NeverarGreat

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

That movie is the best.

Addressing one of the concerns for the shuttle, what if it was just farther back in the shot than the X-wing? That way it would appear to be about the same size as the X-wing.

Alternatively, I think just turning the TIE into a common variant like the TIE Interceptor would be just as acceptable to me, especially since that shares a lot of design language with Kylo’s two TIE fighters. I could believe that some Interceptors had Hyperdrives by the time of ROTJ. It would also look sleek next to the X-wing if anyone wanted to tackle a Ben lives edit where he takes off in the TIE fighter after the battle and the two ships fly side-by-side for a shot or two before breaking off to go their separate ways.

But now I’m simply fantasizing.

Vader’s Tie me no-likey.

https://youtu.be/9Swd_pFdcXE?t=80

😉

Added to the notes!

Jar Jar Bricks said:

I just watched the film with my brother and his friend. They had the following feedback:

• Overall, a massive improvement over the original

Nice!

• Would be interested in some sort of line which indicates the Republic is endlessly debating sending in support, thus why they never intervene.

This is already planned for V2 in a deleted scene.

• The Sith whispers may be a bit too subtle. I had to point it out to them.

That actually makes me think that they’ve done their job, since sometimes the best effect is one that becomes invisible. Of course if it’s a volume issue, that’s another thing.

• My brother would like to see some audio lines indicating what Rey is hearing in Kylo’s head about fearing not being as strong as Darth Vader. This would be similar to what Kylo hears in Poe’s head.

Interesting idea, and with the AI voices it may be possible. I could just reuse lines from the prayer scene, but that seems a bit basic. More thought will be needed.

• Visually, Jakku may need to be more consistent. Although the morning and evening would adjust light levels, they think it makes it look like they’re on a completely different world at times.

Is it just the evening scene that has this problem?

• Humor has been trimmed very well, but my brother thinks you could have gone even further in a couple places. He didn’t elaborate lol.

I’m pretty happy with how much humor has been cut, actually. But of course everyone’s mileage will vary 😃

Thank you for the feedback here, and I’m glad y’all enjoyed it!

Hal 9000 said:

Here’s the best I can get the Poe lines to sound. It’d be nice to lipsync the line “His followers have been hiding something for years,” but with what’s available now this is what I can do. I don’t think it’s half bad and I doubt anyone would have batted an eye in the theater.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MsJjLxDxVwrjR8KjZNzToTiKnMRxtFVX/view?usp=share_link

The only issue I hear with those lines is that it feels a bit like Poe is reading from a dramatic play instead of relaying foreboding tidings. But it certainly doesn’t sound bad.

I also think he underestimates the continued power of the original films. As a Millennial, I was first exposed to the OT on VHS in 1993 or 1994, and I imagine for many Millennials up until 1997 it was the same way. My little brother may have first watched the '97 versions, but there are several generations who were raised exclusively on the unaltered films, and who never cared for the prequels despite being children when they were released.

And all this is ignoring the argument for historical preservation and simple decency in preserving the work of those who originally made the films, such as the craftspeople who did the matte paintings and model work that has been simply erased. It genuinely makes me mad when people say ‘no one cares lol’ when for most people, they have been deprived of the opportunity to care by a generations-long campaign of artistic suppression by the most powerful entertainment companies on the planet.

PM Sent!

Ed Slushie said:

Replace the opening crawls with narration by Philomena Cunk.
“The Death Star was destroyed just 4 years before the release of unrelated Ortolan jizz anthem, Lapti Nek.”

Now that’s something I would watch.

“The Trade Federation is about to invade Naboo, so it’s like if Amazon decided to invade New Zealand. Which it probably could; it has enough robots.”

“The Rebellion’s been going through a bit of an emo phase. But because they are Rebels, instead of wearing black they’ve started wearing white and playing in the snow.”

“The Resistance has left the salt planet and have recruited what looks like a giant slug. It’s probably a good thing he wasn’t around for that episode, honestly.”

