Nicholas J. Michalak

My issue with the scene is that Jabba seems entirely inconsistent with the ruthless, merciless gangster we see in Return Of The Jedi.  This scene makes Jabba seem like a bit of a pushover, and not someone to really be afraid of.  Also, has anyone else notice the OBVIOUS editing continuity error here?  The cutaway to Chewie walking away from the entrance to the hangar when he was already walking behind Han & Jabba in the previous and following shots?

-NJM

The 70mm version didn't have the quick fades when Vader & Luke are communicating telepathicly at the end.  So, I would imagine your answer would be the 35mm cut.  Check wookiepedia or wikipedia for info on the differences between the two cuts.

-NJM

For the record, I always just considered Greedo to be a 2nd rate bounty hunter.  Hell, maybe he's a 3rd rate bounty hunter.  He likely was on Jabba's permanent payroll, but wanted to be a big shot by capturing Solo.  He wanted something to gloat about.

Why Boba Fett is lurking around the palace in ROTJ?  Not sure.  Maybe Jabba put him on the payroll as protection, but Fett's an expensive professional.  From whom would Jabba be afraid of coming after him in his own palace to employ Boba Fett at such a high cost.  I'm sure the Hutt's got the money, but that's not the point.  Fett's not the type to just hang around out of luxury.

-NJM

Any new developments on this, Brash?

-NJM

Perhaps George's problem is that he's just never satisfied with anything.  I can understand the conceit that films are never truly completed in that you don't always get 100% of everything you envisioned.  Still, you shouldn't spend 30+ years of your life pining over a trio of films, and never coming to a point of contentment over them.  I'm just surprised that Star Wars is all Lucas does anymore because he must have so many other stories he wants to tell.  Other films about other things he's had stirring in his mind for decades.

Having a passionate point of view is fine because we all love Star Wars in different ways, and this is a place to exchange ideas and opinions.  Ady does what he does because he clearly deeply loves what Star Wars used to be, and wants to restore its magic and grandeur for all to see.

But we've kind of veered off into TV's Frink's avatar, haven't we?

-NJM

Well, to be honest, it wasn't my idea.  This was from a re-edit by SSWR (SomethingStarWarsRelated) @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKtom9v3kL4  I used several of the ideas in that re-edit, added more of the original footage, and used a few different music cues.  I also fixed a continuity error he left in - he still had Anakin's saber get destroyed, and then, showed it working perfectly a moment later.  In my version, as stated in the first post, it can simply be implied that Anakin's saber was confiscated by the Geonosians.  I even added the sound effect of the saber turning off after Jango arrives as a sign of Anakin standing down from the fight.

-NJM

Well, Lucasfilm officially sponsors an annual Star Wars fan film awards.  That says plenty about how open George is about the fandom.

-NJM

I'll just say that Lucas did have good, sometimes great ideas, but he needed the collaborative forum to hone and craft those ideas into what became Star Wars.  As a filmmaker myself, I tell everyone I work with that I haven't thought of every great idea in the world, and I welcome collaborative ideas and alternate viewpoints to create the best film possible.  Yes, I have a very strong and vivid vision of what I want, but if someone can offer up ideas that can make it better, I am all for it.  Somewhere along the way, George Lucas forgot that ideal.

-NJM

Droid Factory Re-Edit w/deleted Dooku/Padmé scene at the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoRKe3dtTPA

Audio mix is not final, and no color correction was applied (if there ends up being any at all for this sequence).  Read the video description for more info.

-NJM

Rogue Leader, I have no doubt in my mind that ESB:R will be far superior to ANH:R.

-NJM

Well, technically, you can't, rcb.  The technique used is essentially using different tracks from the 5.1 audio mix.  Dialogue is usually mainly contained within the center channel, but there is some slight bleed over into the others.  So, if you want to retain the dialogue, dump the other surround tracks, or if you just want music / sfx, do the opposite.

-NJM

I believe I'm going to go back, and re-examine the saturation issue.  It might've been Adywan who mentioned the more muted color schemes of the OT.  The preference I have for the films I create is one of a certain strong saturated color scheme (aside from my B&W film), but where Star Wars is concerned, perhaps I need to examine the opposite ideal.  I'm going to try to find a series of stills from the OT (not the 2004 DVD, mind you), and compare them to the PT.  The most obvious stuff would be Tatoonie, and the asteroid sequences in ESB & AOTC.  Just find shots and scenes with similar color schemes and lighting, and attempt to match the PT to the OT as best possible.  I do like juicy color schemes, and it does appeal to me.  Though, if my intention is to make the PT flow better into the OT in various ways, then color is entirely a major consideration.

