Scar said:
I'm hoping you can work wonders with the opening scenes at Privet. A key thing in tweaking the tone of this film, I think, will be minimizing Dobby in the opening -- he says too much, and does WAY too much (the self-flagellation only works in small doses; otherwise it's slapstick). Trimming him down adds to the mystery that's about to unfold, and could even give him a slightly more sinister edge the first time we meet him.
There has to be some way to goose the rest of the Privet scene so it doesn't feel so perfunctory.
I agree with you, and will try to tweak Dobby's intro. Have his arrival be a little bit more sinister and less comicy, and rather make the entire encounter be more mysterious.
Right now, from beforehand, I have his scene changed pretty much from the original. Removed all self-inflicting from Dobby but one, but the music just isn't working for me. I will switch up the tone, and lesser - or replace - some of his dialogue.
Scar said:
Once the Weasley's enter the picture, the Burrow scenes work decently well, though I always cringe when the Diagon Alley/ Diagonally Floo Powder bit happens. Why did Harry suddenly mispronounce it? He never has before. Honestly, a quick trim and it's just another Dobby-influenced mishap instead of Harry doing something stupid for the sake of the plot.
The Burrows, Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley have all very big alterations. Especially Knockturn Alley. It looked so fake and theatrical in the original, so I played with the colors to resemblence the one in HBP and added the music from the very same scene. It works like a charm now, and the movie is much faster paced because of it. I will, however, look into the Flu Powder mispronounciation. It would be good to remove it, but at the same time you would just have Harry suddenly standing within Boria & Burks with the Weasleys. It feels off. Will try some new things.
Scar said:
There are a number of deleted scenes that could help the "adultness" of the narrative and make it clearer wha's going on (without feeling like "whelp, this scene was in the book, so here it is"). They're worth a look.
Yes, my source is the Extended Edition of CoS. And there are many good scenes in there that WILL be left in and that definetly will help improve the tone of the movie.
Scar said:
I boggle at how Columbus bungles the thread about Hagrid's potential as a threat in this film. The first time we see him is Knockturn-- just what is he up to? Any chance to make Harry/ us question Hagrid's involvement in what occurs later helps the payoff at the end. His fate should be a part of the emotional stakes, but instead... meh.
Tangentially related, considering how dark and terrible it is when we see it later, I despise how offhand everyone is, including Hagrid, about Azkaban in this film.
Yup. Some of the many problems with this movie.
Everything feels to incredibly staged, planned and forced that it completely takes you out of the movie. I might even have to remove some of the original plotpoints, due to the bad, bad execution of them. The reward in this though, will be a much stronger foundation for a movie though it will differ greatly from the book.
Scar said:
Is it just me, or do the scenes at Hogwarts seems almost haphazardly edited together in this one, at least before the main plot gets rolling? Some playing with the tempo of the storytelling could make for an improved experience, I think.
Yeah. This movie is slow. Pacing is a major issue, but we're already talking a very strong beginning for the movie by now. A lot has been altered the first 30 minutes, and the beginning feels very much as the beginning of the later entries in the series.
Scar said:
The hissing/ parselspeak is potent for the movie's atmosphere. Working it in more often/ elsewhere could help increase the overall creepiness factor, maybe even from the very beginning of the film (the opening credits). Just a thought.
True. Parseltongue is added to the opening, just like in OotP and Deathly Hallows Part I.
It can also be heard sometimes throughout the Snake's movement throughout the school. For instance, when Harry hears "KIIIIL! KEEEEEEL!" and he bulges into Ron & Hermione, they can slightly hear Parseltounge from within the walls. I excpect I will add a lot more of it, and also improve the importance of parseltounge and the connection with Voldemort.
Scar said:
Andreas, what are your plans for Lockhart? It's a shame he's played SO cartoonishly. I normally like Brannagh, but.... blergh. One scene that I think could be radically improved with relative ease was the encounter with the Cornish Pixies: with the right score, and some color correction so they don't look QUITE so blue, that scene could have a dash of legitimate danger to it.
Lockhart will have to be downplayed
a lot when the plot gets going. He's still an ego-centric, self-loving dimsy, but now he doesn't steal every important scene of the movie with some ridicilous comedic stunt. Still, I love the humor and the presentation Kenneth Branagh gives, so I won't remove the good material there is, as long as it doesn't distract from the tone or plot of the movie as mentioned just above.
[In General]
This movie has the most inconsistency of them all.
- The Whomping Willow is at a completely different location.
- This is, unfortunately - and with deep respect to Richard Harris, the last time with the original Dumbledore.
- The castle looks completely different from the outside courtyards, before heavy alterations are made in the later entries.
- The music is pretty much a rehash of the first movie, and close to none of the music here is repeated ever throughout the franchise again. Williams had a tight schedule due to the post-production on Attack of the Clones, and had only time to so much - which is why the soundtrack for the movie is very lackluster and disappointing in my opinion.
If you think about all of this, this in itself is the visual and audiorelated problems to the movie. Story and pacing can always be fixed and altered, but these points here can only be damagecontrolled and in some cases diminished or cut.
Another great problem, which luckily can easily be fixed with a great deal of effort from my part, is the film's soundtrack. A lot, if not almost all, of the soundtrack will have to be replaced. It is just not working for the movie, and as mentioned already it's pretty much a rehash. Also, it has one great fault! Voldemort's theme from SS ("The Face of Voldemort") is repeated all throughout the dark parts of this movie. It's ridiciolous! You can pretty much guess that the Heir of Slytherin is Voldemort if you pay attention to it.
The movie gives of the exact same vibe as its predecessor in both tone and storytelling - much due to the music, but not only; the entire movie feels like a rehash as well.
All this being said, there are many things to put a great deal of thought and exprementation in. Many things I will have to work around. But all in all, I am very confident that my final product will be a much, much stronger version of the CoS, and a lot more coherent to the later entires in the franchise. I am confident it will turn out great, especially if I get you guys opinions and feedback along the way!
Let's remaster this magic!