It is! And thanks, I was definitely going for a retro Star Wars style painted poster.

Those Poe lines sound great, JJB! I’d almost asked you to do them when asking for the ‘Ilum System’ line, but I shouldn’t have worried. All these will definitely be in consideration for V2.

And yes, Restructured as an idea does feel a lot like how I imagine things might have gone in '76 and '77, keeping every option on the table and continuously moving to make the film better, even up to the very end. Because sometimes that’s really what saves a film.

Anyway, here’s a poster for the edit that I’ve been working on for a while:

This and a textless version have been added to the 5 GB folder.

I think a line will need to be cut to make room for it. The second option sounds pretty good.

That’s actually something that I’ve wanted to implement for years, the trick is no just needing an AI line but finding some clear space among the shots of the dogfight, otherwise I may have attempted it for V1.1.

But yes, something like that is definitely on the table for V2.

RogueLeader said:

Just quick googling, but I found this site. Not sure if the links work or not, or if it is actually high quality.

https://thedigitaltheater.com/the-force-awakens/

That looks really good, thanks!

PM sent!

And thank you Dz, that would be most helpful.

Does anyone know where the TFA trailers can be found in high quality? I know Apple Trailers used to release the HQ versions once upon a time, but now I can only find them on Youtube and similar sites.

It can indeed.

And thanks y’all!

I try to include everyone in the credits who has contributed, which means anyone who has helped with crawls, made substantive critique or feedback, offered continued encouragement…it has all helped more than you know!

Jar Jar Bricks said:

Just finished watching through it all! Overall, magnificently done. It’s taken TFA from a 7/10 to an 8 or 9 in my books. I wanted to compile a list of feedback I had for v2:

• You can still hear the end of Han saying “Get outta there” in the Falcon

I’ll add this to the error document, thanks!

• I’m wondering if it might be worth it to just cut out “He worked on the base” from the end of Poe’s new line. We learn this information later, anyway.

Yeah, it’s not perfect. I’m sure I’ll be taking another look at this line at some point.

• Snoke calls Kylo “Solo” at the end of their second meeting. There’s nothing particularly wrong with this, I’m just wondering why you chose to add this in. Was it him trying to get on Kylo’s nerves?

There were two small reasons for the addition. I wanted to make clear that Snoke knows the nature of Kylo’s weakness and wants to rub it in his face a little. Emphasizing his parentage also primes the expectation for a scene discussing this topic, which happens soon after with Han and Leia.

• I highly recommend applying a “mirroring” effect to the reaction shots of the pilots when Starkiller Base fires. They’re reused shots, but this effect may help in disguising that.

Added to the notes! Not sure if I tried this before and decided it looked strange, but always worth trying again.

• I really enjoyed the scene in Hal’s edit where Hux suggests to Snoke that they target the Resistance base next. Also, that part that mentions how long it will be until it is recharged. It makes Poe’s attack on the oscillator much more than just an attempt at revenge. I would prefer it if this were reinstated.

This is a topic to which I’ve devoted a lot of thought.

First, let’s talk characterization. The original idea in Restructured was one that I think I pushed for leading up to the release of TLJ, back when we were gung-ho on getting a finished edit out for people to watch before the next film. There were worries that Poe was acting out of revenge, and thus this scene was devised. However, TLJ characterized Poe as an impulsive hotshot who refuses to back down from engagement even against better judgment. This makes the idea of Poe attacking Starkiller out of revenge sync perfectly with TLJ’s portrayal.

Now let’s talk stakes. There is a justifiable argument that once the weapon fires, the stakes are much lower since the damage has now been done. I would counter this with the fact that ESB never had a superweapon, and it was all about a lightsaber confrontation between two enemies, and it worked just as well as ANH. I think TFA manages to keep the tension using this technique even without a looming threat, and it also helps to switch the stakes from large to small. There is still a noticeable downgrade in stakes of course, but this is where the Sith eyes come into play. The fallout of the destruction from the previous scenes is channeled into a deep, if momentary, character transformation, and this is just as big as any superweapon threat. Snoke even senses this shift in the Force from across the galaxy, and in my edit this is where the ‘awakening’ comes from in the title.

