Octorox

Hal 9000 said:

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.

Anakin Starkiller said:

Can someone explain to me why the additional shots of Mustafar have been mirrored?

So that screen direction remains consistent.

GLogus said:

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.

So you all have convinced me to experiment with cutting the Droid Factory again. I made some additional cuts so it seems less like they’re sneaking in, which to me was the primary issue with cutting it in the first place. Let me know what you all think: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12JMzzdD8iNpD0_Bmg45y-JVTjF8ONHE-/view?usp=sharing

This edit is really cool, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Having Rey explicitly tap into the dark side in TFA is not something that would have occurred to me, but it makes so much sense considering where the sequel trilogy ends up going, and it’s pulled off flawlessly. I also appreciated the reintegrated deleted scenes, especially the scene with Han’s dice, since it nicely reminds the audience that they’re a thing and gives some extra emotional resonance to the scene in TLJ where Luke passes them on to Leia.

There were a couple things I was less keen on though. Overlaying Han and Leia’s dialogue before Kylo murders Han felt a little heavy-handed and Un-Star Warsy. The only other example of this kind of thing I can think of is when Anakin is waiting in the council chamber in Episode III and hears Palpatine’s words about saving Padme echoed. I don’t really like it there either and I think the scene works just as well without it.

The other thing that I found a little inconsistent was the color grading. It mostly looked good and was reminiscent of TLJ, but in some scenes the strong golden tint made it feel more like I was watching Lord of the Rings than Star Wars, which usually has pretty neutral colors. I also wasn’t really a fan of the grading in Jakku. I get what you were going for but in one shot the sand can look bright white and then in the next it looks brown. I also felt that it led to unnatural looking skin tones in some shots. The changes may help differentiate Jakku from Tatooine a bit but end up making it look more like Crait, which kind of defeats the purpose in my opinion.

Overall though, I think this is the best edit of The Force Awakens yet! If it weren’t for those couple of things, this would immediately replace Restructured as my go-to. As it is, it’s kind of a toss up for me but I think it will please many others. Well done.

theprion said:

GLogus said:
I think your v2 is the quintessential AotC edit. Well done.

I second this.

As much as I welcome most of the changes though, I’m sticking with V1 solely because of the Droid Factory being absent.

I applaud Octorox’ sensibilities as well and his promptness to improve on his own work while open to feedback.

Well done indeed!

The funny thing is I thought I had left a version of the droid factory in V1 until I rewatched the edit. I think taking it out was a very last minute change. I’m going to leave it for now but if I keep getting the same feedback I’m not opposed to looking at it again.

GLogus said:

I just want to start by saying that I think one of your greatest strengths as a editor is that you have fantastic sensibilities. Your cuts are neither too conservative, nor too liberal, but are always just right. I’m just a guy who loves fanedits, and I really believe you have the best TPM and AotC edits, period. Anybody who hasn’t seen them should check them out.

At the end of the day, if I really have a vision for how a Star Wars fanedit should be, I should just do it myself. Chances are you know these movies better than me, and that you’ve thought about how to improve them more than I have. Therefore, I will try to be brief in addressing your points:

Regarding the decapitation scene, you make a very good point. Palpatine has betrayed Dooku and it is worthwhile to see the look on Dooku’s face when he realizes it. It is, however, Anakin’s story, after all, and I think it serves Anakin’s character better to kill Dooku impulsively and then regret it immediately afterwards. Palpatine is also a master manipulator. The fact that he could set up events so that Anakin would kill Dooku without even being told is good foreshadowing for what will come later (i.e., manipulating the Senate in very subtle, covert ways to “kill” the Republic) as well as a good indicator from the outset of where Palpatine and Anakin’s relationship currently stands. Palpatine is a puppeteer pulling the strings long before Anakin full-on pledges his allegiance to him.

On leaving Obi Wan behind, I agree (as per your subsequent edit) that once is enough, i.e., Palpatine says leave him behind, Anakin says no, and they move on.

