I won’t say anymore on it personally, but I’ll share this post that I would recommend reading (check out the whole thread too if you’d like!) that might explain it better than me.
Solution: Make Tatooine a superweapon.
It’s so bad it just might work!
I think Rey clearly thought about joining Kylo Ren at the end of TLJ. She was rather emotional during that whole conversation, and hesitated to refuse him after Kylo told her that she meant something to him.
Sorry, Wook! I’ll drop it.
Do you? You seem to be spouting the same vitriol in any of their comment threads. I’m sure you’re capable of having your own opinion, but when you keep hearing the same criticisms over and over again on a daily basis from these people, it is hard to figure out your own opinion from theirs. It’s so easy to feel like their opinions are facts when you watch enough of them, I understand.
You can talk to me, I’m just asking for people to not jump on the bandwagon when it easy to point fingers at a faceless enemy, or people who can’t defend themselves.
I just want you guys to try to look at things with a more open-mind, and to not let YouTubers be your main source of information.
That’s a fantastic read and very enlightening. Too bad this YouTuber has already deceived his audience, and I wonder if he will make a follow up video actually correcting himself. I doubt it, but who knows.
Hey bob Iger, home you like the site? SWT is far better than you.
It’s like his fans are brainwashed. Can’t even come up with an original insult.
I think Bob Iger has made mistakes with the franchise, like not giving the movies more production time, but at least I’m mature enough to not paint every person I disagree with as a cartoon villain because it makes the chaotic world easier to understand.
These YouTubers are manipulating you. Did you even read the article? But it isn’t like it would even change your mind, these YouTubers have you tied around their finger, taking every word they say as gospel. “Disney is pure evil and only THE TRUE FANS, like Theory and Thor, truly understand it and can save it. Just buy their cool gym wear merch to help support their noble crusade!”
That’s a fantastic read and very enlightening. Too bad this YouTuber has already deceived his audience, and I wonder if he will make a follow up video actually correcting himself. I doubt it, but who knows.
I think their hands were really tied when they decided to end TFA on a cliffhanger, basically having to start off where it was left off with little to no time passing.
Apparently they kept struggling with the script, because as soon as Luke showed up he took the spotlight from the new characters. So Kiri Hart actually had the idea of having Luke be the McGuffin of the story, and then finding him would be the ending of the first film.
Though the characters don’t seem to change that much between the end of 7 and the beginning of 8, so to me I don’t feel any dissonance in that regard.
I do think it would’ve been interesting to see a large First Order fleet assembled over Starkiller before jumping in different directions to invade the major systems in the galaxy. In TFA, we’re left to assume they have a fleet offscreen, which we end up seeing in TLJ. In TFA we only see a few Star Destroyers at most hovering over Starkiller.
I mean, they have had 30 years to assemble a fleet and plan their invasion down to a T, but it would’ve been nice to get a glimpse of that in TFA.
So would he have not made it at all if he knew Disney would claim it?
Man, he is using the Star Wars IP. They have a right to do whatever they want with it. He’s manipulating yours guys’ emotions because he think he is owed money for his hard work.
If it was an original work, sure he would. But it is not. It is a fan film of a Star Wars IP, and he actually has little if any right to it because he doesn’t own the original IP. Of course he can’t make money off a fan film. Just like fan editors shouldn’t make money off their fan edits.
This guy clearly doesn’t have a full grasp on how IP law works, and he should know Disney has an obligation to make claims like this whether they personally want to or not, but he is treating himself like a victim knowing that this could happen.
He just wants you guys to feel bad for him so you buy his merch. If he really cared about his fans he would try to make them understand more.
If this is really a big deal to him, then I would recommend he take it off YouTube, which already has a cooystrike problem that is a whole other subject (but not like it matters to him because he can’t make money off this regardless), and maybe host the fan film on a site like Vimeo. I would also get his composer to rescore that particular part of the track that pinged on the copyright radar. That’s really all he could do if he doesn’t like Disney monetizing their own IP, which they have a right to do and what every company that owns IP also does.