Likely, all three edits would be released at the same time.  This is because I don't want to spark an idea in doing ROTS that I want to apply to TPM (whether technical or story related), and already have released TPM.  And editing TPM is exhausting.  Every damn scene needs something trimmed up or color corrected.  Drives me nuts.

Whatever my next video clips is, it's likely to be an action sequence.  Probably my re-edited EP2 droid factory sequence mainly since it's such a different direction with new music and such.

-NJM

In Shadows Of The Empire, Prince Xizor has a cyborg name Guri (who is also an assassin).  So, it is established, at least in the EU, that such technology exists to create droids who look human.

-NJM

Well, I could explain that as the fact that it is sundown into twilight.  By the time Vader has collected his legion of troops to storm the temple, it is well into full nighttime.

-NJM

What Senate shots?  My reasoning for removing the blue is because nowhere else in the film does Coruscant have this blue tint at night.  It's inconsistent.

-NJM

ROTS Jedi Temple March w/Color Correction & Imperial March added: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJrY7Z1Ota4

-NJM

LOL!  On a fluke I saw this on a news piece while flipping onto Fuse.  Just watched it now - hilarious ending!

-NJM

Several of these revisions to the films might not be so bad if they didn't seem like such half-assed rush jobs.  I'm talking more about the 2004 revisions.  Hayden at the end of ROTJ mght be tolerable if they just took the time to do it correctly, and specifically shoot footage of Hayden for that purpose.  Changing Boba Fett's voice is stupid because him being a clone of Jango Fett is stupid.  It serves no purpose to any storyline, plot, or character development.  How does making Boba a clone of Jango improve his character, or serve the plot of AOTC or ESB?  It doesn't.  It's a nonsensical alteration to the character that wasn't needed, and was likely just done because George thought for two seconds it might be "cool."  I think it's creepy that's Jango's acting as father to a clone of himself.

I am in agreement about the Wampa additions.  I might take out a shot or two of it somewhere, but all in all, I think it helps to see the physical size and primal nature of the creature.  Seeing it chewing on the dead Taun Taun with blood dripping down its chin is an unsettling sight.  Would've helped more if they could've gotten both Luke & the Wampa in the same frame.  Something like a shot over Luke's shoulder showing how the Wampa dwarfs him.  Easily done with a stand-in for Mark Hamill.

Now, I think this whole sequence in question would just be better with no dialogue at all.  Vader just storms down the hallway, and they get on the shuttle and go.  There's no need to have any dialogue there if George is gonna show us the shuttle's journey.  Why does the Executor need to be alerted about his arrival BEFORE they even board the ship?  Nothing they can really do until you're close enough to the SSD to begin docking procedures, anyway.

-NJM

Adywan, you have gotten me hooked on The Empire Strikes Back.  I've watched the film in almost every way I have available to me in the last month.  GOUT DVD, your theatrical DVD, the 97 SE, and my old VHS tapes.  I can't get enough of this film in all its forms (aside from the 2004 DVD).  Not sure if that's a thank you, but it's definitely cracked open an entire 1980s childhood nostalgia for me.  So, I suppose it is a thank you.  I'm currently watching the film the way I watched it until 1992 - videotaped off of ShowTime.  Based on nostalgia alone, the original trilogy are the only films I'm willing to watch in pan-and-scan, but I've been a full embracer of widescreen from the first moment I knew of it.

-NJM

I downloaded the clip fine.

-NJM

Bingowings said:

Other space operas take a more 'realistic' approach but they tend to be the less fantasy driven ones with a thicker veneer of Science Fiction about them.

That's why Star Wars should be considered science fantasy instead of science fiction.  Space opera is the more usual term people use, but it's important not to compare the fantastical science of Star Wars with something more clinically scientific like Star Trek.  That's why I don't get the entire Trek vs. Wars clash.  I love them both, but they are of two entirely different molds.

-NJM

My main problem with the matte paintings is that they have no depth of field.  Like when Han & Lando are standing in hangar bay - it's an entirely flat background.  There should be layers of objects out of focus behind them.  I would imagine it would be as easy as isolating different objects in that background into separate layers (if it's as simple as it is in Photoshop), and utilize progressive blurring (or similar) effects.  I would hope that this is something Ady is also fixing in ESB:R.

-NJM

You might just have to soften up the text and drop shadow to make it feel like it's all part of the same image.

-NJM

And of course.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQljzQ_FpUE

-NJM

From the 2001 re-issue of the SE Widescren VHS:

-NJM