 says, “R2 has some much-needed good news.” Just my opinion, but I think the original placement was better. With the new position, Leia says “Tell me” just before we see Luke for the first time and I think it distracts from his reveal. Maybe you could put that scene just after the really wide / faraway shot of Rey climbing up the mountain?

Again, agreed on these points and the structure has been adjusted for a better flow.

3. I wish there was more music here to fit more shots in. Are you open to repeating the first couple verses of The Jedi Steps to fit in more? Like, I think it’s important that we see the map piece from BB-8 be hooked up to match the map that R2-D2 is showing. If you had just a few more seconds, I think it could be done. Any chance you might be willing to consider repeating the first ~10-15 seconds of the song? Or maybe you could use some of the extended version of the song from the suite?

That is a really cool suite, and I’m tempted to use it because of the clear changes in mood which would fit well with the parallel editing. Unfortunately it does sound like a different orchestra from the one in the film, so I’m going to stick with the original cue unless there are simply too many things to pack into it.

As for BB-8 contributing his piece of the map, that has always bugged me for several reasons. First, why would Tekka have part of the map and R2 does not? This would indicate that the entire galaxy was mapped in the time of ANH except for one small piece with the location of the Last Jedi Temple, and it’s bizarre that Tekka finds a piece that perfectly matches a map made forty years ago and downloaded from the Death Star. Second, if the entire galaxy was known to the Empire at that time except for that one piece, the New Republic should certainly know of this map forty years later and it would then be trivial to match the missing piece up to the available cartography. My reasoning for R2 showing the full map is that he could easily have downloaded that piece from BB-8 offscreen, or he could have had it fully assembled from the beginning. I kind of like the idea that R2 had the entire answer all along, and all it took was someone who would listen to BB-8 and take his idea seriously.

One last reason I’m leery of including BB-8’s contribution is that a lot of it includes Rey, and one shot in particular would have to be cut entirely due to her presence.

As always, great work. Hope to see you again soon.

Thanks!

jarbear said:

This is a good ambitious edit, and I understand that much of your time right now is working on a house. Totally get it!

As for this recent clip, I see you got some work cut out for ya to remove the time stamp and Rey in the “Map” room.

You notice that I’m saving that fun-filled activity until the end 😉

after watching it a few times, I like the direction it is going. I appreciate the scene effect during her “Vision Dream.”

I am not a skilled editer, but I am curious if maybe instead of that effect you did, would it be possible to add a little more of a grain affect as well as changing the coloring in those scenes? Maybe less color and more of a sepia or something that shows this is indeed a vision?

I’ve tried adding a horizontal blur to several of the shots to indicate the insubstantial nature of this vision, and given Luke’s shots in particular a brighter grade which serves to desaturate the colors.

Also, earlier during Rey’s Vision during the lightsaber touch at Maz’s castle can have the same effect so it will accomplish two things: 1.) these force visions have the same “effect” on the screen and 2.) we know Rey is having some kind of vision at the end with Luke on the island.

That’s an interesting idea, I may try a vignette and see how it looks.

DrDre said:

yotsuya said:

DrDre said:

SilverWook said:

MikeWW said:

SilverWook said:

A puppet being operated by the real villain?

But why have a dime store Palpatine if the plan all along was to use the real thing?

Because that’s how Palpatine operates. Masks, deceptions and lies. Snoke was just a more sophisticated version of wearing a hood and keeping his face in a strategically placed shadow.

That’s a nice in-universe explanation, but in reality it’s almost certain, that JJ intended for Snoke to be the big bad, and when RJ dispatched him, they had to bring back Palpatine in some form to up the ante. Had it been their intention to bring back Palpatine, they would logically have introduced him as the puppet master in a cameo at the end of TLJ. Additionally RJ clearly made TLJ with the intention to break free from what came before, whilst TROS seems to do the opposite promising a whole host of connections to the past.