That’s true too. I don’t think it would hurt to try and push the grass in one direction, and if it is too much, find a happy medium somewhere.
You also will have that wide shot where Rey swoops by the sunset on her way back home. The sun is very visible there so you’ll have a clear shot to illustrate the sun’s color.
Disney is in no way obligated to support this guy creating unofficial content. It was his choice to put the money forward to make this passion project. He is using an IP that he doesn’t own, so Disney has an obligation to claim it.
I get what you’re saying, but Disney has a right to do whatever they want with their IP, and this YouTuber should’ve known this from the beginning. Disney owns Star Wars, bottomline. They have to claim material that falls under their intellectual property. Otherwise, it would set a legal precedent that could lead to their claim of ownership falling apart in court if another party came and wanted to try and use/make money off of any of Disney’s intellectual property. IP law can be a slippery slope. It is really not Disney trying to spit on their fans. It has less to do about what little money they will get from this video and more about protecting their IP.
It is easy to vilify them because they are a faceless company, but them being lenient with one person can be used against them later down the road if another party wanted to take advantage of their goodwill.
Sure, you can call them scummy or douchebags. I personally don’t think things are so black and white, and I kind of think he is playing the victim card just a little to garner more support for himself. But that’s my opinion. I think eventually there will be a way for companies and fans to figure out a better way to make content in agreement, but that has yet to happen, and until then I think it is unfair for him to keep hinting that he should be making money off of a Star Wars fan film. By not being clear about the legalese with his audience, he is stirring up his fans that don’t understand it and creating drama, which could make it harder for other fans to make fan films in the future if it were to set a new precedent.
Like I said, that’s just my opinion. I just think fans shouldn’t make money off of fan films, and that the copyright holder has a right to protect their property. To me, what makes fan films great is the fact that they’re works of pure passion. Once people can make money off of them, it’ll change that.
This whole situation just feels a little manipulative, and I think it is unfair to the fans, especially younger fans, to paint this picture so black and white. But “the fans vs Disney” is easier to understand, and people are drawn to controversy.
And it is not like he is “losing” money. He shouldn’t be making any money off of this anyway even if Disney hasn’t monetized it. No one making a “fan film” should really be making money off their content unless they made some kind of arrangement with the copyright holder. If anything, him feeling entitled to compensation for this could endanger future fan film projects if this stirs up drama.
If you want to make a fan passion project, then make it. But if you want to make money, then don’t. He wanted to make this knowing he couldn’t make any money off of it. Yes, these YouTube copyright claims are getting out of hand, but this situation is different. If they were let him make money off of a fan film, it would set a precedent that would make it more challenging to protect their IP in future situations where other people wanted to make money off of unofficial Star Wars content. It is not personal whatsoever.
But of course, apparently no one understands copyright law and thinks Disney is personally attacking this guy out of spite.
Star Trek fans have so much trouble with Paramount/CBS over making Trek fan films, whereas Lucasfilm/Disney have been pretty lenient, and Lucasfilm has had fan film awards for years, and still do. But now this guy makes a video like this and acts like a victim? Man, you know going into this you can’t make money off a IP that you don’t own. If you want to make money, make something original. That’s it.
After seeing this, plus Thor’s video, I can’t believe how entitled both Star Wars Theory and Thor Skywalker are. Just because they make Star Wars videos that makes them think Disney should be thanking them? That they owe them something? Especially considering how much they complain about the new films they still want to act like that?
God, it makes me sick how they just manipulate the emotions of their audience. I wish they would both get off YouTube or maybe stop talking about Star Wars if they hate it so much. This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen from the fan base so far. I just wish it would stop.
