The Phantom Edit
It was May 1999, and so much was going on. We were about to have the New Year’s Eve party of the century, and the wait was over. Yes, George Lucas released A FOURTH Star Wars movie, the Phantom Menace. Finally!!!
I was working at a medical device company at the time, and I ducked out to watch the movie a week after it opened. How was this astounding creation? Plain awful. Really? George Lucas is a talented filmmaker with credits, awards, and accomplishments significant enough to fill a warehouse. It’s all true, but those accolades did not save the movie.
Why? I mean, the film had everything. Fantastic graphics, Skywalker sound, endless budgets, big-name actors, and the best director/screenwriters ever. This creation comfortably rested on the foundation of cinema’s most astounding science fiction creation. All true, but the premise, plot, characters, and film direction were lacking.
The drive back to work was depressing. Plus, I was out five bucks (it was a manatee). Well, that’s that. I watched a bad movie and nothing can be done. Except there was. One person decided to fix the problems. Mike J. Nichols is a professional Hollywood film editor who edited a VHS copy of The Phantom Menace. His effort included trimming/rearranging scenes, changing dialog, adding the deleted scenes, and limiting exposition.
The result he titled The Phantom Edit nearly eliminated the worst part of the film, the notorious Jar Jar character. The resulting edit had a snappier pace, the plot made sense, and most importantly, the edit was in line with the prior Star Wars movies. And the fans/critics agreed that Mike had rescued a good story from an awful film.
I was working at a medical device company at the time, and I ducked out to watch the movie a week after it opened. How was this astounding creation? Plain awful. Really? George Lucas is a talented filmmaker with credits, awards, and accomplishments significant enough to fill a warehouse. It’s all true, but those accolades did not save the movie.
Why? I mean, the film had everything. Fantastic graphics, Skywalker sound, endless budgets, big-name actors, and the best director/screenwriters ever. This creation comfortably rested on the foundation of cinema’s most astounding science fiction creation. All true, but the premise, plot, characters, and film direction were lacking.
The drive back to work was depressing. Plus, I was out five bucks (it was a manatee). Well, that’s that. I watched a bad movie and nothing can be done. Except there was. One person decided to fix the problems. Mike J. Nichols is a professional Hollywood film editor who edited a VHS copy of The Phantom Menace. His effort included trimming/rearranging scenes, changing dialog, adding the deleted scenes, and limiting exposition.
The result he titled The Phantom Edit nearly eliminated the worst part of the film, the notorious Jar Jar character. The resulting edit had a snappier pace, the plot made sense, and most importantly, the edit was in line with the prior Star Wars movies. And the fans/critics agreed that Mike had rescued a good story from an awful film.
This was the first fan edit that was widely shared over the internet. Star Wars geeks like me spent hours downloading this creation because the internet was slow then, but the movie studio and George Lucas reacted differently. They were furious and used every conceivable resource to bury this fan edit, but their efforts had an unintended outcome called the Streisand Effect. Then is when somebody complains about their obscure issue, and the resulting publicity aggravates their problem. In this case, more people downloaded it.
But that was kind of it. This fan edit was a tiny bump in cinema history that is nearly forgotten. However, this effort inspired many people to do their own fan edits of popular films. La La Land without the singing? Jaws in reverse, where the shark saves the beach? A Star Wars/Pulp Fiction mix? How about a heavy-metal Star Wars holiday special? A decent version of Howard the Duck? A happy version of Twelve Angry Men? You can get it all here:
But that was kind of it. This fan edit was a tiny bump in cinema history that is nearly forgotten. However, this effort inspired many people to do their own fan edits of popular films. La La Land without the singing? Jaws in reverse, where the shark saves the beach? A Star Wars/Pulp Fiction mix? How about a heavy-metal Star Wars holiday special? A decent version of Howard the Duck? A happy version of Twelve Angry Men? You can get it all here:
Fan edits generally fall into two categories. The first corrects flaws by deleting unnecessary material or adding back the deleted scenes. The second is when editors create something new. I wish I had sat in the movie theater to see a fun fifteen-minute version of The Thin Red Line. That’s two dreary hours I am not going to get back.
What does this have to do with me? I have never heard of a fan editing a popular book, so that should not be a problem. But I admit it. I spend hours daydreaming about one of my stories, making it to the big screen. Would there be a fan edit?
Somebody could limit my character backgrounds. A comedy version might be interesting. What about a reorganized timeline? Eliminating characters? Removing the romance? Turning a drama into an action story? Changing the villain into a hero? An X-rated version? A disco version? How about a Star Wars mash-up? I guess that could work.
Would I be upset if a fan edited my book? I think it is important for an author to understand what it means to publish. Once something is out there, it is out there, meaning that plagiarism, editing, free distribution, or a complete re-imagination is all possible. This means that people will do what they want; a creator should expect this reaction and I should say, “I am honored that you cared enough to spend time reimagining my work.” Yeah, no. I am firmly in the George Lucas camp. “Hey! I spent a huge part of my life creating my books. Leave them alone!”
You’re the best -Bill
November 13, 2024
What does this have to do with me? I have never heard of a fan editing a popular book, so that should not be a problem. But I admit it. I spend hours daydreaming about one of my stories, making it to the big screen. Would there be a fan edit?
Somebody could limit my character backgrounds. A comedy version might be interesting. What about a reorganized timeline? Eliminating characters? Removing the romance? Turning a drama into an action story? Changing the villain into a hero? An X-rated version? A disco version? How about a Star Wars mash-up? I guess that could work.
Would I be upset if a fan edited my book? I think it is important for an author to understand what it means to publish. Once something is out there, it is out there, meaning that plagiarism, editing, free distribution, or a complete re-imagination is all possible. This means that people will do what they want; a creator should expect this reaction and I should say, “I am honored that you cared enough to spend time reimagining my work.” Yeah, no. I am firmly in the George Lucas camp. “Hey! I spent a huge part of my life creating my books. Leave them alone!”
You’re the best -Bill
November 13, 2024
