SpenceEdit

Spartacus01 said:

SpenceEdit said:

Wouldn’t it be better if there was just no kiss at all? In my edit, I’ve just trimmed out the fireplace scene and removed the kiss. This way, we go from “We have feelings for each other” to “Yes we have, but we can’t be together”, and we finally end with “Our love is too strong to be kept under control, so let’s be together anyway”. I think it’s a more fluid approach to the love story, without the first kiss at all.

I intend to remove the “will they/won’t they” element from the movie, so them getting together earlier on isn’t a big deal.

Here’s a bit of the love story. Instead of transitioning from their kiss by the water back to Kenobi, I decided to transition to the following morning. It flows a bit better (I know that transition has been super tricky for editors) but it also goes from a kiss to the following morning which kind of implies that Anakin and Padme had… aggressive negotiations.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NoCCZoq6uipc49smsA8kBghnHxbgPzNB/view?usp=share_link

EddieDean said:

Hm. That’s an interesting one, and I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of it! But I should be able to pull something like that together. I’ll have a think.

Let’s see, what are the key bridging stories?

• Anakin’s development, dissatisfaction with the Jedi, and relationship with Sidious.
• Anakin’s relationship with Obi-Wan and Padmé
• Yoda and the Jedi’s investigation of Sifo-Dyas
• The mystery of the clones and Order 66
• At the very least Ahsoka joining and leaving Anakin.
• I don’t think Maul or Mandalore need to be major plotlines

Is there anything else?

Ahsoka leaving would actually be a good ending to the series, if you were going to do it that way.

Octorox said:

Those are pretty good too, and might help with getting a consistent look across all three films.

Yeah, I know they’re not the highest quality versions out there, but they are the most “filmic” to me.

SpenceEdit said:

Octorox said:

It’s interesting that you seem to be preserving the antagonism between Anakin and Obi-Wan moreso than most edits. I’d like to see how you pull it off.

I think that’s a really important element to his downfall. It doesn’t work entirely the way it’s presented in the films, but I definitely think it’s worth keeping.

I’m using kk650’s regrades with a little extra film grain.

Octorox said:

It’s interesting that you seem to be preserving the antagonism between Anakin and Obi-Wan moreso than most edits. I’d like to see how you pull it off.

I think that’s a really important element to his downfall. It doesn’t work entirely the way it’s presented in the films, but I definitely think it’s worth keeping.

Hi Everyone!

Throughout my 15+ years of doing Fanedits as a hobby, I’ve tried my hand at the Prequel Trilogy twice before. Once way back in the day, these versions were good for their time but are extremely outdated and I wasn’t satisfied with them. These edits are mostly lost to time, and that’s probably where they should stay. Others have done similar things so much better.

HAL9000’s edits are my favorite versions of these movies, so I did some revisions to those. I don’t really advertise those as they’re so similar to HAL’s, just with some touches from me to pacing. Still, I wasn’t 100% happy.

The biggest problem I have with these movies isn’t necessarily the content. There’s some stuff I’m not crazy about, such as midichlorians and some of Anakin’s whiney, creepy behavior, sure. However, the biggest problem to me is in the minute to minute pacing. They just feel… weird? Off? Something’s not quite right in every single scene. The most egregious example is AOTC, where seemingly nobody talks like a human being, characters stand around clearly waiting for their cue, and much of the action mostly falls flat.

Even worse, the love story doesn’t work, partly because I think they focused on it way too much. The dialogue between Anakin and Padme is shockingly strange, but the chemistry between the two actors is definitely there. Just letting them spend time together would have sold it enough.

So I’m taking another crack at the Prequels, but I’m starting with AOTC, the biggest problem with the trilogy. Once I get that working, I can build up to it with TPM, and off of it with ROTS. The idea here is to go into every scene and remove that disjointed, stagey, unnatural feeling that permeates the film. Action will be pumped up and pacey, conversations will have that zing that they’re lacking, and the movie will move along at a steady pace.

There’s a lot of PT edits out there, and I’m not the most technically accomplished editor to tackle them. However, I think my particular knack for action and pace (I’m aware of my strengths as well as my faults) will make these stand out.

Here are some early samples of what I’m trying to do, starting with the attack on the landing platform and going through the next few scenes.