On the “Roger” bit, I’m mostly agnostic. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it either. I really like camp and humor in films. My issue here, however, is more that it seems like the actors goofing off, rather than the characters. It comes across to me as bloopers or outtakes. That may not be the case at all, it’s just how it comes across to me personally.

On Padme dying of a broken heart. Yes, for me it was the issue of the droid saying there was nothing wrong with her medically, which still implies she has lost the will to live. I get that Lucas was trying to model this after a Shakespearean tragedy of sorts, but people don’t literally die of broken hearts (and it’s a betrayal of her character).

On Vaders tantrum. Maybe we’ve just gotten used to hearing it, but I remember being in the theatre and hearing Vader’s “Nooooooo” for the first time. I remember the laughter and groans it elicited from the audience. I will admit L8wrtr’s solution isn’t perfect, but for me, I don’t necessarily need to see Anakin’s reaction to Padme’s death. Rather, knowing that he is going to find out soon and have to live with that for the rest of his life is still satisfying to me as a viewer. L8’s edit is weighty and sad without overstating things.

On Mace saying he doesn’t trust Anakin. Yes, I agree, and I really like that scene you’ve included of Obi Wan and Mace from AotC.

In the sequel trilogy, I see the First Order as incompetent, man-baby wannabes. However, this is not how I see the Empire, which is what the First Order is trying to emulate. To me, the Empire is actually pretty terrifying, including its Emperor. So seeing Palpatine get hilariously thrown over that chair just doesn’t fly with me (no pun intended). If it was General Hux, I might in fact love it, but not when it’s Darth Sidious.

My only intent in writing this post and my prior one was to say that L8wrtr’s edit of RotS is pretty damn good. Hal 9000 is true professional, and I appreciate his work. I just wanted to point out that there may be instances where L8wrtr has made the stronger, more competent cut.

Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my feedback. It is easy to criticize after all, whereas you have actually gone through the time and effort of making these great fanedits. Again, thank you and well done.

No worries, thanks again for your comments! The revised version of the edit with a few of your suggested tweaks is now available.

It’s definitely better. I think what’s throwing me off is that he’s inflecting downward on both words. It gives it that trademark sentence mixing feel rather than sounding like a natural line delivery.

GLogus said:

I just watched v2 of your edit. I think it is an improvement over all. However, I’m curious why you decided to reinstate the droid factory action sequence.

My main reason was that rewatching the movie, I felt it was a bit abrupt that Padme and Anakin just sneak in through a side entrance and in the next scene they’re at the table with Dooku. Why not go in through the front door then? What is their plan?

After that, they seem to give up immediately on a diplomatic solution and are captured in like 20 seconds. The fact that Anakin doesn’t break out his saber at this point only makes sense if he’s been disarmed, but we don’t really have anything to imply that without the previous scene of them being cornered and captured by Jango.

I’m not a big fan of the droid factory, but it just felt like there was something missing.

Already made the following changes based on feedback:

-Palpatine no longer explicitly instructs Anakin to kill Dooku. He merely implies it. Slowed down a shot of Palpatine so that he still exchanges a knowing glance with Dooku before the decapitation.
-Anakin shoots down Palpatine’s advice to leave Obi-Wan behind the first time, rather than having to be pushed twice.
-Mace no longer expresses distrust of Anakin when conversing with Obi-Wan and Yoda on the LAAT
-Trimmed a few shots where Yoda uses a Force push on Palpatine to make it seem a little less hokey.
-As in L8wrtr’s edit, the medical droid no longer expresses that Padme is “perfectly healthy” or is confused over why she is dying.
-The Vader scene fades to black after he replies “Yes, Master” like in l8wrtr’s edit

I will be holding off on download requests until I upload the next version.

sherlockpotter said:

Somewhat rough attempt at the full “Captain Hux,” if we think that way makes more logical sense.

https://streamable.com/wyu3tn

Still sounds a bit cobbled together. I honestly liked just “Captain” more. You can tell he’s looking right at him.