I have to disagree with your interpretation of TLJ. That is the message that hermit Luke and Kylo Ren share. Both are proved wrong by the rest of the movie’s plot. The end of the movie is about embracing exactly what Luke said they didn’t need before Rey and Yoda brought him back to himself. And Kylo is trying desperately to be bad and be consumed by the dark side and yet he can’t seem to manage it. He’s trying to convince himself that he needs to destroy the past so he can be bad enough. But that is not RJ’s message in TLJ. Luke executes the very single handed battle with his lasersword against incredible odds and creates a legend, reminding Kylo and us that he will not be the last Jedi - meaning he is embracing the past and letting it carry forward. Quite the opposite of breaking free from what came before. And there is no hint that JJ is going to undo anything.

I disagree. TLJ spends most of its time deconstructing the mythology of Star Wars. It then reconstructs it in some form, but not by embracing the past. Luke’s last stand is not a reaffirmation of the reality of his legend in-universe, it is a ruse, which tells the audience, that legends and myths aren’t real, but they can serve a purpose when others choose to believe in them. This is in stark contrast to the OT, where the legend of Luke Skywalker is real in-universe. The Luke of the OT is the guy who really faces down the bad guys with his laser sword, whereas the Luke at the end of TLJ is an illusionist of sorts, intent on perpetuating a legend in-universe, while the viewer has been made aware it is all just smoke and mirrors.

This brings up the question of what Luke’s legend actually was, in universe, after the events of ROTJ.

Is Luke a Jedi and hero who can singlehandedly dispatch an AT-AT with a lightsaber and who blew up the Death Star, who defeated not only Vader but the Emperor in a single stroke? If so, I can see Luke wanting to distance himself from this story since it is rather deceptive.

Or is Luke in the minds of the people more of an aspirational figure whom they know is all-too human, and who only managed to topple an empire due to his compassion and loyalty helped by his powerful friends and family? This is a legend he would probably embrace but it isn’t as alluring to the everyday person so I would bet that most of the galaxy thinks of him as the Jedi superman.

So I think it’s very apt that Luke would act as an illusionist in embracing this admittedly false legend in TLJ. Luke doesn’t ultimately use the lightsaber to defeat his enemies, he throws it away in favor of a more compassionate, human approach. This is now lost to the galaxy in favor of his newly-affirmed legend of Jedi superman, and could be a sinister turn for his legacy and history.

What bothers me about the name, upon reflection, is that the now-cannon explanation basically establishes that Solo in the Star Wars universe actually means “alone” instead of being merely a series of sounds/letters which in English has an extra meaning.

I mean, realistically these characters wouldn’t be speaking English, but instead some alien dialect which is portrayed as English for the purposes of movie. Now for this to work, Han’s last name must translate to ‘lone wolf’ or something in that alien dialect and sound like an English word which has a similar meaning.

How very confusing.

I’d hazard a guess that most people view ROTS as having more ‘Star Wars stuff we wanted to see’ in it than the other prequels (Vader, Rise of the Empire, Anakin’s seduction to the Dark Side, Anakin and Obi-wan’s friendship), and so by proxy it becomes the best of the prequels.

I fall into the camp of liking TPM the most, simply because it is dissimilar enough from the OT to be its own thing.

Thanks, the past week has been nothing but work but the house is looking good with the painting almost done and the packing well underway.

There was a bit of a lull in work today though, so I tinkered around a bit (more work on the Starkiller firing) and took another stab at parallel editing the Luke dream with full dream filters:

https://vimeo.com/348521687

Password: fanedit

I think parallel editing is definitely the way to go here for the maximum benefit of the music.

I forget where I heard it, but there’s a saying: There’s no bad idea that can’t be executed well, and no good idea that can’t be executed poorly.

As long as we get a good adventure with Rey, Poe, and Finn, I would consider it a win, time travel or not.

There’s a distinction between the plot and the hero’s quest that is getting lost here.

The plot of ANH is certainly to destroy the Death Star, but that is not Luke’s quest. He just wants to learn about the Force and become a Jedi - destroying the Death Star is merely the vehicle by which this happens. As we know, Lucas himself originally intended the Death Star to be destroyed in the third film, so Luke would presumably have had some other experience which required him to rely on the Force. The plot could be anything, as long as Luke begins his spiritual journey, and it might even be more resonant if he didn’t murder thousands of people in the process. 😉

Rey’s decision to fully embrace the Force happens when she calls the lightsaber, and her decision to find Luke is presumed and confirmed when she leaves on the Falcon. Her arc in this movie is complete without the Luke scene. The plot of the movie technically ended with the completion of the map, so actually journeying to the island is an acceptable scene to hold for TLJ or incorporated elsewhere such as in my edit, where it is used as a dream/vision to illustrate the moment Rey decides to ask Luke specifically for aid.

