Star Wars Episode II DVD...

[WillY]

Any one know if they plan on doing a direct from digital transfer for the Episode II DVD? DVD's like Shrek and Toy Story 2 look amazing, and the possibility of a transfer like that has me wanting Episode II on DVD like yesterday...

 

[Sean Eldridge]

I have to agree, a direct digital transfer would totally kick ass. I cannot wait.

Sean

 

[Jeff Kleist]

No, they're transferring from film to keep a consistant look across the 6 movies. Believe me, you don't want a direct digital transfer on a live-action film, it'd bring out the CG cheese big time.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

Believe me, you don't want a direct digital transfer on a live-action film, it'd bring out the CG cheese big time.

Jeff,

Just out of curiosity, how would a digital-to-digital transfer on a DVD differ from viewing ATOC projected digitally in a DLP theater?

 

[Dave Mack]

Hey Y'all! Saw it Digitally in NYC this AM and the integration of Live action and CGI was seamless. Looked Great.
Seems dopey to make the DVD from a Film print as it won't look NEARLY as good, color or contrast-wise. Roger Ebert saw it Digitally and on Film and said the Digital DEFINITELY looked better.
And since only about 40 screens will show it digitally, if he doesn't take advantage of the Digital transfer capability, why did he BOTHER to shoot it digitally???

D

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

No, they're transferring from film to keep a consistant look across the 6 movies. Believe me, you don't want a direct digital transfer on a live-action film, it'd bring out the CG cheese big time.

I don't know... I'd say defineately for something where the liveaction was shot on film (why I supported digital->film->digital). However, a combination of the crystal clear source, and the inherent downscaling for DVD specs should take care of the problem, I'd think. Regardless, this is defineately a film I want on DVD in whatever form they give it to us. And no tampering... this cut was literally perfection.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

That's what someone from ILM said, I forget who

Pretty much because the DLP presentation is not compressed very much, and it's also in its native resolution, while the DVD will be about half that resolution and very compressed. As someone who has worked a lot with CGI over live action footage, you have to go through a LOT of steps to get it to mesh well, to kill the cheese.

I'm sure they did tests before deciding to go from film, and have good reasons for doing so

 

[Anthony R]

What I really hope is that Lucas might give us an "Extended Version" similar to the Extended LOTR DVD. As I understand, there was quite a bit cut from the movie. Will Lucas dare to try and top LOTR in that arena?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

According to my friend's wife who saw a roughcut last fall, you don't WANT to see the stuff that was cut added back in for the most part. Basically the romance is about 30-40minutes long, and it's a VERY long 30-40min. The only scene I know was cut that I felt should have been in was Obi-Wan killing a sentry droid on his way into Geonosis (watch the web documentaries, you see them filming it. I know exactly where it should go because I recognized the rock face)

 

[John Kwong]

That would be fantastic, especially if it was via seamless branching. However, all I ask is that they give us the option of not including the Backstreet Boys scenes!

 

[Jeff Kleist]

That would be NSync, and I would not be suprised if the scenes are on the DVD just to piss people off

I was actively watching for them, They're not in Episode 2

 

[Anthony R]

Well, to my understanding there was much more cut from the movie than love scenes. I'm not entirely sure, but I think there were additional scenes filmed of political intrigue with Palpatine and the Loyalist Senators, and an early scene with Amidala in the Senate just after her first assassination attempt. I have also heard of an extension of the Jedi Library scene where Jocasta Nu talks about the Lost Twenty, and a scene on Geonosis before the Arena Battle where a lone Obi-Wan fights off some creature or droid.

Also, wasn't there a McCallum quote at Celebration II about extra footage that might be on the DVD?

 

[Matt Birchall]

During a discussion panel at the Celebration, John Knoll mentioned that there were three completed scenes which would make it to the DVD. So, at least three--maybe more.

-mwb-

 

[Dan Brecher]

That would be NSync, and I would not be suprised if the scenes are on the DVD just to piss people off

They were NEVER in this movie. It was total fanboy speculation due to them recording stuff at the Skywalker Ranch. Rick McCallum forever laughs at this story. Two band members did ask if they could cameo in the backround (like Ahmed Best and Anthony Daniels do) but they could not meet Lucasfilms schedule and it never happened, yet crazed fans took it and as always, blew the news all out of proportion.

Dan

 

[ChristopherM]

Believe me, you don't want a direct digital transfer on a live-action film

The recent French Region 2 release of the live-action film "Vidocq" was a direct digital transfer, and it looks stunning.

However, I must admit that the image is not quite "filmic", and yet not quite video-like either.

As "Vidocq" is a stand-alone film, I have no problem with this - the image quality is part of the visual style, just as grainy b&w is part of the visual style of "Clerks". However, I agree that changing image quality half-way through a trilogy could be jarring.

If anyone's interested in "Vidocq", the story is a bit like Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" being relocated to 19th Century revolutionary Paris. The visual style recalls "City of Lost Children", which is hardly suprising since the director worked on the visual effects of both that movie and "Delicatessen", and was second director on "Alien Ressurection". Also, Marc Caro did some of the design work on "Vidocq". The movie (but not the extras) has English subtitles. Well recommended for those who can play R2 PAL DVDs.

 

[Tom Boucher]

I saw it film based here at the AMC30 in Kansas City last night.

I will see it DLP Based here at the AMC30 in Kansas City on Saturday.

Looking forward to seing a difference. Otherwise, I'll watch a good episode of the Star Wars saga again.

 

[Neil_Duffy]

Theres a list of twenty deleted scenes from AOTC on the force net.

 

[Neil Joseph]

Caught it on film Thursday and will check it out at the Colossus in DLP some time early next week, to also do a comparison.

 

[Greg Br]

Has anyone mentioned it is looking like a Thanksgiving release date?

 

[Mark-W]

Greg Br-

Yes, there is plenty of information from the folks at

Lucasfilm stating we will see EPII on DVD during the

4th quater...they announced as much (minus an exact

street date) way back when they unveiled the DVD for

Epsisode 1.

For anyone who wants to know what was deleted from the

film, the final shooting script is available in the

gorgeous book,

The Art of Star Was: Episode II: Attack of the Clones

All the stuff with Padme's family was cut, and while I

think it would bog down the film, it would make that

scene where she confesses her love

not seem quite a rushed.

Mark