The opening is structured as Landing Platform - Senate Deleted Scene - Anakin/Kenobi duel from the Kenobi series. The landing platform sequence has less dialogue and is a little punchier. The explosion is more sudden and violent, and the dialogue that remains moves along faster. The scene from Kenobi is a great set up for these two characters, building their camaraderie while also planting some seeds of resentment for Anakin:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nhGhZ5Ea-eodxqI6rtgWTPGv9YGEEvUz/view?usp=share_link

Here is a dialogue scene, the first meeting between Anakin and Padme. Anakin’s awkward compliment is now something that makes Padme laugh instead of being weirded out, a creepy moment that’s now a cute and embarrassing one. The rest of the dialogue in the scene is trimmed and moved around to bounce back and forth between the characters more naturally:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y-ZaSoRhptZ5YAhpeOeoSszCdeIEA9xN/view?usp=share_link

Here is the Coruscant chase. This isn’t too dissimilar to what other editors have done with it, but I think it moves along at a good pace and escalates more economically. I flipped the shots of the assassin droid leaving the window and Kenobi noticing it, so the flow of him seeing it then jumping after it feels more natural. A lot of business is cut here, and the Kenobi/Anakin banter is kept to a minimum. It’s still a fun scene, just scaled down:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SrAQqO6pkVGUT7ZWylp__fojZuuhfSyG/view?usp=share_link

This one is going to take a lot of smoothing out to get working as I’d like, but I’m determined to get these movies to feel… well, more like actual movies.

Hi all,

This is a short, 5-minute edit that preserves Kenobi and Maul’s duel from Rebels, but does not include anything else from Rebels. The idea is that you can watch this if you want to see the end of Maul’s story but aren’t concerned with the greater Rebels narrative or characters.

• Majority of the episode “Twin Suns” cut except for scenes that only include Maul and Kenobi.
• No Ezra or the rest of the cast of Rebels
• Rescored with music from the trilogy and the Obi-Wan series.
• Some shots were combined or otherwise created via masking and slow motion.

I actually made this a while ago, but it didn’t turn out as 100% perfect as I’d like so I held off on putting it out there. It’s as good as I’m able to do it, given the source material. If you like it as-is, great, but if someone wants to run with the idea I’m good with that too.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UsPjwkMQx_oC_xqXlx4oG1cLimx9GTNK/view?usp=share_link

Jar Jar Bricks said:

The music cues are absolutely brilliant. Nicely done.

What exactly is wrong with “Your need for victory, Anakin, it blinds you”? I took it to mean that a fight still isn’t over even though an opponent is disarmed. Seems like a valuable lesson for a Padawan, but it could be interpreted in a way that he is being too harsh on him and “holding him back”.

The way I understand it, the end of the fight will remain clunky like that unless it’s reinstated.

Personally, I removed it because I don’t need that moment in my edit I’m making, but I can see the argument for keeping it. I have this scene very early in Attack of the Clones. So I just need it to get the job done so we can move on to the main story.

Honestly, the choices for shots at the end are so limited that it’s going to feel a bit janky no matter what. It’s not particularly well edited to begin with, plus there’s a huge gap between the two sequences within the show itself. I went for what I thought was the best “clarity of action”.

Here’s my first go at the scene, taking a combination of what a lot of others have done here. I did it for an AOTC edit I’m working on, but I’m fine with anyone using this in their edits if they care to.

I mixed it in 5.1, but only the center/left/right have sound, so theoretically if someone wanted to use this you could add more ambient noise or repeat the right/left on the surround channels for fuller music.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kOzEuNAHjAg--TdSGcBXLWLzjpkjqV-Y/view?usp=drivesdk

Jar Jar Bricks said:

I’ve said this before, but it also helps a lot with Anakin complaining about Obi-Wan later in the film, both in Padme’s apartment but also in the garage scene. The original movie completely fails the “show, don’t tell” test. That’s why I would love to see this scene in a super extended cut, because it actually allows the audience to empathize with Anakin. In the original, we have to just take him at his word about Obi-Wan even though he’s emotionally unstable at the time.

So not an “extended cut” per se, but I’m cooking something. I’ve tackled this movie twice in the past and never been happy with it, but between the serious picture improvement of the deleted scenes via AI, the material from the Kenobi show, and my own improvement as an editor, I think I’m ready to give it another go.

Jar Jar Bricks said:

I’m almost curious to know where that insert shot comes from but I know it would ruin the magic 😃

Earlier in the scene when Anakin had him pinned down. I just flipped the shot and cropped it a bit.

NeverarGreat said:

SpenceEdit said:

You all have done some amazing work here! One thing constantly bothers me when trying to put all of these scenes together into one fight: It’s missing a shot. There needs to be a close up shot of Obi-Wan starting to move after Anakin disarms him. Without it, there’s a jarring cut from Anakin’s close up to an extremely wide shot of Obi-Wan already in motion, which feels disjointed and hard for the brain and eye to follow. It also very suddenly breaks the 180 rule, which doesn’t help but can’t really be avoided entirely. It just doesn’t feel right.

I did a little mock up of inserting a shot into that spot, I’m sure there are other options between the show and the PT, but I thought this illustrated my point well enough:

https://streamable.com/iigfu3

I really think that shot is super important to make the scene flow correctly. I don’t know how to explain it, but I can feel that it’s missing.

NeverarGreat said:

The lines ‘Your weapon’s gone…it’s over.’ followed by ‘Your need for victory, Anakin, it blinds you’ feel superfluous to the flow before and after. Obi-wan’s next line ‘You’re a great warrior, Anakin…’ feels like the proper end to the action, and it may be best to just delete the second false ending altogether. I’d suggest cutting from Obi-wan being disarmed straight to the wideshot of Obi-wan spinning out of his crouch to put an end to the fight.