Gee, thanks y’all.

I’m not getting anything done right now on account of every waking moment being taken up with either work or moving into a permanent residence (yay homeownership!), but by the end of the month this move will be done and the edit will continue!

jarbear said:

AbramPT said:

And I know I might sound like a broken record at this point, but I’ll mention it one more time - I’m a huge advocate for redubbing the “parking violation” alien on Canto Bight. Maybe it doesn’t bother other people the same way it bothers me, but his southern drawl really takes me out of things. Plus including some alien language with subtitles would give it some OT vibes.

I would love something done about that. the OT established that if you are not human, you don’t sound human. Of course there are varying degrees, either in language or accent, but there is a clear distinction between human and non human. The PT mostly followed this as well, minus the Pod Race Announcer in TPM. This character felt VERY out of place as well as goofy. He would be more appropriate for the MCU than Star Wars.

I wouldn’t mind a dub or something that gives him an alien voice, or at least a more “alien” accent than a straight up Southerner. If you closed your eyes, you would picture a human saying his lines, not a non-human.

The same thing occurs with SOLO with Rio Durrant. He felt very out of place as well.

The southern drawl bothers me too. There’s only one instance in the OT where we hear a strong southern accent like that, and it’s just part of one line ‘Hold up here and wait for my signal…’ It feels like a bit of a mistake on the part of the actor, who has a much less southern American accent the rest of the time.

As someone who lives in the South, the accent feels very local and entirely the opposite of alien, but I’ll admit that means I don’t have the perspective of most of the world on this. I mean, there sholdn’t be any difference between a southern drawl and any other accent for someone in Star Wars, but the fact remains that it feels weird coming from aliens or even from other humans.

I think the fur color adjustment works well for the brief shot you’ve provided, but I don’t know if it creates any continuity issues if other shots have the removal (which looks great by the way).

With the SE changing all other Earth characters into alien versions, it is gratifying that this wasn’t changed since it could be viewed as merely a design that coincidentally looks like the Earth number 94.

I had always assumed that the AT-AT on Endor was just arthritic or breaking down until a few years ago, when I realized that it had picked up Luke in the forest and that arthritic movement was it docking with the base.

screams in the void said:

whenever I watch Return Of The Jedi, I eat a tuna fish sandwich and wear a bib .It’s a bib for tuna .

Well done.

I like it. It feels kind of weird that they start to look for the codebreaker and then say 2 seconds later that they’ve searched the whole casino, like it should cut away to Luke or something while that’s happening. Did that happen in the original? I don’t remember.

Definitely agree that this section needs to be tied more closely into the rest of the movie somehow.

Trippy.

Maybe just desaturating his fur so that he looks a lot older, or giving him stripes like Logray…

No-one’s ever really gone.

Glad you’re back, Duracell 😃

The first post has been brought up to date with my current intentions for this edit.

Hal 9000 said:

If I were to create my own version of changes I like/dislike, (Which I could; it just wouldn’t look good) here’s what I’d do:

AHN

Have it be original up to Mos Eisley. The first shot with the ‘scurriers’ I would leave in. Then cut to the SE shot, minus the droid wackiness. Then have the original version for the shot that starts the stormtrooper diolauge. Then have the SE far shot, before having the original Canina entrance. Then it will be entireley original version until the Falcon takes off, which will be SE.
The entire inside the Death Star scenes will be SE for just general better Matte Paintings, except for major things like Han’s lots-of-stormtroopers-room.
The Death Star space battle would be primarily SE, except for the explosion which would be original.
The Award Ceremony would be SE, just because they aren’t cardboard cutouts.

ESB

Original version. The whole thing.

ROTJ

Everything would be original up until the new Bantha shot, which would be SE. Then entire ordeal with Jabba’s Palace will be original.
Come the end of the film, I would have all the shots of the galaxy-wide celebration, but when It comes back to the Ewoks, they will sing as in the original.

I think I will do this sometime, if I ever want to give Star Wars to a friend.

So it’s been 15 years, any ETA on this?
😉