FAQ Deleted
scenes. Alternate footage. A look behind the scenes at what didn't make
it to the final cut of the Star Wars trilogy.
"Deleted
Magic" is a feature-length documentary about the deleted scenes
of the Star Wars trilogy, and about how the movies we know and love
were made and edited together. It is taken from information, sources
and home videos officially released by Lucasfilm. This
project is not an official Lucasfilm project - it is an unofficial,
not-for-profit research project, done in the spirit of fun by a Star
Wars fan ... hopefully it will be both informative and entertaining.
It will be made available for free, in high quality, via the Internet.
The
idea is to combine all sorts of alternate, deleted and making-of footage
into a full-length film that gives a better view of how the masterpiece
we know as Star Wars was edited together. In
addition to deleted scenes like the Biggs Darklighter material, you'll
get a sense of the "Lost Cut"s of the films ... the longer
edits that didn't have finished voices or effects. I've
been consulting starwarz.com endlessly, and talking with Mark "Jedisluggo"
Johnson and the Star Wars cut scenes list, to prepare an entirely new
version of the first Star Wars, and present deleted and making-of material from Empire
and Jedi. 2.
Aren't you worried about being sued by Lucasfilm? I hope they understand that this is not a bootleg ... it is a non-profit film, which will be made available for
free via the internet. I don't intend to infringe on Lucasfilm copyright
... but instead consider this a work of legitimate research into the
deleted scenes of Star Wars ... which you might find entertaining.
3.
What is/will be the video quality of the final product? I
have edited this in DV quality, from mostly DVD sources. The quality
is as good as possible, considering the many sources being cobbled
from. The final film is or will be available to download, in its entirety,
for free, at this website ... and elsewhere on the internet, a DVD-quality
version of the latest version of the film can also be found, also for free, for you to download and trade
with others. 4.
So a DVD of this film is/will be available on the web? The first Deleted Magic DVD was finished on April 1st, 2005. I've given out copies to my friends. You may know a friend who has a copy, or maybe you'll be able to find it on your favorite file sharing program. Otherwise, ask me.
5.
Why do you use production sound, making of footage and other unfinished-looking
material in your edits? The
inspiration is the "Lost Cut" of Star Wars - a rough cut which
had unfinished effects and sound. Actually recreating the Lost Cut isn't
possible, so what I'm doing is "deconstructing" the film,
as if it's still in an unfinished state. I've compared it to the shooting
script, and included production sound, outtakes, behind the scenes footage,
and little notes on how the editing in the final cut altered the feel
of the film. 6.
It's hard to read the text at the bottom of the screen - it all goes by
so fast! Could you hold on the text captions longer? I
agree ... the captions do go too fast sometimes. It's very hard to put
the text in and make it readable in the time that a shot lasts ... a
feature film has a certain fast pace, and if you have to be reading
as you're watching it's hard to read at that pace. I'm trying. I've
learned to keep the text to a minimum when I want people to actually
be watching the film. 7.
Is the DVD version different from the online version? Yes
- the DVD version contains extra scenes, extra notes, special features and more
material. 8.
Where can I get more information about this film and its progress, as
it's being edited, revised and rereleased? Well,
you can check this site of course, but here are two threads about this
film, at two Star Wars fan message boards, which will give you much more
information as it arrives:
Originaltrilogy.com: Deleted Magic 9.
Will you be doing "Deleted Magic" for The Empire Strikes Back
and Return of the Jedi? Small sections on The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi appear at the end of the film, on both this website and the DVD ... which contains an extra section on "Lapti Nek" as well. There are plans to do more with these films, possibly, for a sequel sometime in the future ... but even if I do so, the coverage of these films will not be nearly as extensive as the
coverage of the original Star Wars (A New Hope). I will NOT be providing
an alternate edit of those entire films the way I did with Star Wars
... what I refer to as my Star Wars "Lost Cut" ... Since
only a certain amount of deleted/alternate footage has been leaked from
Empire and Jedi, I would want to use script excerpts, still photos, and
what video footage HAS been leaked to present "deleted scene reconstructions."