Now let’s talk pacing. Here I feel like the added ‘recharging’ scene grinds the pacing to a halt while we reset the mousetrap, and for this reason alone I dislike the scene. I also think the ending of the film flows better if we don’t cut back at all to the Resistance after Leia’s reaction, emphasizing that our characters are on their own.

Finally, logistics. The weapon recharging introduces further mechanics to a weapon that seems like a straightforward single-star, single-use weapon. Without that scene, the function of the weapon is left up to the imagination, and I find that to be better in most cases. Establishing that the weapon shall fire again also means that the First Order knows where the Resistance base is, meaning that the Resistance simply made an error in their reconnaissance or attack. As a result, the Resistance is under a ticking clock even after the base is destroyed, and the same question of evacuation must be raised. This is an issue in the theatrical version, but it will be even worse in V2 of the edit where I show the passage of an entire day and night on the base before Rey leaves on her mission. Now you could say that this makes for a plot hole in the opening of TLJ where the First Order has discovered the base, but there are any number of explanations for it that are less problematic than the First Order knowing about the base for days and doing nothing. Removing this plot thread from TFA helps to give space between films. It also presents an opportunity for editing TLJ to suggest that the First Order finding the base is the work of a traitor or spy, helping bridge that plot issue with TLJ from the start.

Anyway, that was a bit of an essay. Suffice to say I am happy to omit this scene from my edit.

• As I said before, I’m just curious if your goal was to have her Sith eyes for only that brief moment, or throughout the remainder of it? Because they don’t appear to be there except for the closeup shot. To make less work of this, perhaps they could fade out at a certain point.

I did try and continue the eyes beyond that moment, implying that they fade out during the fight, but it is difficult to see them except in extreme closeup and to make them noticeable I think they would need to be very bright. There’s still a hint of them in a few shots, but I’m okay with keeping the eyes as a mostly momentary flash.

• I would love some (more?) porg sounds on Ahch-To 😃

Added to the notes!

I posted a changelist a few pages back for the workprint, but here is an updated one for the final version of 1.1:

V1.1 is essentially a final polish to the changes in V1, and mostly consist of audio and color grading tweaks based on reviewer feedback. However, there are also a few more substantial changes.

Changes from V1 to V1.1:

-Tweaked the timing of opening logos
-Replaced the crawl with a new version and adjusted its timing to move more quickly, as well as adjusting music levels
-Fixed video quality loss during first scene of V1
-Partially removed stray power window present in original film when Finn wakes up from the crash
-Adjusted color grade of Jakku during the dusk scene, Finn crash landing and wandering the desert, Finn meeting Rey, and the Falcon chase
-Adjusted dialogue of Kylo’s Prayer to focus solely on his weakness, avoiding talk of family and Supreme Leader
-Adjusted Vader’s mask so that the cut looks more like a mouth opening
-Adjusted audio level for TR-8R’s new dialogue, added distortion
-Combined AI line to Poe’s dialogue to form the line ‘Finn’s familiar with a weapon located in the Ilum System, he worked on the base’
-Fixed continuity error where doctor Kalonia uses wrong arm in treating Chewie (Thanks to MoviesRemastered)
-Adjusted audio level for Han and Leia discussing Ben, finessed audio transition to next scene
-Combined AI line with original audio in Resistance Battle Plan Meeting ‘The Senate is their target’
-Changed 3PO’s dialogue to ‘Oh my, this is a catastrophe’
-Adjusted audio of Starkiller charging, removed stray audio that bled into Rey’s escape scene
-Finessed audio transition when combining shots of Poe’s first Oscillator attack
-Removed errant footsteps while Rey is on the wall
-Added the line ‘forgive me’ to Kylo’s Falcon scene, adjusted music to fit
-Added C-3PO shot and dialogue ‘And their weapon will fire in ten minutes! Without the Republic fleet we’re doomed!’
-Removed voiceovers from Han and Kylo’s reunion, added a shot of Finn, added Force interrogation rumble
-Removed Rey and Finn’s TROS reaction to Chewie detonating the explosives, in order to preserve these lines for TROS
-Brightened Rey’s Sith eyes
-Applied color grade to dark forest shot left ungraded
-Re-foleyed the Falcon escape from Starkiller Base, added extra shot of the ships going to Hyperspace, changed musical cue to end on that shot, and removed music from the arrival at D-Qar
-Updated contributor list and added them to the credits

