Escape from Jakku
Today's post focusses on Finn's journey through the desert after rescuing Poe, Finn and Rey meeting for the first time, and the pair's subsequent escape from Jakku.
First off, some creative editing was used to remove the extended sequence of the TIE fighter exploding in the desert. I felt that at this point of the film, the audience needs some breathing room and a break from the constant explosions of the past few minutes, especially before the Falcon takes flight. Also, leaving Poe's fate more ambiguous telegraphs his return later in the film a bit less.
Instead, Finn now awakens in the desert clutching Poe's jacket and is left to wander alone until he comes across Niima Outpost. The audio was almost entirely recreated from scratch for this small scene.
Not much else has been done to Finn and Rey's first meeting, other than the removal of Finn's repeated whispering insistence of "I am with the Resistance". Once is enough, and it helps undersell his deception to both Rey and the audience.
Now, to the meat of it: t
he 16:9 IMAX version of the Falcon's escape from Jakku. This was painstakingly recreated by and used with permission from adywan and DylanValenti at originaltrilogy.com. An HDTV source was used where the rest of the film had been cropped down to 16:9, except for this sequence, where extra frame information was used from the IMAX source. This low-quality source was then upscaled using information from the Bluray to create a seamless HD version. You can see the amount of extra information in the frame here:
SW:TFA screenshot (from Disney+)
SW:TLSA screenshot
After the aspect ratio changes, there is only one significant change I've made: removing the extended crane shot and music cue at the Falcon's reveal. I always felt that was a gratuitous moment of fan service, and anyone watching who does not have prior knowledge of this ship's significance, the same as our protagonists at this stage, would be rightly confused. Playing this moment flatly serves two functions: as a quiet easter egg for the audience that is aready familiar with Star Wars, as well as a greater pay off when the theme comes in full as Rey 'goes low'. Sometimes withholding things from the audience can be a good thing...
See this beat here:
Finally, as the last shot of the 16:9 source is different to the shot where the Falcon enters hyperspace (borrowed with thanks from Hal9000's
The Force Awakens Restructured) I created a bespoke transition back to a 2.39:1 aspect ratio, blending the two shots as the Falcon soars across the frame:
Watch "Hyperspace" on Streamable.
streamable.com
This whole sequence is one of my favourite in the sequel trilogy and was a delight to be able to restore as much of the wonderful work that went into it as possible. Thanks for reading!