Trooperman

Hi guys,

I'm really sorry- I think I accidentally left out a whole chunk of the movie. 

Between parts 3 and 4 there are over 13 additional minutes.  I'll try to upload "part 3.5" tomorrow.

My signature is very dated, by the way.  I still haven't completely gotten used to this new forum software...

Thanks very much for watching and for commenting.  The great thing about this was that it was based on feedback and help from the community.  I got tremendous help from MtHaslett, Nanner Split (recorded Lama-Su), Sluggo, hairy_hen, Adywan on a couple shots...the list goes on.  This was a popular project back in the day! 

Thanks for the comments, guys.

(EDITED to remove links)

School has also been an issue.  As Grace Kelly once said, "One cannot do everything."

I hope not.  I'll admit that Shroud of the Dark Side seems very daunting to get to the point where it is complete in any kind of professional way. And beyond the die-hard fan I don't even know who would want to see  this.

I will say that I had started working on a different Star Wars prequel edit, which involved a black and white noir-style edit- all 3 prequels in one movie (mostly Episodes II and III). 

It would have Anakin narrating and would start with Anakin burning in Geonosis, reflecting on what he had done, and then it would be a giant flashback.  Unlike the prequels, this movie would tell the story of how Anakin was SEDUCED and TEMPTED by the dark side, and not the story as we had it:

Episode 1: Innocent boy

Episode 2: Whiny kid

Episode 3: Child-murdering psychopath

The most exciting part was that in black and white full-screen, I could use all kinds of different sources and not have to worry about it too much.  I wanted to do a kind of Pinnochio story, where Anakin is good and upstanding, and etc. Then he basically goes to Las Vegas (call it Coruscant) where he falls in with the wrong crowd, goes to nightclubs and meets women, mafia-type guys, and etc.  No, wait- actually Coruscant was going to be "Had Abbadon" and it was going to be one half city, one half lava planet.  The entire movie was going to take place on Had Abbadon.

I was a little discouraged when I read that someone had already done the 3 prequels in one idea, though.    But if I edit again, this would probably be my next project.

Well, I split up the 5.1 track off of the AOTC DVD and tried to isolate dialogue and the various other elements.  I had also downloaded a lot of old Star Wars effect sound files from the internet and used a lot of those instead of the prequel sounds.

While I'm on here I just want to thank everyone who helped me with this and you specifically for offering to help with color and etc.  I do appreciate it and this was a lot of fun to work on. 

-TM

I wanted to try to put SOTDS (rough cut of course) on youtube for a couple months so that people who didn't get the DVD could see it. I got 2 copyright warnings from Fox and SME already, so I will probably have to take it down. Unbelievable that this gets flagged considering how much actual piracy goes on unchallenged on youtube. Anyway, here's part 1. The quality is pretty terrible but at least it gives you a taste of what the rough cut is like.

-TM (Dan Brown is not my real name btw)

EDITED to remove link.

Hello everyone.  I just read your new posts today. 

To be honest I completely forgot about this project and the website until I found it on my old drive and watched the DVD-9 workprint all the way through for the first time in a long, long time. My first reaction was, my gosh- so much work went into this.  My second reaction was that emotionally (if not technically) it really seems to still have a strong impact.  It has a more adult feel than I remember, too.

Of course, I saw mostly the flaws (Anakin's dub and especially Boba Fett's dub have to go, also what was I thinking with that loud 70s lounge track on the flight to Naboo scene?  I also co-opted a lot of music and video clips from other places.  I think the music is mostly fine, but would need to replace the video clips from Independence Day and Blade Runner to really have it taken seriously).  It's a little discouraging because it seems that there'd be so much to do to make it a proper movie, including new special effects work to replace the Independence Day stuff. 

I was actually thinking of just putting a "ROUGH CUT" at the beginning, slapping a time-code on the video, and calling it done.  But I am really sad but also encouraged that you guys still think this is the strongest edit.

Maybe I'll fire up my hard drive and see what is what.

EDIT: To those who have requested the DVD-5 version I seem to have lost it, but I'm sure I can shrink the DVD-9 and make a new copy when I have time.

Interesting idea.  I hadn't considered that.  It would make sense though.

brash_stryker said:

Exactly. If you spend all your time doing something you're gonna get tired and lose passion for it. That's why I've been taking a break from my own edit, but sort of getting back into it now.

You're a smarter man than I am, Brash.  Good luck!  I'm following this project.

Thank you Kenobius.  As I recall, we needed a new dub for Mas Amedda.  It was only a handful of lines. That would be a huge help. 

A bigger task would be to do a different dub of Anakin.  I mean, my voice was OK as a workprint guide, but I don't know how convincing it will be in the final film. 

Yes, that's the only way to save the Holiday Special. 

Here's one step further: Start the movie with Lumpy sitting down at his viewing machine, and then play a completely different movie like Ben-Hur or something.

