NeverarGreat

Someone asked me how I removed the timecode on that one shot of the Leia scene. There are certainly better ways of doing this, but this method works so I thought I’d share it here as well.

SirRidley did most of the timecode removal in this scene, I just fixed the timecode on one shot.

I used Premiere, though After Effects would be ideal, but work with what you’ve got. For the shot in question, I had to do several things to remove the timecode. First, examine the entire shot to make sure that you can fill in any missing details. An obscured face, for example, may be very difficult to recover. For this shot I had to recreate the missing detail on the display, and also recreate the back of the technician’s head:

Next, in Photoshop, I took a still from the end of the shot where the most display detail was visible and used elements from the visible parts of the display to recreate the rest of it. Then I reduced the noise on the image in Photoshop, so that a new grain layer could be applied to the video later. I then imported this image patch into Premiere. If you’re using another software, you can export this patch as a TIFF with transparency for similar results.

Since I was using the last image in the shot, I worked backwards to animate the movement of the still image to match the gate weave and motion of the shot. I made a keyframe every two frames, but for best results I recommend going frame by frame. Another trick when using Photoshop is to import a still image of the untouched timecode and use that when matching the movement of the shot. This will make it much easier to know that you’re matching the elements correctly, since you’re matching the still-image timecode to the moving video timecode. After you’ve got good image registration you can simply replace the image of the timecode with the patch, and you’re good to go.

Next, I had to fix the top of the technician’s head. This was another Photoshop patch, using detail from the visible portion of the head and clone-stamping this detail into a new shape.

Because the head is moving through the shot, I had to animate this still image to match the movement. I also blended into another still image at the end of the shot to simulate the light bleed from the spotlight behind her.

Next, I added grain to the images. Six percent seemed about right for this shot, but if you’re working in a program that doesn’t allow moving grain on still shots, you may need to export your work at this stage and import that video, re-masking the timecode areas so that you can apply grain to a moving video.

For this particular shot I also had to include a braid removal by Sir-Ridley, which is why the right side of the image changes color slightly.

When everything is right, the last step is to color correct the entire shot as one.

And that’s it! This shot took the better part of a day, so you can imagine the work involved for an entire scene. Of course, there are probably better ways to do this in After Effects, but this is the low-tech solution.

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compare/screenshotcomparison/WK7NNN8X

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Jumanji and its sequel feel like the first two Alien movies in miniature: The first goes for a slower, darker, more scary experience, and the sequel goes action adventure.

It’s also surprisingly funny.

DominicCobb said:

People realize how easy it is to “fly” in space right? You don’t have to to be Superman or Mary Poppins. It’s space. People realize this, right? Right?

This is one area where Star Wars has always done whatever the hell it wants, physics be damned. Constant thrust should equate to constant acceleration, but in the Star Wars galaxy ships fly at a constant speed no matter how much they run the engines. In a fully realistic version of the Leia scene, the increasing acceleration of a cruiser constantly firing its engines would soon overtake the body of a person traveling at a constant speed due to an explosive decompression.

The big difference between TFA and TLJ that I’ve noticed is that JJ is able to make the characters feel believable while they often act out of character, whereas Rian is often unable to make their actions believable even as they act much more in character.

In short, TFA is manipulative yet effective, TLJ is natural yet ineffective.

Anakin Starkiller said:

It fails as a prediction as well. Like I said, if Lucasfilm did want to kill Leia before IX, they would’ve done it in VIII. They could’ve easily had her not float back to the ship from the vaccum of space, and the plot wouldn’t suffer.

Except that there would be an even more massive outcry about how the fans were robbed of a Luke/Leia reunion.

TavorX said:

Collipso said:

Another nitpicky thing: why was Luke alive? If he wanted to die, honestly, why didn’t he just kill himself? Like, really, it took him a long while to decide that he should do something worthwhile.
“I came here to die” well just jump from the cliff buddy you’ll be dead in 5 sec!! It would have been the easiest way for the Jedi to end and etc. (and this is actually a very serious matter)

That question has been on my mind as well, but I was surprised to see no one bring it up until now. He came there to die… and yet he’s busy trying to… survive? Definitely lost on me.

Luke, the complete failure, even getting death wrong.

Yeah, the first version gets closest to my ears.
If it had slightly lower pitch and a bit of reverb, it might be improved.

Kylo Approves

AbramPT said:

The voice in the recording is yours truly! To my ear, the accent is quite similar to the original recording, but something I would like to do differently is record from a greater distance from the mic so that I can speak more aggressively and loudly and maybe get that “poshness” that you mentioned. It might also sound more natural when integrated with the rest of the clip.

Also, is the less than stellar quality of the recording coming through or does it sound okay? I’ve only been able to listen to it on my phone since I’m at work.

It sounds very good to me, but the greater distance might indeed make it that much better.

There’s something special about Rey. Since it’s highly unlikely that it’s a case of famous parents, the other obvious explanation is that the Force was awakened in her for some purpose, and I think it’s logical to conclude that it’s for the purpose of finding Luke due to her proximity to the Falcon and so forth.

I don’t think that just anyone can be a Jedi, you have to have a special talent for it. But to some extent, everyone in this universe can be attuned to the Force. The Force controls a person’s actions, but very few manage to get the Force to obey their commands.

Maybe when Luke closed himself off from the Force, it was ‘awakened’ in the person most likely to find him and bring him back. This person is Rey, who in addition to being familiar with the ship belonging to Luke’s oldest friend, is also close to a Church of the Force, the members of which are busy trying to find the First Jedi Temple.

