I might as well repost this one I pitched in the Ascendant thread:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rst8qcQxH_r1c_e0y8TYtoMxmrNF4_si/view?usp=sharing
I’ll reconsider my list of changes, but I really do wish to remain distinct from Starlight and avoid bending too much in its direction, even to include stuff I like. It’s there to be viewed in its own right, after all. One thing that may not be obvious unless you’re thinking about going about editing is that Starlight is sort of a gordian knot and some things about it I like only work alongside more extensive changes.
I don’t plan to use the dice scene or Falcon deleted scene, as much as I enjoy them, for instance. Not wanting a huge revamp, just that there’s a few things Starlight presents that enhance TFA:R’s existing goals.
Sounds like I may have to make my own edit that splits the difference between TFA:R and Starlight then 😛
Btw, I recently watched Restructured with a friend. She mostly loved it, but she felt the scene where Snoke orders Hux to fire the laser again at the Resistance Base was abrupt and drew attention to the fact that it was a fan edit. I’m wondering if that scene is ultimately even necessary?
I wouldn’t add the whispers when Rey shoots the Stormtroopers, or remove the reference to the Death Star (I kind of like that bit of lampshading, even if it is a bit too cute by half.)
Personally I also don’t think the thumbs up moment lands as well without BB8 divulging the base location but I could go either way on that.
Otherwise I agree with everything on your list.
The scene from Starlight I would most want to see brought in is Han hanging up the dice in the Falcon cockpit.
Honestly I think you could be a little more liberal in borrowing changes and this edit would still have a unique identity and reason for being. Imo Starlight’s biggest swing is changing Rey’s arc from a traditional hero’s journey to a more ominous dark-side adjacent thing. That is a clear change in tone and intent which deviates from what the original film was trying to do. The color grading and voiceover changes also feel more editorial: an attempt to shape the film into something else than what I was. I think if you keep these changes out but bring in moments like Han’s dice, the restructured Starkiller base firing sequence, and Kylo on the Falcon, you could make a definitive edit for those who just want an enhanced cut of the original film, rather than something that radically alters the tone and intent.
Very much agree with all of Sherlock’s criticisms, however I don’t agree about the Sith eyes. I feel like the moment does have an impact and if they were too glowy they would start to look hokey to me, like the sharp teeth in Rise of Skywalker. I’m a little on the fence about Sith eyes as a concept as is, they work with Revenge of the Sith’s operatic maximalism but they almost seem too silly and obvious for a more grounded movie like this one.
Just an idea 😏 : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rst8qcQxH_r1c_e0y8TYtoMxmrNF4_si/view?usp=sharing
So, apparently Tiktok of all places has a C3PO AI text-to-speech voice available to play with, along with a Stormtrooper and Chewbacca voice. Sample:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rv9EcW2TC9fCRJgC9_uYJWkrCp8XYXGZ/view?usp=sharing
If there were a Kylo Ren voice it would have been a great boon to Rey nobody edits, but maybe C3PO could be used for something else? I know some people had hope it were possible to create an edit where C3PO’s memory is not restored.
Now that Ascendant V2 is out, I made a Google Doc with what are think are the minimum dialogue changes needed to sell Rey Nobody. Most of these changed were inspired by (or copied from) DominicCobb’s workprint: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cPqS3MOUOwC-t1xQu4rbxbzq4laJ996bjQDPIViOmUI/edit?usp=sharing
I’d like to put together a workprint myself with these changes, I just need to figure out a lossless audio workflow.
Have you cobbled together Kylo saying “but you aren’t”? That’s an interesting idea.
It’s not exactly that, but I’ve tried cobbling something together through sentence mixing. I don’t think it quite sounds right but maybe someone better with audio could take a stab at it. Could this be a good use case for AI?https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RkCrYS16oduwY3fCLmUbkxXAKzjgLhAV/view?usp=sharing
It could be cute as a post-credits scene, but I don’t think it belongs in the movie proper.