I will be presenting only selected scenes from ESB and ROTJ, but what
I will be presenting will be new and hopefully very interesting. Deleted
scenes for The Empire Strikes Back will include: 1)
The Wampas attack Echo Base. Return
of the Jedi's deleted scenes will include: 10.
What are the "extra notes" on the DVD edition? I chose not to put any notes on the major deleted scenes, such as the Biggs and Jabba scenes, for the normal version, because it would spoil the experience of just watching and enjoying these deleted scenes. For the DVD, there is an option to select extra notes which tell you more about these deleted scenes ... and the lines which were cut from them!
11.
You've got a lot of material on alternate audio ... so why didn't you
mention Ben's new Krayt dragon call (from the 2004 DVDs), or other changes
seen and heard on the 2004 DVDs, or in the special editions? That's
a 2004 DVD change ... Special edition/2004 DVD changes are not part
of this edit, except in very minor cases. I'm basically concentrating
on versions that would have been in existence in 1977. The 2004 dragon
call did wind up in part 6 instead of the old one -- this was not intentional
... I just didn't take the time to go back to the laserdisc version
and get the old call. I might put the old one back on the final DVD.
But I wouldn't do a comparison, as that's post-special edition stuff.
12.
You say you're not using special edition stuff in your edit, but I saw
a special edition shot in one part, and I clearly heard special edition
audio in several parts ... In
some cases, that's just me being lazy as an editor. I am using the 2004
DVDs for most of my edit, because they're of a high quality, and then
reverting back to the original edit when necessary to avoid special
edition changes. In a few minor cases, some special edition stuff sneaks
through, though I've tried my hardest to avoid it. In very rare cases,
you'll see or hear both the special edition and original versions. During
the introduction to Mos Eisley, you'll see only original footage and
making of material, but you'll hear the special edition version of the
scene, as well as hear the original version of the scene ... this was
a cheat used to have audio over the whole scene, since my edit of it
was much longer than the normal film. There
is a shot of stormtroopers searching in Mos Eisley, accompanied by a
little flying droid - this is a special edition shot. But you'll see
the original edit's version of the shot right before it. I made the
comparison just for fun. I will not be doing special edition comparisons
normally. But
it's a good idea for a film, if some other editor wants to edit together
the original and special edition/2004 edits ... Actually, Wookiee Groomer has done a series of splitscreen discs kind of like that. 13.
I've never seen the human Jabba the Hutt scene in widescreen before! Does
it even exist in widescreen? How did you pull that off? With
lots of hard work and digital trickery. What I've done with the Jabba
the Hutt scene is completely insane actually. Basically, it was bothering
me that no version of the Declan Mulholland as Jabba the Hutt scene
existed in widescreen. Short clips of it existed in widescreen, but
the scene as we know it is only in Pan & Scan. So,
I've created a widescreen version. From scratch. I've taken the CGI
Jabba the Hutt from the new DVDs, and painstakingly painted him out
of the widescreen frame, and pasted in our friend, the late Declan Mulholland.
I had to pull out every editing trick I know to do this. I was pasting
over as many as 12 separate layers to make the shots look presentable.
And cheating a lot. (For example, in the first shot, a small, cleverly-placed
"box" actually covers up the tail of the CGI Jabba the Hutt,
from the 2004 DVD). But the result is crisp, and DVD quality. The Declan
Jabba scene has never looked this good, ever. Very proud, I am.
14.
Did you get some of the deleted scenes from the Behind the Magic CD-ROM?
It seems that when some of the scenes that are available on that CD-ROM
appeared in your movie the quality of the video diminished. The
Biggs scenes, the alternate Cantina scene, and the Treadwell scene are
indeed taken from Lucasarts' 1999 CD-ROM, "Behind the Magic."