EDIT: As the movie plays, the wookie's head appears in silhouette and he grunts during the funny parts.

Thanks Erik.  I'm going to be honest though- I don't see this being done before this summer.  This summer I'll sit down and put the final polish on it.  Like I said before, I have a much better work ethic than I used to, so when I devote my complete attention to this, it'll be done quickly. 

If you are just a casual follower of the project, then, I would check back here around June or so.  That's when I'll be able to devote complete attention to this. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Good to hear from you MTHaslett, and Ben. 

Yeah, it doesn't feel the same around here. 

Back in the glory days of this forum, when I first started, it was a swarm of activity, new posts popping up within seconds of each other. 

I see 8 members logged in now.  Back 5 or 6 years ago, I remember seeing over 100....

Me neither! 

By the way, is it just me or does this forum seem really dead now, all of a sudden.  Where is everybody?  Where did everybody go? 

Obviously I've been part of the problem too...

I've got to say too that I'm really impressed that the rough edit has stayed in hard copy form and hasn't been posted all over the internet. Everyone kept their word.

This forum is great.

Hi everyone,

Sorry I have not been around lately....I had a particularly tough past few months in school.  I've actually got a take home final due in a couple hours, but I thought of this out of the blue and wanted to come back....

I just want to let everyone know I am NOT DONE with this movie. 

I was in a different phase of life when I did this edit, and because of a slow computer and lots of other things going on in my teenage life at the time, I never finished it. 

But this is unfinished business .  As they said in advertising Jaws: The Revenge...this time it's personal.  When I watch the rough cut, I'm transported not only into the world of Star Wars, but I feel like I'm 15 again.  All the issues and problems going on in my life at the time, but also all of the excitement I had for this.   I guess you could say this edit was kind of an escape from the real world.  And I loved working on it and bringing other peoples' ideas into reality.  I was just never able to finish it.  

I'm still fired up about this. 

I can't promise you that I'll get a lot done over Christmas break (I've only got 3 weeks or so, and I'd really like to spend some time with the family) but this WILL be finished. 

It's very important to me. 

Thanks guys!  Take care,

-TM

Thank you LTH.  I too am thrilled that more people are discovering the old workprint.  

I want to thank Ben again, publicly, for his help on this.  He is taking care of the video, retiming all of the colors and adding a sense of depth.  His results are great and it's really going to add a lot.  

Also, Brash contacted me recently about borrowing concepts from SOTDS for his new edit, which is perfectly fine.  On the flip side, I am encouraged to borrow any concepts from his project.  This is a really nice gesture and I'm looking forward to seeing his edit.  

Nanner Split said:

mrbenja0618 said:

Well, perhaps there will be a TPM cut by TM...

Coming 2017! :P

Wise guy;)  

Thank you cutnshut.  I hope to have the final version done soon.  

Now I'm confused. Is the idea to cut Jar-Jar out as much as possible?

Wouldn't it be jarring to cut out Jar-Jar in Episode II after playing such a prominent role in Ep. I?  Better or for worse, Jar-Jar is part of Star Wars.  My goal, like MagnoliaFan, was to try and change his character to make him as inoffensive as possible...even humorous.  

I dislike Jar-Jar as much as the next guy, but can we cut him out completely in Ep. II?  If I can get this dub to work out, I think he could be a good character.  

And by the way, I've spoken with Nanner Split and he has offered to try both English and alien for Jar-Jar.  So if we were to use the alien, it wouldn't be backwards audio or Spanish or anything like that...it would be newly recorded.

Yes.  Almost ready to start sending stuff, Ben.  As for this last exchange, it was a fun conversation, but at that point we are talking about a different edit.  What I've got to do at this point is make a cleaner, more professional version of the rough cut that's already out there, while incorporating improvements wherever I can (that are not completely daunting, like a new ending, etc.)  

A big part of this new version will be colors that look real, and images that have depth (thanks to Ben).  

Also, I want to try and stay away from major plot changes at this stage in the game- the one exception being that Syphodias is actually Qui-Gon, because if we can get the new dub, that should be a quick fix and makes Qui-Gon's character much more important.  

I am still back to the same quandaries as before though:

-What to do about Maul=Grievous in this movie (if anything).  

-How to handle Jar-Jar...English or alien with subitles?

-TM

That would be great Ben.  Again I apologize for taking so long with the Geonosis sequence.  I'm cutting another sequence right now and they'll probably be done around the same time, so I will probably send multiple scenes at once....

Hi Ben,

Removing 3PO altogether after the funeral is interesting, but I think that for now it'd be great just to cut 3PO from the wedding.  The other stuff works as-is.  Still can't believe you did this...it looks great!

Interesting!  I think removing C3PO at the end is a great idea in this edit too.  Whereas before he was central in the end (his head gets chopped off and put on a droid, and then they get back together again), in this film he is a coward and never leaves the ship (which is pretty much in character with the OT).  

Therefore R2 should be the only one at the wedding.....