Petty's Purist LotR Edits

Blimey! To output just the fellowship length of the megaedit is going to take an estimated 10 hours! So looking at 30 odd hours plus to render it all out. Then about the same again to convert the files to divx HD format- to (hopefully) greatly reduce the file size without a quality drop.
So best estimate I'm several days to a week away from having a finished file and depending how big it is will depend on how viable it is to upload!

Good news is I watched back the first 1 hour and 45 minute with a friend (of a critical eye) and not only did we not find any problems or mistakes but my friend commentated that it was now smooth enough in cuts between scenes and scene positioning that anyone watching it without ever having seen the original would not notice anything amiss- of course the next hour and 45 minutes I watch could be an error strewn mess!

Well I'm excited to hear the reviews. I loved the first draft! But with my slow service, I'm resigning myself to the fact that I may not live to see the download complete.

Reminds me of my MMO days, it took literally days to download some files... Ha, and ended up playing runescape in the end (classic game, whatever others say).

I'll watch these one day, they've had glowing reviews and all.

Did you use the Blu-ray to make a 1080p version of the Megaedit? If so, it should be interesting; I only just got that but I'm loving it so far. Are you uploading the material from each film separately though (i.e., in three parts) for length, or is it being uploaded in little chunks again like before?

Anyway, I shall have to see about watching it sometime, but the download time involved is a bit worrying to me since my Internet can be unreliable (and it's wireless). Maybe you could upload it to a video hosting site other than YouTube, one that is more friendly to fan-edits and the like? Just a thought of course, but it might help the edits be seen by more people as well.

Yeah blueray EE's.
Problem with uploading is I can use a site like rapidshare but unless I want to pay for it the files get wiped if no one downloads it for 7 days- and non premium the upload speed is atrocious.
If I put it on the skydrive again I have no choice but to break it up into chunks as thats the maximum file size allowed (just to check you do know you dont watch the chunks? It stiches it all back together into a single file once youve got it).
Youtube it wouldnt last any time on (and without a premium account would still be in chunks anyway), and I doubt Daily Motion either. If anyone has any suggestions however let me know.

Could you upload to the cloud via ftp? Or is that just for web hosting in the cloud?

I am vaguely aware of cloud computing, have no idea what a ftp may be and therefore haven't got a clue Ally. Perhaps you know more than I do and can let me know. If its possible I'll have a go.

As far as I know, FTP is how people used to upload files to servers back in the days before Wordpress and the like, when websites were built from scratch using HTML and other languages rather than being made with special software. I'm not entirely sure how that relates to cloud computing, but I'd imagine that most providers of cloud computing services would be uncomfortable about hosting fan edits of movies (despite them having a legitimate claim to fair use of copyrighted material). I hope I'm wrong about that, though.

I'll see how it goes on file size- thats the deal breaker- if the files can be gotten down to a managable size I can upload as before, which is a pain in the ass to download I know, but it is permenent with no risk of deletion if its not accessed in a while.

Permanence is definitely important, but I hope that you don't have to compromise the 1080p quality just to decrease the size of the files.

I am going to do everything possible to keep the quality- its worth the extra hassle. And I've now watched back as far as Fangorn in TT and I honestly think I've nailed it this time, even if I do say so myself.

That's very exciting to hear! Personally I always find things I don't like when I look over anything I've done that's old, so it's really cool that you think you've gotten it down for good.

Something I meant to ask earlier: is the length of this version different from the previous ones?

Yes, its longer in fact. By about 10 minutes I think. This is partly down to including a longer version of the prologue cut in the Shadows of the Past scene (the previous version was only more brutally cut because of having to get around Galadriels voice over- but I have discovered a way to mask the vocal tracks, to an extent and it only works in certain scenes depending on other sounds and music, but it allowed me to get more of the footage I wanted). I also reinstated (Kafria will be pleased to note) the full shot at Isengard from the 'moth' scene and that means including the Uruk-Hai 'birthing' scene- which I don't like but it is really needed for the narrative the film presents, and I also included the reveal of the palantir during the conversation with Gandalf, even though its too early, again for narrative reasons solely within the film. So those are themain reasons it is slightly longer.
And while I am listing changes I should say thank you Orwell too, I removed all traces of the Black Riders prior to the road encounter and it actually makes them scary now! You were spot on about that.

Due to concerns over file size I have decided to break the film into 4 corresponding to the four books.
So part one- to the Ford of Bruinen- should be rendered out, converted and uploaded for the new year. I will make it so you can downlod each 'book' seperately wiithout the need for the other parts before watching. And this lets people try a part before deciding if they want the hassle of downloading a huge file.
Thats the plan anyway!

Sounds like a good plan! Did you mean to say six parts for the six books (since there are two per volume), though?

Um yes. Been staring at them so long I've lost the ability to count past four!

I'm looking forward to seeing it! It'll be especially interesting to see your take on the Book III/IV split. A six-part adaptation is basically the only way to avoid intercutting between Aragorn and Frodo (as Tolkien wished) and I'm curious now to see how you've handled it.

He's handled it excellently (he did the same thing in a previous edit)

You will be glad to know then Ringdrotten I have handled it in exactly the same way again!

Glad indeed Sadly, though, I don't think I'll be able to download the new edit until Easter most likely - I'm home for Christmas at the moment, and I can't download stuff when I get back without certain people getting pissed

When do you get sent back to protecting your country from trolls and dangerous fish Ringdrotten? You never know I might at least be able to get book 1 up for you before you go.

That'd be Sunday. Herrings and Trolls all over the place

They don't give you much rest! I knew they shouldn't have released The Troll Hunter; now you'll have to increase security around the troll reservations, won't you? Damn film students.

The biggest problem is the trolls have begun to mate with herrings, so we'll have little trollings wreaking havoc any day now

Ringdrotten wrote:The biggest problem is the trolls have begun to mate with herrings, so we'll have little trollings wreaking havoc any day now

Ringdrotten wrote:The biggest problem is the trolls have begun to mate with herrings

Ringdrotten wrote:the trolls have begun to mate with herrings