A big chunk of the Declan Mulholland as Jabba the Hutt scene is taken
from the 1997 Lucasarts CD-ROM, "Making Magic." These scenes
have only been released on these CD-ROMs, and are not available in better
quality ... yet. But
I'm doing all I can to make these CD-ROM derived scenes look as good
as possible, considering the source material. The Biggs scenes are taken directly from the CD-ROMs, and look decent. Some of the Jabba, Cantina and Treadwell stuff is not ... yet. If I have a chance to revisit the film for a future release, I'll
be using better quality captures taken directly from the CD-ROMs, and
using some tricks to make them look a little better. 15.
What draft is your opening crawl text for Star Wars from? Why didn't you
use the fourth draft crawl? The
opening crawl is from the third draft screenplay ... it's not the crawl
that would have been in the lost cut, but it's a version of the crawl
I really like. It goes into much more detail about the backstory of
the film, the Jedi Knights and the Dark Lords of the Sith. This crawl
was never used in the film, not even in the "Lost Cut" ...
the Lost Cut's crawl was a longer version of what's in the final film,
similar to the last few paragraphs of the third draft crawl. It appears
in the fourth draft screenplay and in the Marvel comics adaptation.
This
"Lost Cut" crawl is a DVD-ROM special feature on the DVD
release of Deleted Magic ... we'll be doing a larger fullscreen version for a future DVD release. The 1977 crawl, that doesn't have
"Episode IV: A New Hope" in it, also appears on the DVD. All these crawls are
created by fans, from scratch. Thanks to Shadowman for his version of the 3rd draft crawl, which replaced my crappy one. 16.
If you met George Lucas, what would you say to him? That
he's a great filmmaker, that he created the greatest science fantasy
trilogy of all time, and that he should release the original edits of
these classic films on DVD, and not just the special editions. And -
when he does release them on DVD, he should of course include deleted
scenes. 17.
Do you need help on this project? You
always need help! A lot of very cool people have helped out on this
project ... people have done CGI animation, provided lots of tapes,
clips and information, and generally been a big help. I don't need much
help at the moment, but I am looking for people who can create new menus for a revised DVD ... as well
as perhaps do CGI animation and voice work. I
am actually considering doing "radio drama" recreations of
certain lost scenes ... and I have actually put out a casting call for
people who can impersonate Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo,
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Lando Calrissian ... but that is definitely up in
the air and won't actually wind up in the final film, unless the right
cast can be found. People
who can do little CGI animations recreating deleted scene material would
be nice ... stuff for menus, titles and introductions would be great ... But in general I'm doing
fine on my own ... still, if you'd like to send your words of support,
you can email me at tygerbug (at) yahoo.com. My
name is Garrett Gilchrist. I'm a USC grad and young filmmaker living
in the San Diego area ... I've directed 7 features and over 30 shorts
.... some of you might remember me from "Dr. Fred's The Phantom
Movie" - a fanfilm I did 5 years ago that was the first feature-length
spoof of The Phantom Menace. Hope
you like the film. You can visit my websites at orangecow.org
and ffrevolution.com.
18.
I understand there's a Deleted Magic drinking game. What are the rules? Although I haven't had the chance to try this out yet, I'm convinced that it's best to get progressively more drunk as you watch the DVD. You should be completely drunk for Lapti Nek at the end. And then maybe put on the Kenner Ad and Light the Sky on Fire, because only a drunk could get through all of Light the Sky on Fire after all of Deleted Magic ... I'm not sure even a drunk could.
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The nature of the project is such that obviously we have to use clips copyrighted by Lucasfilm to put it together ... but I hope that Lucasfilm would see this the way they see fan websites about the deleted films. We show what we can to you, in the hope of gaining a greater understanding. No one is out to make money ... you're getting this for free. Enjoy it.
The first Deleted Magic DVD is mostly dedicated to the first Star Wars (A New Hope). It contains many special features and is the best way to watch the film. There are plans for a revised Deleted Magic DVD, or perhaps a sequel, "Deleted Magic Strikes Back," for sometime in the future. Who knows.