Thanks for your feedback. I want to address some of your points specifically:

On Anakin’s decapitation of Dooku:
I considered having him decapitate Dooku immediately as in L8wrtr’s edit, but there’s a moment I really like where Dooku locks eyes with Palpatine as he orders Anakin to kill, and realizes he’s been played. I find this to be a fitting end to his story, especially considering the machinations we get with Ventress and Savage Opress in The Clone Wars, where Dooku is essentially forced to give up his own ambitions as a Sith in order to prove his loyalty to Palpatine. If Anakin cuts his head off immediately, we don’t get that element.

On Palpatine urging Anakin to leave Obi-Wan behind:
I take your point that Palpatine’s attempts to manipulate Anakin here are pretty obvious, but I thought it was important to show that at this point, Anakin’s bond with Obi-Wan is still strong and not so easily broken. I think it’s doubly important to emphasize this since I cut out Anakin’s “I’m not leaving without you Master” moment earlier in the film.

On Anakin and Obi-Wan saying “Roger”:
Why you dislike this bit is kind of why I liked it. So much of the “humor” in the prequels feels really forced and stagey to me, and I liked that this moment had an off-the-cuff, naturalistic feel. It seemed like two friends joking around, which is kind of what I wanted more of from Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship.

Padme dying of a broken heart:
I agree, which is why I cut out the “she lost the will to live” line. What else would you suggest I do here? I’ll have to look at l8wrtr’s edit again to see how he approached it.

Vader’s tantrum:
I like how l8wrtr’s edit approaches this in theory but I do think it’s kind of important to show Vader’s regret here. The scene sucks, but the alternative is just to have Vader resigned to his fate, which is where he arrives in later movies. Here I feel his emotions would be more raw. Do you have any suggestions as to how I might tackle this?

Mace not trusting Anakin:
This is a fair point, and I’ll consider making these cuts. It is a little weird since in my cut of Attack of the Clones, his advice to Obi-Wan is “you should trust him to choose the right path.”

Yoda throwing Palpatine over the chair:
I couldn’t find a seamless way to cut this without slashing the entire lightning sequence as L8wrtr did. I’ll take another look.

It’s been almost a decade since I first dabbled with editing the prequels, and I think I finally have a trilogy I’m fairly happy with. Obviously I could keep making tweaks forever, but frankly I think I’m ready to put these projects behind me. “Another Happy Sanding” is ready for release and uploading as we speak. Please PM for a link, I’ll try to send some out tomorrow.

My overall philosophy with this particular edit was to focus on making a lot of small changes that add up to something greater, rather than radically altering the structure or flow of the film. Like always, Hal9000’s edit was a big influence and a primary source for this edit, but “Another Happy Sanding” diverges from “Labyrinth of Evil” in that it attempts to preserve the original structure of the movie. Like in the original film, Anakin’s fears of Padme’s demise serve as the primary impetus for his fall.

While I’ve made some cuts of my own, I’ve also restored some fan-favorite lines and moments of camp, like most of Yoda & Palpatine’s duel. It’s silly, but it’s fun & inventive and I miss its presence in other edits. I hope this edit strikes a good balance for most people.

Like the theatrical film, Padme dies at the end of this edit. I went with this ending partially in order to preserve canon, and partially because I feel like it’s the natural conclusion the movie is leading up to. I’m honestly pretty divided on this particular question though, so I may at some point upload an “alternate ending” version that concludes like “Labyrinth of Evil”, with Padme living on Alderaan. Chime in if that’s something you’d like to see.

Other edits that influenced this one are Kerr’s “Dark Force Rising”, L8wrtr’s “Dawn of the Empire”, NFBism’s “New Canon Cut”, and SiliconMaster482’s “Rebalanced” edit. I also borrowed a snippet of video from Bobson Dugnutt’s “expanded edition”, which originally borrowed from my “extended edition”. The circle is now complete, as Anakin would say.

Sade1212 provided a visual effects shot that was originally created for Hal’s edit but never used. Keep an eye out for it.

Last but not least, here is the mostly complete, but not exhaustive, cut-list: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g2NmJYOkNHSzvguMgKMvTYaCcPSQqwOKI6nQNjMoxQM/edit?usp=sharing

I hope you enjoy and may the Force be with you!