-Adjusted numerous other audio glitches throughout the edit, moved stereo music to proper stereo tracks
-Probably some other small changes that I’m just forgetting 😉

Thanks y’all! Of course, none of it would have happened without everyone here.

JJB, that’s a good point about ‘forgive me’, though I’m sure that when V2 is ready there will be such progress in AI that you’ll be providing flawless alternate readings.

…

Okay, Hal has just gotten the 30GB V1.1 video, and it will soon be on the 'spleen and in the normal place, so if you have a link from him for V1, I am told this should still work fine.

The 5GB V1.1 video is also now in my folder where V1 and the workprints were, should you desire that one.

sherlockpotter said:

NeverarGreat said:

I’m not entirely opposed to the idea of a full fanedited sequel trilogy, but the amount of work needed for TROS is almost beyond what I believe this community could accomplish.

Not to say that good TROS edits can’t be made, of course, just that I have very specific demands 😉

ifjg said:

NeverarGreat said:

Okay, Version 3:

https://mega.nz/file/LcFHED4R#Oamj_r5X0Ql_pnGOSl_iA7GR4VYvF-vB9icqHuaq6GM

I’m fairly happy with it now. It will never be perfect, but it’s a big value add to the plot and I think solves the final logic issue of Restructured.

With that, I’m about ready to render Starlight V 1.1! If anyone has any final comments about the workprint, do let me know soon, otherwise you will need to wait until V2 😉

The sync looks really good, but the change in tempo when “he worked on the base” starts is noticeable. Maybe adjust the speed just a little to match?

I had adjusted Poe’s original line in speed just a bit, but for full integration that may have to wait for V2.

Sherlock and I have found a few more places with monaural sound, so those are fixed and V1.1 is rendering.

Well, I found a VFX error in tonight’s render (a deleted layer) so I’ll have to pick it back up again tomorrow.

Funny thing is that this went from a finished effects shot to a broken one sometime between my pre-V1 workprints and V1’s release, which means that nobody, including myself, caught this for years. Ah well, I guess it must not have been too bad then, but I’ll leave it to you to guess what shot is messed up. I’ll give you a hint: it’s the main object of the shot, pretty much in the center of the frame.

Hal 9000 said:

“And then Palpatine turned out to be behind it all, Rey found out she was his granddaughter and she blew him up. FIN”

It’s just so satisfying. Literally crying in the theater. Beautiful.

A duology would definitely be always a bit of an exercise in unfinished potential, but one I could live with.

I’m not entirely opposed to the idea of a full fanedited sequel trilogy, but the amount of work needed for TROS is almost beyond what I believe this community could accomplish.

I say almost, but with all the new AI tools becoming available, I’m not so sure. Maybe AI and the skill of our creators may one day allow for a true Snoke Mastermind edit (an edit where Rey’s Palpatine lineage is an illusion, Palpatine himself is an illusion, and the fleet is an illusion, all created by Snoke).

Also, JJB, I tried using the AI ‘Finn’ beginning but I think the original works best here.

I’m hoping to render the final file tonight, so if there are any final requests, now’s the time.

It’s true.