What we haven't seen yet as I write this is
the "documentary" portion of the film. This is something I'd like to do ... this section will be
narrated and talk about some of the major deleted scenes from the films. I have also found better quality media for the CD-ROM scenes (such as Jabba, the Alternate Cantina, etc.) and other scenes, since creating the first DVD, so there is definitely an option to do a better version in the future.
Here's the list of features:
"Deleted Magic: The Empire Strikes Back" featurette.
"Deleted Magic: Return of the Jedi" featurette.
"Lapti Nek" extended music video, and "Making of Lapti Nek" featurette.
Photo Galleries: Extensive photo galleries covering deleted scenes from all the films. Look for your favorite deleted scene there.
Star Wars Gallery (approx 200 pics)
Empire Strikes Back Gallery (approx 90 pics)
Return of the Jedi Gallery (over 100 pics)
Phantom Menace Gallery (over 100 pics)
Attack of the Clones Gallery (approx 80 pics)
Extended Garrick Hagon (Biggs) Interview
Jefferson Starship "Light the Sky on Fire" Music Video, from the Holiday Special
Kenner Toys Ad (1978)
1977 Opening Crawl ... specially recreated by me for this DVD ... with thanks to whoever recreated it for the Monomix DVD.
Declan Mulholland Jabba clip from "From Star Wars to Jedi"
Chief Bast clip from Holiday Special
"Play Deleted Scenes Only" feature ... Plays only the major deleted scenes, skipping all the rest of the film
"Play Deleted Scenes/Film with Extra Notes" ... Extra notes on the major deleted scenes have been added in on a special subtitle track. Turn this on to get more information about some of the scenes.
DVD-ROM features ... In the DVD-ROM directory you'll find the four original drafts of Star Wars, and drafts of Empire and Jedi. Also there: The Lost Cut crawl, Anatomy of a Dewback Pt. 2, the AOTC droid ship deleted scene and the rough version of the ROTJ SE ending.
Chapter Selection
About the Film - basically an explanation for Lucasfilm. We're not trying to make a buck off of you, guys.
Again - I will not personally be selling this DVD, certainly not for profit at any rate. I will be giving
it to certain people I know ... and it will get traded and passed around.
You'll be able to find a copy, don't worry.
The
Galactic Senate: Deleted Magic
2) Luke's bacta mask/Leia kiss. This whole part will be a comedic discussion
of the Luke/Leia romance seen in the first two films.
3) Han and Leia on Cloud City.
1) The Sandstorm
2) Luke and Ben (extended)
3) Lapti Nek (extended)
Since doing that edit, I've found even more footage of the original Jabba, and better quality versions of the CD-ROM material, so perhaps we'll see an even better edit of Jabba sometime in the future.
So ...
Here is the official Deleted Magic drinking game.
These rules are optional and should be done from memory. Drink when it feels appropriate. The rules will help. Drinking for EVERYTHING on this list is dangerous, though I do not actually advise against it.
Drink when:
---> Someone is seen without their mask or costume.
---> Someone is heard with their original voice.
---> Drink twice if: Someone speaks English who shouldn't.
---> Someone/something falls down.
---> Someone/something bumps into something.
---> Someone's helmet falls off, or something else malfunctions onset.
---> Something appears in black and white.
---> Something explodes.
---> Biggs is mentioned or appears.
---> A "famous" or amusing deleted line appears.
---> Jabba the Hutt is mentioned or appears.
---> Have you now. (chug)
---> Chief Bast appears.
---> The Holiday Special is referenced. In any way.
---> George appears, speaks, is spoken to, or is mentioned.
---> Luke is wearing his poncho.
---> John D appears.
---> Wookiee grooming occurs.
---> One of the movies has the wrong title.
---> The Radio Dramas are referenced.
---> Eddie Byrne (chug).
---> Luke/Leia romance is implied.
---> Effects are unfinished.
---> Someone narrates something.
---> Someone smokes.
---> Something really isn't very good.
---> Something catches fire.
---> Someone says "bang."
There you go.