EDIT: Seriously, these YouTubers are MANIPULATING YOU. They want your views, your subscriptions, your money on their side of a straw man debate. It is really disgusting how they are acting. Acting so coy, like they’re innocent. They either know exactly what they’re doing, or have just managed to create a platform to preach their very biased, narrow-minded and narcissistic opinions and have managed to get the attention of a young, naive audience who can’t do their own research or have their own opinions. I’m really tired of this side of the community. There is just so much truth in the phrase, “no one hates Star Wars more than Star Wars fans”. Look no further.
DOUBLE EDIT: I’m just sitting here thinking how much time I wasted typing my issues with this whole situation. Seriously, all of this stupid drama about an entitled YouTuber who is stirring it up to get more attention. This is exactly what he wants. The best thing to do would be to move on with our lives. What a waste of time over this complete nonsense. I just want to sleep and forget about this.
Yeah, I see what you’re saying. I think more of the orange tones in the sunset shots could be removed, and maybe those shots could be given a bluer tone, maybe? Color-wise sunset doesn’t feel super distinct from midday.
Like Dom said, you start seeing that orange come back in the sand and her skin reflection during sunset, but if that could be toned down, or somehow replaced with another tone that might help.
Honestly the regrade idea is growing on me a little, especially with the limbo/purgatory analogy appropriate with Jakku being “nowhere”, and the parallels with the Wizard of Oz, which feels like something JJ/Kennedy would’ve actually gone for.
Also, could job on retaining things like the reds, blues, and skin tones as well.
But that said, I dig the heck out of your posts and once again have been given something to think about…
Aw, thanks Maul! I’m glad at least one person likes my ramblings!
And I do get what you’re saying. While it doesn’t bother me too much, and I think Dom brings up an noteworthy perspective, since Rey was already a girl of focus, maybe they could’ve shown Rey take a little more effort to do certain things. But luckily that’s what things like fan edits are for!
I think Nev had a good idea about splitting her mind trick attempt in half, so she tries once and fails, then later she tries again and succeeds.
This is another reason why I think it is good to trim the Rather scene and cut Rey saving Finn from one of them.
I personally kinda wish Rey would’ve stretched out both of her hands when lifting up all of those rocks at the end of TLJ, which I know is a little trivial but it does show a little extra effort. I think a skilled editor could actually do this. Minor, but something I’d like to see.
This is another reason why I would keep the Caretakers. One trait of a Mary Sue is that everyone loves her, and the Caretakers clearly aren’t too fond of Rey. Haha.
When it comes to editing I try to approach things in a “less is more” kind of way. Like, what would be the smallest changes that would have the biggest impact on your perception of your character, in your opinion?
Could you elaborate on your thoughts, Dom? Curious what you’re thinking.
Thanks Dom. I agree, there does seem to be an implication of that, but I like that it isn’t ever overtly stated as such, because I want it to be something that is open to interpretation.
That is interesting to me. A lot of people talked about how the line, “This will be begin to set things right.” was an indirect jab at the prequels, but a moment later Tekka continues saying, “Without the Jedi, there can be no balance in the Force.” Balance in the Force, being a concept introduced in the prequels. Not saying these things were or weren’t intentional, but I definitely like the juxtaposition. I still kind of have a hunch that the title for IX could be “Balance of the Force”, but regardless of the title, I do think this question of balance will be addressed/resolved in some way, especially with the cyclic nature of light and darkness being an apparent theme in the new trilogy.
Huh, with that lighting it definitely makes it feel like Jakku is like some kind of purgatory, you know? Like Davy Jones’ Locker in Pirates of the Caribbean. Pretty interesting. My only concern would be that the color grade makes it less visually appealing, sort of being desaturated like that. It would make her reaction to the colorful Takodana make even more sense though. It would be like Dorothy leaving sepia Kansas and arriving in technicolor Oz. And it does help make it more visually distinct from Tatooine. I’m not getting the idea that the sun is blue, though. That idea did make me think of this video talking about Martian sunsets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLc7YDJArRo
Personally, I think the emphasis on its parallels with Taoism describe the Force perfectly, which were partially set up by Lucas in Star Wars (influenced by the growing of New Age movement in California) but extrapolated by Kershner, who was a Buddhist himself, in Empire Strikes Back.
