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Contact: Special Edition by Avid4D

Avid4D

Avid4D

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I'm nearing completion of my next edit, Contact: Special Edition

I actually quite like Contact, but do understand why some people say it is too slow. And while I am not a religious person, I do think the movie does a good job depicting how religious groups would react if we in fact did get a message from an alien civilization.

I've thought about editing Contact for a long time, and have finally decided what I think is a worthwhile version. I don't consider it a replacement for the theatrical release, just a slightly different version.

Basically what I am doing is setting up THREE attempts to use "the machine" instead of two attempts. The overall length of the Special Edition is actually 5min shorter, and while it is still quite long at 2hrs 24min there is more going on in less time than the theatrical release.

More details to come soon... I'm rendering my first cut now to preview on my big screen and surround sound system and no doubt will find things that will need more attention before the final cut and general release.
 
Hey Avid4D,

Contact is a great movie as it is and I thought the pacing was perfect. So color me intrigued about your edit! I think that fan editing a great movie is a special challenge by itself.

Looking forward to it. Congrats on the near completion of your work!
 
I had a few thoughts on contact myself a while back...

TM2YC said:
I think it might be very much in the 'Impossible FanEdits' category but I would love to see a version of Robert Zemeckis' 1997's 'Contact' that didn't have a collosal ret*rded f*ck up of a p*ss weak ending.:mad:

The first 2 hours is some of the most intelligent, beautiful and thrilling Scfi-Fi cinema that has ever been shot. It stands proudly next to things like Kubrick's '2001' and Scott's 'Blade Runner'. But in the final 30 minutes, as soon as Jodie Foster actually goes through the "Gateway" it all falls apart. Firstly the CGI visualisation of what lies beyond looks like a bad FMV from a 90s videogame. It almost looks like Zemeckis spent the entire budget on the stunning first 2 hours and only had 50p left for the end. But the main problem is that we are expected to believe that the fiercely intelligent scientist we having been rooting for suddenly decides to just give up questing for the truth. Shrugs her shoulders and retires to a cosy life of giving tours to school kids.

I'm unsure how this could be fixed in a satisfying way. It could be made instantly more interesting by just removing the voyage to the other side so we the audience don't know if Foster's character is telling the truth. But that would also be unsatifactory for me.

The ending I wanted was... for her to comeback from the trip, realise there is no evidence for her experience... then quietly pickup her microscope and pencil and start work on proving it with her last dying breath, then the credits just roll. A never ending search for answers, that's what science is.:-)

contact-1997-03-g.jpg


Jodie Foster absolutely kicks ass in the film. Her best ever performance but it all feels like the effort was wasted by the end.
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and Gaith added a point I missed...

Gaith said:
As for Contact... I agree the ending's not too impressive. How could anyone have missed the fact that the static recording was however many hours long? It was in the written in the bleeding report! Also, it's simply not possible for anyone to build something as big as the secondary device and keep it a secret. Cool moment, but totally absurd.
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So I'd like to know how your edit's end will play out and if it addresses any of the issues I had with the film's conclusion.
 
Jodie Foster is kind of hot there. Right?

Fix the ending Avid4D - you will be a hero!
 
kellenpure said:
Jodie Foster is kind of hot there. Right?
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Jodie Foster is hot everywhere.
 
I have made some edits to the ending which I wasn't sure would be received well, but having read all your feedback I feel more comfortable that others will appreciate the effort I've made to make the ending more palatable. Obviously I cannot refilm a complete new ending, but I have removed a few things I personally disliked about it and I think it plays out better.

BUT... I don't know if I like what I've done earlier in the film! I'm really struggling to make a decision if I'm making the right changes. Anyone care to offer some feedback and watch my first draft???
 
Avid4D said:
BUT... I don't know if I like what I've done earlier in the film! I'm really struggling to make a decision if I'm making the right changes. Anyone care to offer some feedback and watch my first draft???
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Why not.
 
Avid4D said:
I have made some edits to the ending which I wasn't sure would be received well, but having read all your feedback I feel more comfortable that others will appreciate the effort I've made to make the ending more palatable. Obviously I cannot refilm a complete new ending, but I have removed a few things I personally disliked about it and I think it plays out better.

BUT... I don't know if I like what I've done earlier in the film! I'm really struggling to make a decision if I'm making the right changes. Anyone care to offer some feedback and watch my first draft???
Click to expand...

I really enjoyed Contact. I would love to see what you have done with it.

In the spirit of full disclosure I should also tell you I really enjoyed the movie Sphere too.
 
^ I haven't seen it in years, but as I recall, Sphere is great! :-D
 
Avid4D said:
BUT... I don't know if I like what I've done earlier in the film! I'm really struggling to make a decision if I'm making the right changes. Anyone care to offer some feedback and watch my first draft???
Click to expand...

Absolutely
 
Uploading now to Mega and will PM you links in a few hours.
 
Some Audio sync issues at the beginning of the film and in the first few minutes of the Larry king interview.

The "flash forward" bit doesn't work as I believe you had intended it to. Maybe add some audio where she acknowledges shes talking to her father or the alien then "bam" back to the discovery of the signal. Or maybe show a bit of the Space Travel sequence the "bam" back to the discovery of the signal.

Your editing is spot on. Very good stuff. I didn't notice any hard cuts.
 
Some Audio sync issues at the beginning of the film and in the first few minutes of the Larry king interview.
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I have previewed it on my PC (with AC3 filter) and no issues, as well as my media centre and also through my PVR and no sync issues. As I know you're using our PC maybe you should try a different AC3/ surround sound codec.

The "flash forward" bit doesn't work as I believe you had intended it to. Maybe add some audio where she acknowledges shes talking to her father or the alien then "bam" back to the discovery of the signal. Or maybe show a bit of the Space Travel sequence the "bam" back to the discovery of the signal.
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I'm not sure what "flash forward" bit you're refering to...? There is a time reversal scene but not a flash forward. Letme know mate...
 
Avid4D said:
I'm not sure what "flash forward" bit you're refering to...? There is a time reversal scene but not a flash forward. Letme know mate...
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Yes, Time reversal is a better description.

The scene I am referring to is the scene where she is laying on the hood of her car, listening to signals. She hears the signal and opens her eyes. She runs to the telescope and we go through all the stuff getting her to the pod of the Machine. Then "bam" she opens her eyes again as she hears the signal. Then we go through all the stuff again in more detail getting her to her pod of the Machine again.

If your going to do an edit like that you have to make a "hook" from the Time Reversal into the later wormhole scene. Without something to tie the Time Reversal scene to the payoff at the end of the movie there is no point to it and only confusion for the viewer.

I don't know if I'm explaining myself very well.
 
Yeah that's clearer and makes sense. It's a similar concern I have with the edit, although your perspective is different and useful to potentially fix the concept. I have something in mind and now your feedback has given me an additional idea. Thanks! Hopefully I can produce something I'm happy with! :-o

Will be a few weeks tho before I get to it as I'm now traveling in Europe soaking up the culture :)
 
Any time you get it finished I will be more than happy to watch it again.
 
Hi Linten1... have made a few changes that hopefully improve the viewing experience and currently trying to upload to my Mega account. There seems to be problems tho as it keeps freezing at 99% which is very frustrating! Still working on it and will advise, as I'm keen to get your feedback (and anyone else who would like to help out) on any further changes I should make - or perhaps just abandon the project altogether if not a worthwhile version! :-o
 
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