Yeah, that would probably work too. Either way, the whole end portion just doesn’t quite work.

You all have done some amazing work here! One thing constantly bothers me when trying to put all of these scenes together into one fight: It’s missing a shot. There needs to be a close up shot of Obi-Wan starting to move after Anakin disarms him. Without it, there’s a jarring cut from Anakin’s close up to an extremely wide shot of Obi-Wan already in motion, which feels disjointed and hard for the brain and eye to follow. It also very suddenly breaks the 180 rule, which doesn’t help but can’t really be avoided entirely. It just doesn’t feel right.

I did a little mock up of inserting a shot into that spot, I’m sure there are other options between the show and the PT, but I thought this illustrated my point well enough:

https://streamable.com/iigfu3

I really think that shot is super important to make the scene flow correctly. I don’t know how to explain it, but I can feel that it’s missing.

Anybody have a way to obtain this? It’s dead on Myspleen.

Hey guys, I don’t get to check this thread a whole lot, but if you DM me about links I’ll get back to you. Also, you can always email spencefanedits(at)gmail.com and you’ll get a response with instructions for all my edits.

This sounds amazing! I’ve been toying with ideas to repair the weird storytelling this season, but I think you’ve got the best angle on it.

One thing that kind of bothers me is Din adopting Grogu and making him an apprentice. Given the growth he’s had up to that point, it feels weird to double down on how committed he is to the Children of the Watch. I feel like it might be more fitting if Din and Grogu just left at the end and struck the deal with the New Republic, satisfied with taking back Mandalore but ready to go back to being a bounty hunting team.

It works either way, but that felt like a better character arc to me anyway.

Really looking forward to this one! If you need any assistance let me know.

darthrush said:

OT member Phase3 had a wonderful suggestion for altering the final duel in the Kenobi series so that we don’t end on Obi-Wan’s baffling choice to let Vader live. The basic idea is to move the burying obi-wan in rocks to the very end of the duel so that after Kenobi walks away from Vader with a sliced helmet, he screams out “Obi-Wan” then cracks the ground with the force, proceeding to bury Obi-Wan, walk away from the fight the victor. Then Obi-Wan climbs out and the fight is over.

If we can make this work, I think it would make the duel even more amazing than it already is (I quite enjoyed the fight outside of the nonsensical ending where Obi-Wan lets Vader live).

I created a mock-up of this idea. The changes so far:

-Reversing the flow of Kenobi retreating so it links smoothly to the later part of the duel.
-Flip shot of ground breaking for visual continuity.
-Removed Vader’s line “And that is why you will always lose” as he breaks the ground, rough sfx replaced (can be polished later)
-Cropped out vader of wide shot of ground breaking for visual continuity.
-Removed vader’s line “Did you really think you could defeat me?” after he buries him.
-Rearranged shots of Vader walking away for better flow

The one key change remaining to tie this whole idea together is somehow changing the final shots of the rock burying so that Vader’s helmet is still sliced in half. I don’t know who would have the special effects skills to do this but perhaps a community effort would achieve this.

Mock-up of the rearranged duel: https://streamable.com/myzuo3

It’s a neat idea, but not something I’d be interested in implementing for this edit.

JF_Sanderson said:

I will say the new groundhog-free into is most welcome, but the movie can’t help but get worse from there. (I would eliminate the other groundhog appearances too.)

Thanks for checking it out, but it doesn’t sound like any version of this movie is ever going to satisfy you at all. There’s a very strong hatred coming from you here lol.

magemasher444 said:

Hello, may I have a link please?

Hey, I just saw you posted this in like 4 other threads. The best thing to do is to send a PM to the editor to get a link. Doing this on threads just kind of pushes everything out of order for everyone else. Thanks!

Thanks! Yeah, by nature of there not being an official source material, I did the best I could. I also brightened everything slightly. Might be more noise, but being able to actually see what’s happening kind of makes the trade off worth it.

This one is completed!

I am by no means an expert on “restoration” but I had some fun with a deleted scene from ROTJ yesterday.

I started from a good place as I used 4throck’s work as my source.

Then I

• Removed dirt and dust using the neat video plugin for Vegas. I removed I think 2 frames total, the rest was just cleaned.
• Ran it through Topaz a few times to upscale it and make it sharper.
• Played with the colors a bit, they’re fairly close to 4k83 but no 100%
• Fixed the weird yellow lightsaber.

It definitely looks a bit better than it did, and could probably slot into 4K83 with a little more work on color correction from someone that actually knows what they’re doing. The Luke part turned out much better than the Vader part, as Topaz had trouble grabbing details on his helmet due to the darkness.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GOKO6nsqEayRfSRlWaTtXlITaT8ga513/view?usp=sharing

Just checked this out, very cool. I think it flows nicely at the shorter runtime.