[In progress] Zack Snyder's Justice League Ultimate Edition

[franzkfk]

Hi,

(I've posted this into an improper subforum so I am going to make right one this time, sorry -> new info at the end of this post)

new member here which already helped a little bit with one project of member LucasGodzilla.
I hope you will welcome me with open arms: )

----------------------------

I guess you've already heard about Zack Snyder's Justice League.
I was fighting for the project from the beginning but I was very surprised how it panned out.
Zack Snyder originally worked with Chris Terrio on a more serious and darker movie. The original one was unfortunately scrapped and 30% of original screenplay was rewrote and some never went to production. Zack Snyder said that this cut is the closest thing of what we could have get but it is still a "new thing" (this version is totally new edit from an assembly cut) and this cut on HBO Max is already lighthearted by the WarnerBros. and Geoff Johns who intervened and revisioned the screenplay that went to production (unfortunately). 
I thought that when Zack was fighting for his original vision it was more on par with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman which were - in my opinion - mature movies.
Long story short I've took grey edition, edited the Tunnel Battle Scene and called it Ultimate Edition. Please keep in mind that this is just a rough preview with minor tweaks.

This particular scene:
- new framing and lot of edits
- better pacing: cut out extension scenes (some of them might be repurposed); cut out corny lines
- Alfred's assuming control of the Nightcrawler will be probably addressed before action sequence
- intention of the new edit is to set more serious tone, evoke exhausting fight scene which makes an impression of a scarier opponent in Steppenwolf
- rest of the film will be edited in similar spirit: more serious in line with Man of Steel and Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition


Zack Snyder's Justice League Ultimate Edition
Tunnel Battle Scene
(I have deleted the original grey version)


I will also cut unnecessary expositions like the one with Wonder Woman in London which - in my opinion - doesn't make sense.
Gonna fix some illogical issues like the scene where Clark meets Alfred. In the HBO Max version Clark lands very fast close to Alfred and makes a noise which Alfred should register.

Here is the scene

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vF3rSEzIi4

But in the original version Clark lands gently that is why Alfred register Clark only when he's closer to him.

You can see the original version here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPmpHR9jZ5k



I will probably repurpose deleted scenes from Blu-Ray and I might use some shots from Whedon version too If necessary (only Snyder's shots). That is why I've decided to do only grey/b&w version. But it is also of an inconsistent color grading in HBO Max version. Can't show you proof but there are two scenes I've encountered that shows it. When Batman is on daylight during Clark's resurrection. In some shots he's got grey tones on his suit in others there are blueish. In the same sequence the grass behind Lois is sometimes greener and sometimes greyish. 



Hope you like it.
Questions and opinions are welcome: )



-------------------------new info-----------------------------

So I've decided to make both color and black&white versions. First will be without new framing and after editing process and minor tweaks I will do the reframing.
Since I am going for a few VFX changes I might repair the color grading too. The VFX changes going to be a surprise. Just a three minor tweaks with a little bit help of editing scissors. I am willing to spend some money on it but we'll see ... green; )

I have put together first 49 minutes with minor sound tweaks and few edit tricks. 
I would like to show you rough cut without major narrative line - space soap opera (DeSaad, deeper Steppenwolf motivation and history lesson).
As I've said before this new cut is aiming for a more dramatical movie as we've seen in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.
Steppenwolf will be more sinister (without corny lines). The viewer will be focused more on main protagonists and their inner struggles.
When I upload it somewhere I will post it ...

[franzkfk]

Here it is. Please keep in mind that even with some sound/video edit tweaks it is work in progress but it should give you the "picture".

Diana read everything from mural and told Bruce necessary info - conquerers/things from another universe/they serve dark power. No other exposition - in my opinion - is necessary before Darkseid's arrival which will be subtle at the end anyway. Steppenwolf's part in the narrative will be subtle as well.

49 minutes; not HQ but download it for better quality -> https://files.fm/f/9cjhyqqd7
Still in 4:3, If the picture is with horizontal letterbox crop it in VLC to 16:10.

P.S.: Right now I am aiming for a runtime 3 hours and 8 minutes (give or take) without subtitles.

[franzkfk]

Update:
First hour and half is edited. It is going pretty good. Still aiming for 3 hours.

[franzkfk]

First version of the cut is done. And my reaction is ....

So ... runtime is 195 minutes from 242 minutes.

Snyder's original cut (the one he didn't release) was 214 minutes. Original theatrical cut (Whedon's version) was 120 minutes.