Particularly, the way Luke and Rey portray the Force is like a Taoist trying to achieve wu wei, which literally means without action/effort/control. It can be better understood by the term wei wu wei, or effortless action. Think of it like an athlete being “in the zone”. Doing without thinking.
If you compare the Force with the Tao, basically the Path/Way of the universe, then idea is to let go of your own desires and let the current of the universe take you where you need to go.
You can see this multiple times, with Luke destroying the Death Star, to him taking a deep breath and then reaching for his lightsaber in the Wampa cave, to him calling out to Leia beneath Cloud City. It’s about clearing your mind, letting the Force take over. It always has been, and I think us seeing it otherwise was influenced by not only extended material, but our pop culture and other media as well.
The Force is much more like magic than a martial art, but if I had to describe it as anything it would definitely be Tai Chi. To me, the way Rey is learning the Force doesn’t seem much different.
Also, is it not possible that the Force itself is this dynamic thing that changes between the trilogies? In the prequels, it apparently took around 20-25 years to become a Jedi Knight. For Luke, he became a Jedi Knight basically in one year. If you were to put that on a graph, there would definitely seem to be a correlation with time.
Although I think much of the Prequel Jedi training had more to do with complex lightsaber techniques and diplomacy education, the Prequel Jedi still didn’t seem to learn as fast as Luke did in the OT, not even Anakin, the apparent Chosen One with 13-14 years of Jedi training, didn’t seem that much more powerful than Luke with 1 year of training (and only a short period of time of official training directly with Yoda, the rest was self taught). I mean, ROTS Anakin probably would’ve whooped ROTJ Luke in lightsaber combat, but that probably goes for any Prequel Jedi. But Force ability wise, doesn’t seem that much different. See what I mean?
The ST, on the other hand, everyone has this raw strength that we’ve never seen before. Kylo Ren stopping blaster bolts IN MID AIR. Pulling information out of people’s minds with little effort. Snoke ragdolling Hux from apparently lightyears away, bridging Rey and Kylo’s minds, casually bouncing lightning off the ground, throwing Rey around in the air like she is weightless. Luke severing his own connection with the Force, blowing up a hut with the flick of the wrist, projecting himself ACROSS THE GALAXY. And of course, Rey’s natural abilities with the Force. Also can’t forget broom kid with no training at all pulling the broom towards himself, almost without thinking (Remember Wu Wei?).
It is almost as if the Force has literally awakened, not only in Rey but across the Galaxy.
I have a little headcanon that is has something to do with the number of Force-users dropping from 10,000 to a half dozen or less within a short amount of time, and that number not growing for decades. It has been dormant, and it is now surging through new Force-users like electricity through a conduit.
But, I hope they never really explain the Force 100% officially. It needs to remain mysterious, because that what makes it so interesting. There should be different philosophies and interpretations, just like any faith.
But to me, the way “the Force works” most closely resembles Taoism. And I think this is being shown in the ST not only its depiction of the Force, but also bring back the shades of grey in what we see as good and evil, as Taoism also recognizes that one thing is not wholly Yin or wholly Yang, but has elements of both Yin and Yang. I should also clarify that Yin and Yang are not equivalent to the Western perspective of good and evil, but moreso the complementary opposites of all things: peace and violence, life and death, selfishness and selflessness.
But this is just my perspective.
The Tao never does anything,
Yet through it all things are done.
If powerful men and women
Could center themselves in it (They can!)
The whole world would be transformed
By itself, in its natural rhythms.
People would be content
With their simple, everyday lives,
In harmony, and free of desire.
When there is no desire,
All things are at peace.
–Chapter 37
To change the subject, I made a thing!
Seeing two dudes smooch in a movie is gonna affect a kid just as much as seeing a girl and a guy smooch, unless of course they have homophobia drilled into their head very early.
If Frink was still around this would be perfect for The Ridiculous Jedi, or whatever he called it.
