Shang Chi and the Legacy of the Rings : Complete

[tremault]

I must admit, I get the emotional connection part. on my first edit, I liked how concise it was, but after I added in those heavily cut night out scenes, I found myself liking Katy more and I felt like the bit where she falls off the building had more emotional impact.

I think Shaun needs these emotional stakes.... Katy is like his link to his life in America, and he's delving into his dark past and Katy is his tether. I do think she is important, just not how she was presented in the original cut.
I actually think the intro scene shows how Shaun and Katy are joined at the hip. They are essentially married to each other as friends. The night out scenes really does present that and without them, I do think the movie is missing something. It does bother me because those scenes are awkward, but I think the heavy edits bring in a compromise.

I'm still listening though, we have time for more previewers. I should make a topic over at Original Trilogy.

 

[mnkykungfu]

Katy is like his link to his life in America, and he's delving into his dark past and Katy is his tether

Damn, here I am making a case for this, and this didn't even consciously occur to me. You put it better than I did!

 

[lifeincontext]

Katy is like his link to his life in America, and he's delving into his dark past and Katy is his tether. I do think she is important, just not how she was presented in the original cut.

That's a really solid observation, and I absolutely agree. If that's your thought process, it sounds like including it would be really important.

 

[freddieflix]

ok I think this works better...

I reused the shot of Shaun's face, zoomed in to differentiate.

also cleaned up the other edits of wen wu, either removing the transition or changing to a cross fade and adding whispers.
going to play with that beginning bit with the music, I might cut the 'getting dressed' bit, or maybe restore a little bit of the original and somehow using the car for a transition. failing that, I'll work the audio.

edit:
couldn't find any good candidates for different cut points so audio it is. I cloned some background audio from elsewhere in the scene and it seems to do well enough.

The close-up here is really jarring but the kick was excellent. Then the bottom footage is exactly what I was thinking when watching the transition from Act Up to Lose Control — super well done. On the topic of music, have you given any thought into rescoring the building fight with something from the album? Lazy Susan could work well.

With that scene of Shang watching his dad mop the floor with the goons at the shady spot, I think a solid way to handle it could be to have it play out in its entirety until Wenwu propels the rings to kill the guy on the floor — make it seem even gorier by cutting to Shaun jolting awake to it having just happened in his dream.

Lmk when you need test peeps!

 

[mnkykungfu]

Not sure if you've thought of potential posters for this, but I get kind of obsessed with alternative/lesser-seen posters for films. Some of these MCU movies are just getting into this typical style where it's a big clumsy collage of all the characters on the poster without much style. So I checked out alternative ideas from Shang-Chi....

Reveal message: poster 1

Some like this have a cool style but don't necessarily reflect much about this film/fanedit.

Reveal message: poster 2

That one has a bit more character but style more just broadly stylistic.
I'd like something like this more...

Reveal message: poster 3

...still simple but with a style kind of reflective of the focus of the edit.
Although really, I'd love to acknowledge that this is also a story for two cool female characters, and include Katy and Xialing on the poster. One on either side of the protagonist would be ideal, like so:

but it feels like leaving out the real Mandarin is a big oversight. So I wonder if maybe any artists out there are stimulated by ideas like this to contribute something?

Alternatively, back to the MCU style with all the main characters included, there are a few I saw that I liked better than the normal theatrical poster...

Reveal message: poster 4

and this one...

Reveal message: poster 6

...and this...

...though I think this might be my favorite:

@tremault did you have any ideas?

 

[freddieflix]

The last one is excellent. Iodgiko on Instagram did a great one I’d love to post but am not allowed to. Just lookup “Iodgiko Shang Chi” and it’s the first two that pop up.

 

[tremault]

The close-up here is really jarring but the kick was excellent. Then the bottom footage is exactly what I was thinking when watching the transition from Act Up to Lose Control — super well done. On the topic of music, have you given any thought into rescoring the building fight with something from the album? Lazy Susan could work well.

With that scene of Shang watching his dad mop the floor with the goons at the shady spot, I think a solid way to handle it could be to have it play out in its entirety until Wenwu propels the rings to kill the guy on the floor — make it seem even gorier by cutting to Shaun jolting awake to it having just happened in his dream.