Some of the transitions and cuts are similar to theatrical (but I didn't copy, did it intuitively)

The pacing is great. Now all characters are in in the foreground of the narrative. Steppenwolf is scary and whole movie is more serious.

The edits and transitions are smooth. With good headphones you are able to hear some changes in pitch but on regular speakers it is great. Maybe someone who didn't saw the original movie won't recognize it on the headphones either.

Right now this is just a first cut. I need to see it by myself (in one sitting) and show it to friends first before I spend money on the vfx changes.


I am not a VFX artist and I don't know how hard or costly my suggestions are but they're here:

(from the most important to less important)

1) Steppenwolf's eyes to be more on par with the concept art - version on the right is just a preview I did in a few seconds so keep that in mind ; ) 


- more alien and demon like
- in my cut he's got few scenes where we see detail shots of his eyes (I would keep the blue at the end)

2) Green Lantern
This one will be tricky. I have only two shots of Martian Manhunter in my cut and it works - in my opinion - better than in the HBO max version since their dialogue was written after all this debacle because WarnerBros. forbid Snyder doing Green Lantern at the end. Their dialogue is strange in my opinion. Martian Manhunter is familiar with Bruce even though he never met him and he says that he's got stakes which we didn't see as viewers. So I cut it and it looks like a cliffhanger: ) with great old/new music; )
The problem is that I cannot get rid of the shot where Martian Manhunter stands opposite of Bruce and since I am not a VFX artist I just guess it would need more work to reshape him and therefore it would need more money. I will try to cut it without this shot again but let's have this option opened ...

With these two I can go with a compromise:

3) Since Steppenwolf is cutting Atlanteans in half with his axe but not Amazons (might be for rating reasons) I would like to change that in a shot where he kills one Amazon.

4) There is a man with a dog who goes through a shot in the scene where Lois is thinking about Clark and she's having an inner and emotional progression which the guy disturbs. I would like to erase him and the dog from the shot.

By the way I have fixed Clark's landing in front of Alfred and also found and fixed other shots that are wrongly edited (If we go with formal editing process).

I am gonna show some parts on Vimeo when I find the time.

P.S.: Btw the 4:3 is - unfortunately - a bulls*it. There are so many strange scenes with wrong framing I was surprised. Just play for yourself a scene where Alfred is taking control of the Nightcrawler when he says "initiating remote mode" and look on his lips; ) It is just an ADR which was done in 2016 and it was probably done like that because they originally went with conventional framing.

[franzkfk]

OK, let's do it ... (Tango & Cash)


Some minor tweaks and polishing is necessary but ... it is mostly done.


https://vimeo.com/539098137


https://vimeo.com/539087275


https://vimeo.com/539089040


https://vimeo.com/539105404


https://vimeo.com/539095040






...





3





2





1





... and the worst ...





https://vimeo.com/539261753

[franzkfk]

Check the profile on Vimeo. There is added info under each video.

New runtime 199 minutes including credits and post-credits scene.

How do you like it?

Questions and opinions are welcome.

[Hitcher]

I have a question. Since you guys usually lay down money to someone for their projects I am curious - even though I know I am new here - If I show you the cut when it's 100% done would you consider do this for me as well? Or you are mostly focused on scanning?

The only money laid down that I know of is to cover costs of buying, renting, shipping, and scanning of films; certainly no money is ever asked to share a project as that goes against the forum rules.

7. Selling projects basing on copyrighted material IS NOT allowed on this forum. This applies to Patreons, etc. ONLY voluntary donations are allowed.

[franzkfk]

Sorry I didn't mean to imply any selling. I might have misused some words because I am not native english speaker. I have deleted the question. Administrators may delete my concrete (this one) reaction as well.

[franzkfk]

Update:

Unfortunately the Green Lantern alteration is only possible with a big compromises ...
So I will keep the Martian Manhunter in the video as a regular cliffhanger.

Good news is that changing the eye color for Steppenwolf shouldn't be a problem.

In case you are interested I was aiming for something like this:



P.S.:

BUT

...

In a version which will be cropped I can do just a simple trick that we don't see the Green Lantern. Only his silhouette when he's descending and that model could be altered. We'll just see the light (movement, sound) and Bruce's stare at the light ...

So something like this ...

[franzkfk]

UPDATE:

Final edit will be in 2.35:1

I have realized there is still lot of work - approx 35% to finish. I have changed the exposition and included dialogue where Bruce is reacting to MotherBoxes. It fits great.

I am gonna really try hard and put the Green Lantern back.

There won't be updates for a while ...