Now that Ascendant V2 is out, I made a Google Doc with what are think are the minimum dialogue changes needed to sell Rey Nobody. Most of these changed were inspired by (or copied from) DominicCobb’s workprint: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cPqS3MOUOwC-t1xQu4rbxbzq4laJ996bjQDPIViOmUI/edit?usp=sharing
I’d like to put together a workprint myself with these changes, I just need to figure out a lossless audio workflow.
Have you cobbled together Kylo saying “but you aren’t”? That’s an interesting idea.
Not yet. That one is kind of wishful thinking but I’m going to try.
I exported a ProRes master file from FCP7 to import into FCPX for color grading. Then exported a ProRes master from FCPX and fed that to Compressor 4 (current version) for multi-pass, max bitrate encoding to a BluRay-compliant format. (Source material was ripped from BluRay, after all.)
Can you give any examples of compression artifacting you noticed? I can compare and see if they’re in the source, or the ProRes master file.
I will say I noticed a lot of compression artifacts in the catacombs scene on Pasaana (watching the 32GB version) It didn’t take away from my enjoyment too much but I thought it was curious they’d appear in such a high bit-rate file.
Now that Ascendant V2 is out, I made a Google Doc with what are think are the minimum dialogue changes needed to sell Rey Nobody. Most of these changed were inspired by (or copied from) DominicCobb’s workprint: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cPqS3MOUOwC-t1xQu4rbxbzq4laJ996bjQDPIViOmUI/edit?usp=sharing
I’d like to put together a workprint myself with these changes, I just need to figure out a lossless audio workflow.
I always compress my edits into zip files before uploading to google drive. It seems to throw off any sort of content ID system that might be in place.
Honestly, I don’t really have problems with the ending as is. On rewatch, the scenes that stuck out to me as dragging things down are the scene where Anakin tells Padme about his dream on the balcony (I kind of agree with Hal that it’s better if Anakin doesn’t share this info with Padme, but I kept it due to wanting to preserve the later apartment scene between the two of them) and the second seeds of the rebellion scene, as it kind of feels like it’s spinning wheels. It’s hard for me to get the idea as a viewer that she might be talking about Obi-Wan because at this point in the movie, they literally haven’t shared a single scene together. I wish the deleted scene between the two of them in Padme’s apartment surfaced, as that really feels like the missing link.
So I know I just released this edit, but I’m already thinking about the possibility of more changes. Quick question: Does anyone feel the second seeds of rebellion scene really adds anything? It’s really unclear whether the Jedi she’s talking about is Anakin or Obi-Wan, and I think the first and third scene would work just fine without the middle one. I’m just trying to find moments where I can speed up the flow of the edit. Any feedback?
Edit: The link should be accessible now.
@sherlockpotter: That’s not correct. I think you’re thinking of a different edit
Here’s a mockup of the hangar scene, using a combination of ideas from DominicCobb’s workprint and my previous mockup. I think “you will kill Palpatine” could sound better, but this was quick and dirty, so I just took it from Dom’s workprint as-is.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14Qju_dgRTU7ABPhcyQ3wtIv8mXs6kB-t/view?usp=sharing
There is a workprint, I’ve seen it. Just give Dom some time to get back to you.
Can someone explain to me why the additional shots of Mustafar have been mirrored?
So that screen direction remains consistent.
This edit is damn near perfect. I’m curious, however, what your reasoning was for cutting down the Obi Wan/Jango Fett fight. Parts of it are ridiculous, to be fair, but other parts are okay. It’s a very small thing that doesn’t detract from my enjoyment of the edit. I really am just curious.
I just felt like a prolonged action scene at that moment slowed down the pace of the movie. I had watched a couple edits that cut it down and felt like they had a better flow.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll look over the audio cuts again. I didn’t notice anything while watching. Are there any others that stood out to you?
EDIT: I fixed the audio glitch when C3PO is given off to Antilles. If there are any other moments that stood out to you, I’d appreciate timestamps.
I noticed that my previous upload included AAC audio, which made the edit not burnable to a Blu-Ray Disc. I’ve fixed this by replacing the audio with ac3. This edit is also now up on FE.org!
The new version without the droid factory is available now at the usual places (or by PM).
Especially because the character literally doesn’t appear in Hal’s Episode III edit.
I plan to do some toying around with Rey Nobody once V2 is released.