Lmk when you need test peeps!

Thanks for feedback. That cut in the fight ring was pretty challenging, I worked on that bit a lot, I do understand that it can be a little jarring but I'm not sure if there's anything else I can do for that bit.

I will have a look at that part of him waking up, that could work quite well. Thanks for the tip.

I'm taking a bit of a rest just now so I have draft 2 if you want to see? I can take any further feedback into it when I go back to work. maybe in a week or so.

 

[freddieflix]

Thanks for feedback. That cut in the fight ring was pretty challenging, I worked on that bit a lot, I do understand that it can be a little jarring but I'm not sure if there's anything else I can do for that bit.

I will have a look at that part of him waking up, that could work quite well. Thanks for the tip.

I'm taking a bit of a rest just now so I have draft 2 if you want to see? I can take any further feedback into it when I go back to work. maybe in a week or so.

Happy to check draft 2 out!

I might honestly just leave Wong as is. I think part of what might just be the new MCU charm will be having random heroes and villains show up bc that’s how comics are, yk? Plus, with Wong’s appearance in the end and God-knows-what She-Hulk is gonna have with Abomination and Wong, it could wind up being solid connective tissue.

Regardless, I’m excited to see how it turns out!

 

[mnkykungfu]

I think a solid way to handle it could be to have it play out in its entirety until Wenwu propels the rings to kill the guy on the floor — make it seem even gorier by cutting to Shaun jolting awake to it having just happened in his dream.

I actually had this exact same thought, but I wasn't sure it would work in the edit because Wenwu delivers his "A blood debt must be replayed in blood" message right after that, and it's pretty key...

I think part of what might just be the new MCU charm will be having random heroes and villains show up bc that’s how comics are, yk? Plus, with Wong’s appearance in the end and God-knows-what She-Hulk is gonna have with Abomination and Wong, it could wind up being solid connective tissue.

You say "charm" but I think the crossovers have changed from where everyone was wowed in The Avengers to where most audience members feel the recent ones are cumbersome and annoying. People don't want to have to have seen 27 movies to prepare for what they might need to know in a new one they're interested in.

That said, I did hear that Benedict Wong (I still can't get over that Wong is his real name too) is credited in She-Hulk, so maybe you have a point about it being connective tissue. Although time will tell if it's just some throwaway line like "Sure, we know each other from cage-fighting in Macau" and we don't need to ever see that so it's fine.

 

[tremault]

Those are some really nice posters. some great ideas there.
Got to be honest, I have no real idea what I want my poster and cover to be.
It's meant to be a symbol that characterises the whole thing. It's always a challenge because it's boiling an entire story down to one image.
The edit isn't finished yet so I'm still exploring what precisely I'm trying to say with this.
I mean 'removing visual garbage' is not really a good focus. Sure, as a premise for a fanfix it's okay, but I also need to be clear what themes and narrative I am supporting through my other edits. I've certainly made decisions, but I need to think about why I have made these choices. because it's certainly not random.

Thanks freddieflix, I'll message you!

I actually had this exact same thought, but I wasn't sure it would work in the edit because Wenwu delivers his "A blood debt must be replayed in blood" message right after that, and it's pretty key...

That's a really good point.

 

[tremault]

I have an idea though......
I'm thinking about an image of Shaun and Xialing realy small and above them a large and overbearing image of their father.


something reminiscent of this quick edit

https://imgur.com/vgsTj33

 

[mnkykungfu]

Ooh, that's good. Can Shaun be holding Katy out over Pride Rock, too?
A bit like...

 

[addiesin]

I have an idea though......
I'm thinking about an image of Shaun and Xialing realy small and above them a large and overbearing image of their father.


something reminiscent of this quick edit

https://imgur.com/vgsTj33

What's the deal with James Earl Jones voice roles getting these posters?

 

[PanExis]

OK. Endgame was the end of the road for me, at least in terms of emotional investement, but after watching your impressive work on Captain Marvel, I'd be really interested to have a look at this, if you have me. Really good work with that kick transition, by the way!