That may just be the Force for you, but it sure would be nice if there was more of a hint in the original movie.

And here is the complete scene:

https://mega.nz/#!fYkB3JqT!vuMKA13Sbr9KLtpdzn0WBOLG_tPBZJJ-x0tkG8IMhok

I took the LUT back out and tweaked the colors again to make it more similar to the rest of the film. I think I’m finally happy with it.

Sheesh.
😃

Collipso said:

Eh I get that you’re excited about Rey redefining what means to be a Jedi but isn’t that exactly what Luke did/was expected to do post-RotJ??? I mean, they literally picked his character arc, re skinned it and just gave him anew character arc to fit in with the new Luke. So, in a way, Luke’s also just plot device. Only in a way though.

That’s not entirely true. Yoda wanted Luke to ‘pass on what you have learned’, implying that the Jedi would come back, or return, as they were before the purge. There was no talk of ‘redefining what it means to be a Jedi’. In TLJ, Luke explicitly states that the Jedi should end, and specifically avoids teaching Rey the rules and dogma of the Jedi. She really is free to make her own way.

DrDre said:

Here’s “the guy” again with his spoiler review of TLJ:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOdobc7jtQo

He asks a good question, that I actually had not considered (and neither did RJ apparently): if admiral Holdo can lightspeed through Snoke’s ship to allow the rebels to escape, and we know they’re going pick them off one by one once the chase begins at the start of the film, why didn’t any of the rebels (or better yet a droid) sacrifice themselves at the beginning of the plot by having one of the cruisers lightspeed through Snokes ship, such that everyone can escape?

That was my first thought upon seeing it:

NeverarGreat said:

Sure, I could pick apart the logical gaps in the spaceship pursuit and the Godspeed Maneuver™, but that’s for a future fanedit.

This is actually one of my main complaints about the movie, since it’s such an awesome moment that it really needs to be logically solid to have that same impact over multiple viewings. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to come up with a justification, and the only thing I can think of is that the damage to a ship would be exponentially increased with the size of the vessel. Mere fighters or support ships wouldn’t do that damage, nor even the old Calamari cruisers. And since a capital ship of that size is so valuable, to destroy it in this manner would probably not cross anyone’s mind.

That’s my answer for now.

suspiciouscoffee said:

I just wrote a draft of a short story. If I were to post it, should I post it here in off topic, or in the script writing section even though it’s not a script?

Scriptwriting! That place needs more activity.

Excellent work, that.

screams in the void said:

After seeing the Last Jedi , I felt compelled to update my gallery with a comic book cover I created depicting a scene from it . This composition sprang to mind as soon as I saw it …https://screamsinthevoid.deviantart.com/

Really good stuff.

Thing of it is, opening on Canto might not even require rearranging the Resistance plot if nothing before that is essential information.

I don’t know about that, there was no explanation for him waking up in this movie that I can remember.

What if the beginning of this movie was excised entirely?

Begin the film with an opening crawl informing us that the First Order has found the Resistance and chased them across the galaxy, Ren has completed his training with Snoke, and Snoke wants Leia alive in order to find the Last Jedi. Then go to the scene of Rey on the island and imply through those scenes that it is some time before we meet the rest of our heroes again.

You could cut out the Resistance escape and Poe’s hothead moves, Rose’s sister’s sacrifice, Snoke’s first scene with Ren, Finn waking up, Rose meeting Finn, all that. The first scene of the Resistance could be on Canto Bight. It would be assumed that Finn is on some secret mission with another member of the Resistance, and I think they even explain their mission while there (which was unnecessary in the film originally, but would make more sense here). We can assume that Finn and Rose have had a longer-term relationship than what we’ve seen, which might help with the awkward kiss at the end. And we already know that Poe is a hothead, so his first scene is somewhat superfluous anyway.

Is there anything that we simply can’t lose from the beginning of the Resistance plot? I have still only seen this once, so my memory is fuzzy.

DrDre said:

DominicCobb said:

NeverarGreat said:

I’m not saying that the Jedi are evil. Their teachings, however, seem to create as many problems as they solve which is why I’m hopeful that in Episode 9 Rey grows beyond their rules and begins a far better practice.

I agree, and I think the film suggests that will be the case.

It certainly does from a certain point of view. She’s learned next to nothing from the last jedi, and has to figure everything out for herself. That pretty much guarantees a different practise.

Sorry, I will shut up now… 😉

I’m glad that what she did seem to learn was about the balance of the Force.

I’m not saying that the Jedi are evil. Their teachings, however, seem to create as many problems as they solve which is why I’m hopeful that in Episode 9 Rey grows beyond their rules and begins a far better practice.

Sir Ridley said:

Great job with that time code removal! However, you can still see a faint outline of her braid so perhaps you need to adjust the mask a bit.

That’s what I get for putting the video at 50% opacity. 😛

https://mega.nz/#!bdlQ1L4D!y-lHaQIpMNSPOusEacAigT4to_Mkjq5_mg6IS4ULrJg

The more I think about it, the more I appreciate what RJ did with this.

By amplifying the idea of the Jedi as a fatally flawed dogma, it turns the triumphant finale of the Original Trilogy into a threat. With The Return of the Jedi, the galaxy is forced to endure yet another war caused by this religion.

And so The Return of the Jedi becomes the giant looming question, the impossible task, the paradox that the final trilogy must solve.

Is this why so many people disliked TLJ, because it confirms what George was trying to say throughout the prequels?

Sorry to have to tell you this, but that stuff’s technically canon.