I'm connected to the Exeter projects. Is this in reference to someone recutting an Exeter episode?
Maurice: No, it does not involve Exeter. It involved Kitumba and my version was taken down. At least, I hope so. I have hard times hitting buttons, but it looks like it was definitely taken down as of my last search.
But I'm interested to know: why the re-edit? Assuming newly-created footage of some kind isn't being incorporated, what is the goal of the editing? Restructuring of the plot a bit? Making the chronological order make more sense? Or...are you actually editing and taking out some scenes--and, if so, which ones and why?
Schnitzer: In my opinion, Kitumba was a bit slow. That being said, it's far better than anything I would ever made and I always bow down to you guys. It's been taken down as per Phase II's request. It took me a couple days.
The scenes I took out (in order) were the first scene outside the transporter room. All of the important information has been established in the Captain's Log ("urgent cryptic orders" making the whole thing mysterious and urgent, and "Klingon Empire" establishing that this will more than likely have something to do with the Klingon Empire) and that they get no more information.
So I cut to our heroes entering into the transporter room, which makes it a bit more urgent because of the rushed movement of our characters. Pretentious thinking on my part, I know, but I think it's true.
Then the first sentences we hear when we're actually with our characters are what they feel about the situation. They're uneasy. That tells us that we should be uneasy.
Anyways, the next part I cut was the line about "there haven't been any reports about raiding." Just a matter of pacing. The big mystery here is why has the Enterprise received cryptic orders, so we need to get to the answer as quickly as possible. When Gil Gerard says that "Klingons have been amassing forces," that answers Kirk's question of, "What's this been all about?"
I believe I also cut Commodore Probert's first line because it's just hitting home a point that's already been stated quite authoritatively.
I then cut all the dialogue given after Gil Gerard says, "Your best shot at arriving on Qo'nos safely." That's a great line and a super dramatic line. The best reveal is a Klingon after that because it's shocking and a great act out of the teaser. I also cut the two transporting shots together to make it move faster so we can get to the act out quicker. It's a bit stronger to show it than talking about how shocking it is. Plus, Kirk's surprised glance tells us everything we need to know about how to feel.
TEASER TIME CUT: Roughly 50 seconds.
Oh, also? This is all opinion. Oh, my gosh, I'm no authority on all of this, since I didn't edit the original thing. Poop on it if you'd like, please. I deserve the poop.
ACT I:
After the credits, I made a lot of tiny cuts afterwards in our big exposition dump in the transporter. There's a tremendous amount of information conveyed. I made the recut version from the first half preview, so the real version made some cuts that are much better.
REAL VERSION (0:03:50 to 0:07:41) Length 0:03:51
RECUT VERSION (0:02:54 to 0:06:22) Length 0:03:28
I left Malkathon's scenes alone. They just worked for me.
I cut the ghost ship scene because no real information is revealed that isn't hit again in the briefing scene afterwards. We're shown K'sia's willingness to comply by the charts he's supplied. Their antagonism towards each other is also hinted at later. No new character or plot information is revealed that isn't shown later. The scene with the Birds of Prey (Bird of Preys?) serves the same function as the ghost ship sequence, which is to add tension in regards to if our heroes will make it to Qo'nos.
After this, I left the next Malkathon scene alone, then cut the next scene. I think this is the set up for the deployment of the shuttlecraft, but it doesn't reveal anything about character and the shuttlecraft trick I think we can just attribute to Kirk being Kirk.
This gets us to the final battle, which I'm fairly sure I left largely uncut. It's a very effective sequence in my opinion and is wonderfully executed.
My video stops after the Enterprise gets destroyed.
That's my first half cut. It lasts about 14 minutes versus the Real Version's 24 minute run time.
I hope that explains what I did.
Leave other people's stuff alone....
Also, re: Kelso...I did like what they did. I just thought it could've been tightened up. So I just went ahead and did it. Then they told me to take it down and, after I asked what I should do and delaying for a bit too long, I did. Maybe this is me being a narcissist, but there's no reason for the Phase II crew to hire me as an editor/story advisor when they have no idea who I am and I have no work to show them.
Anyways, no harm intended, but harm was done on my part. I've learned my lesson and won't do it again.