 

[mnkykungfu]

@PanExis as a new member, you might not realize that the best way to talk about methods to watch a fanedit is by directly messaging the faneditor. A comment on a work-in-progress thread is nice to share your thoughts, too, but I'd advise PM-ing tremault.

 

[PanExis]

@PanExis as a new member, you might not realize that the best way to talk about methods to watch a fanedit is by directly messaging the faneditor. A comment on a work-in-progress thread is nice to share your thoughts, too, but I'd advise PM-ing tremault.

Thanks for the clarification. I already knew that and my only purpose was to express my support towards the editor and my interest in this particular project, not to ask for a link publically. I'm quite new to forum posts, indeed, but not that new to the site, as I have,I think, about ten reviews or more. Thanks again and sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[tremault]

Thanks for the support ^^
I'm just recovering from bingeing stranger things, but with a good night's sleep I plan to do some work on this tomorrow thanks to additional feedback, then do you want to have a look at draft 3 or would you prefer to wait until final draft?

 

[PanExis]

Thanks for the support ^^
I'm just recovering from bingeing stranger things, but with a good night's sleep I plan to do some work on this tomorrow thanks to additional feedback, then do you want to have a look at draft 3 or would you prefer to wait until final draft?

I'll be happy to preview whatever's on the menu! I'll leave it up to you to decide. You can pm the link to our previous conversation. Thanks in advance!

 

[mnkykungfu]

Thanks again and sorry for the misunderstanding.

Not at all! I partly chimed in just because I had seen a post in a different forum lamenting that it was hard to keep track of requests made as comments and shouldn't be the faneditor's job. That and there do tend to be a lot of people whose first couple posts quickly derail from the guidelines. But don't take anything I write as more than a suggestion, I'm not a Mod, just trying to be helpful.

 

[tremault]

some notes that need to be shared publicly :

I hear what you've been saying about the cut at the beginning, with Wenwu hitting the guy on the floor. I understand why it's been suggested. It's not something I want to do though. cutting it there, suggests this is nightmare fuel for Shaun. it suggests a trauma that doesn't really play out through the movie. Shaun has a very different kind of familial trauma, it's not a violent trauma. Shaun is actually fine with violence, he's been trained that way. He's not scared of violence from his father, he is scared of being trapped. cutting like that sends the wrong message. In fact, the way his father talks to him in a comforting and reassuring manner after such violence, is far more effective communicator of who Shaun is and his relationship with his father.

"-When Xialing is in the room with Katy, telling her a bit of her backstory, I think this would be the appropriate time to reinsert those scenes of her training as a little girl, "

I did do some tests of putting in training scene of xialing, but it didn't work. the clips are actually short, and it takes us away from the room, it disrupts the flow and feeling of the scene and does the very thing I intended to combat when removing flashbacks. I understand your rationale, but this film had too many flashbacks and they hurt the flow of the movie. also, it's at odds with the whole character building. we need to show more of present day xialing to give her more presence and more importance.

"-For me, the brief like 2-second insert of Xialing noticing the good dragon getting its eyes covered didn't do the trick, though."

I'm a little dismayed that the dragon insert didn't work, but to be fair it was a bit of a punt. There's not enough setup. I was going off what you were saying about the peril of the finale and my shortened version lacking that peril. I wanted this whole bit where the DID breaks out, being the peril. I felt like the viewer might not see this as so bad singe the good dragon was flying around, so I wanted to show at that moment that everything had gone pear shaped. I wanted to show that they had failed, that they were screwed. cutting away to the good dragon for too long, would potentially hurt the pacing, so I just wanted to quickly show the viewer "the DID is free, the good dragon can't help". I mean the alternative was having the whole, "DID is undefeatable, but wait, Katy just learned how to be the best Archer ever in one day and she saves the world!". It seems to me, this whole bit is Shaun is in trouble and it's his sister that helps him. It's him and his sister working together that saves the day. it's a focus on family. But by choice. Maybe I can create more of a lengthy parallel edit. Maybe I can go with the edit point you suggested, additional to the part where I put the key element. Or I could move it a little bit earlier, but I think it needs to be part and parcel with the whole 's**t hit the fan' sequence.