Could be good for a proper YTP too!
Jesus… This all got started over a fictional character’s sexuality? Interpret the character however you like and leave it at that. Please guys, let’s stop this.
That’s good thinking. At some point I’ll have to make a thread dedicated to sharing my FX shots that fan editors might want to use. I could share some how-to’s as well.
To quote Anakin: Yippee!
Although it definitely will require a little extra work, I definitely think this would be a very useful project, not only for Hal’s cool Special Edition projects but for others as well. I know this is a nice middle-ground idea that other people have thought about too, so I can see future editors really appreciating this particular change.
It’s nice that you apologized. In the future please consider being more civil before you say something that could come off as rude or condescending.
This is such an interesting question. I’m only guessing here, but I wonder if a lot of it has to do with a large percentage of the older fanbase being male (given that Lucas was supposedly aiming the films at 12 year-old boys). I don’t have the stats obviously, but it would make sense that a long-term fanbase would be the ones most heavily invested in matters of canon and consistency. It logically follows that a new fanbase (with more females in it) would be more inclined to see the entire thing through fresh eyes and with less dogged adherence to what has gone before. Plus they (the newer female audience) might be inclined to simply enjoy the female representation in the films without being too concerned with the minutiae of Force abilities and such, while the old guard are more obsessed with what has been previously established (in their own minds as much as official canon).
I stress this is mere speculation!
I could see it being something like this. Where a lot of the criticisms clearly aren’t coming from a place of malice, but a different perspective that is taking all of this other stuff into account.
It kind of goes with my opinion with how people view the Force depending on what all Star Wars content they consumed, whether it be just the OT, or grew up with the prequels, played the video games, read the books, or got introduced with the new movies. I think this can have a big affect on how they see Rey, especially too.
I understand you but it is just weird to me how, generally, guys seem to complain that she is a Mary Sue much more than female fans of the movies. Like I said, generally. I’m sure someone could pull up some YouTube videos of women saying she is a Mary Sue to try to refute my opinion, but even then if you were to flip it around, you would probably have more men saying she isn’t a Mary Sue than women saying she is a Mary Sue.
The Mary Sue claims just seem strangely disproportionate. Yeah, there might be more male Star Wars fan than women, but even if you were to take that into account it still seems like it would be disproportionate on average.
Like I’ve already said, that’s not saying that men who think that are sexist. I AM NOT SAYING THAT. I just think it is worth exploring why a lot of guys seem hung up on it when more female fans seem to accept/enjoy her character without this issue.
If Rey was such a badly written female character, you would think there would be a more vocal concern from the female fan communities who might want better representation, so you would assume you would hear more female fans complaining about it than male fans. But it seems like it is predominantly male fans that are the most vocal regarding this issue, does it not?
I dunno. Just curious to me. I just feel like men and women do have unconscious biases regarding the opposite sex that affect the way we perceive characters of one gender compared to the other (and by extension people in real life). It is just might not be immediately clear to us, and difficult for us to articulate.
I also think the “topical” messages people perceive in the film are the product of our times too, where any kind of political discussion has become even more toxic than it has been (possibly heightened by social media?), has made people more sensitive to things that can be perceived as pro-this or anti-that messaging.
I never felt real-world themes were new to the franchise. I mean come on, the prequels literally had the Trade Federation and other industries start a war to profit off it. The Trade Federation and other companies even had seats in the Senate.
And another thing I always think about was Lucas openly comparing the Emperor in the OT to Nixon, and then comparing Darth Vader and Sidious to Bush and Cheney.
Imagine how people’s reaction would be if Rian or Kennedy said something so blatant.
So if George got away with those comments, what has changed since then that would make then so controversial now? Do you think if George had made the Sequel Trilogy, and had compared Snoke to Trump, or the First Order to the Republican Party, that he would’ve gotten a pass? If George’s 7 and 8 had been basically the same as what we’ve gotten so far, do you think the criticisms would be different or the same?
