The Digital Bits - The 2011 Star Wars Saga Blu-rays

The 2011 Star Wars Saga Blu-rays - First Insights

All right, so I wasn't really able to talk about this in advance, but some of you may have wondered why I posted the Friday update here on The Bits so early. The reason is this: I was fortunate enough to spend the morning Friday - along with about ten other members of the international media - at Lucasfilm's Letterman Digital Center compound at the Presidio in San Francisco. The reason, as you might expect, was to get a first-hand look at the upcoming Star Wars Saga Blu-ray Disc release (due in stores on 9/16). Throughout the morning, I was able to see and sample check discs from the set, to ask lots of questions and to learn more about the overall content and quality of the set. What I learned was... well, I think the best word to describe it is this: encouraging.

Now, before you all bombard me with questions, know I'm waiting for some of my technical questions to be answered in the next week or two, so I'll have an additional comments then. Also, there are some things I can't talk about related to this set for a couple more weeks yet, specifically the content of the deleted scenes. But I'll tell you this: I've been feeling somewhat ambivalent about this release up until now - as I'm sure have many of you longtime fans. As a result of this hands-on experience, however, I am more excited about this release than I was before.

I know that many of you have questions about the video and audio quality of these discs, as did I. So here's what I can tell you at the moment...

Obviously, the Prequel Trilogy is mastered directly from the original digital files - the actual final source masters that appeared in digital theatres around the world. However, I'm told that - particularly with Episode I - when the original DVD master was created from the source files, the state of the technology at that time meant that some of the image area was lost all around the frame. In other words, you weren't seeing the complete "film" image in the DVD master. Today's mastering technology corrects this, so you are now finally seeing the entire film image of Episode I on Blu-ray. Here's an example of what I mean. [Editor's Note: The following images were provided by Lucasfilm - they're not full BD resolution and so are meant only to illustrate the changes, not overall BD image quality.] This first image shows the image area on the original DVD version...

Episode I - original DVD framing

Now here's the way the actual film looks, and what you'll see on the Blu-ray - more image all around.

In addition, there are improvements in the image quality of the Prequel films on Blu-ray simply related to the improved "state of the art" of mastering from digital source material. In particular, since this is a new Blu-ray master from the original digital files, the unnecessary edge-enhancement and color-timing issues that plagued the previous Episode I DVD presentation should no longer be an issue.

Regarding the Original Trilogy films, I don't think it's quite accurate to say that these are simply the 2004 DVD masters recycled for Blu-ray. These films are NOT the 2004 versions. It would be more accurate to say that these are new 2011 Blu-ray versions. Let me be clear what I mean by that: It's accurate to say that these are probably built from the same negative scans that were done for the 2004 DVD release, at whatever resolution those were produced. (Note that I'm working to determine the exact resolution of the original digital masters of all the films - the resolution at which the restoration work for Blu-ray was done, and from which the final Blu-rays were mastered.) But I can tell you from first hand observation that many fixes and improvements have been made to these films. So what does that mean?

One of the biggest complaints people had about the Original Trilogy DVDs in particular was that the color timing was wildly uneven. As a result, lightsaber colors varied from shot to shot. Previously bright saber blades became dull. I'm told that all of this has been fixed. Particular attention was paid to properly correcting the color space throughout the films. And I'm told that not only have all the saber colors have been restored to their intended hue, their bright white "cores" have been restored as well. Here's a sample of what I'm talking about. The first image is how a notorious scene in Episode VI looked after the 2004 DVD restoration. Note the dull saber blades and the dark, messy-looking digital touch-up that was used to hide the visible edge of the Emperor's make-up...

Episode VI - original DVD sabers and color-timing

Episode VI - original DVD sabers and color-timing

Now look at what's been done for the new Blu-ray release. The blades are the proper color, the blade cores are white hot once more, the overall image brightness has been restored and the digital touch-up is now invisible.

Episode VI - fixed DVD sabers and color-timing

Episode VI - fixed DVD sabers and color-timing

In addition to these sorts of fixes, significant additional dirt removal has been done, more garbage matte lines have been cleaned up and other little "fixes" have been applied as well. Here's an example of one such fix done to Episode V. For years, fans have complained that in this shot of the Wampa attacking Luke's Tauntaun, you could see part of the puppeteer's arm because the costume didn't extend quite far enough...

Episode V - Wampa costume revealed

Now, that's been fixed.

Episode V - Wampa costume fixed

I'm told that little visual issues like these throughout the films have been addressed - a fairly extensive list. [Editor's Note: The so-called "Humdinger" glitch in Episode IV was also apparently fixed.] Meticulous attention has finally been paid to getting things right - attention that wasn't unfortunately applied to the 2004 DVD release, because there simply wasn't time in the release schedule. (Read: the job was rushed.)

One thing I should confirm for you at this point: The original theatrical versions of the Original Trilogy are not included on these discs. Personally, I never expected them to be. I know a lot of fans want them, but it's clear that Lucas has no intention of making them available at least for the foreseeable future. So for those of you hoping against hope they would be on here, best to start dealing with your disappointment now. I understand how you feel - don't kill the messenger.

On the audio front, you will be very pleased to know that most of the audio complaints fans had about these films on DVD - about particularly Episode IV - have been addressed and fixed for Blu-ray. For example, many of you will recall that in the 2004 Episode IV DVD release, the music in the rear channels of the 5.1 mix was often reversed. (Credit to Bits reader Neil S. Bulk who first brought that issue to our attention back in 2004.) You should all be very be pleased to know that that's no longer the case. Finally... fixed!

The Supervising Sound Editor on the Blu-rays for Skywalker Sound, Matthew Wood, gave us a pretty detailed demonstration of the new 6.1 DTS-HD MA lossless audio mixes on these Blu-rays. (For those wondering why 6.1 and not 7.1, Matt said that 6.1 was chosen because it builds nicely on the 5.1 EX mixing work that was done for the Prequel films.) The first scene he showed us was the beginning of the assault on the Death Star at the end of Episode IV. Now, I suspect he showed us this scene for exactly the thing I noticed immediately upon previewing it. Some of you may recall that on the 2004 DVD, when the X-Wings begin their dive down to the Death Star, the familiar John Williams trumpet fanfare was buried in the mix so you could barely hear it. No longer! The trumpets ring true in the Blu-ray mix loud and clear. When I heard this, I couldn't help thrusting my arms up in the air in a bit of happy relief. I then turned to Matt, who as it happens was standing right next to me, and saw him give a little smile and nod - he knew exactly what I was reacting to. When I leaned over to thank him for fixing it, his simple reply made me smile as well: "Trust me, I read the blogs too..."

Matt and his team have been very careful to ensure that these new 6.1 DTS-HD MA uncompressed audio mixes reproduce in exacting detail the sonic experience of these films we all know and remember, albeit with the added quality and clarity that the latest lossless mastering technology can provide. Matt reported that the 6.1 mixing process for Episodes V, VI and the Prequels was relatively straightforward, because all of the original audio stems and elements were readily available and were well catalogued. For Episode IV, however, "getting it exactly right" required a rather extensive forensic effort, as this material just wasn't cataloged with future surround remixes in mind. In many cases, Matt and his team went back to original analog tape recordings made in 1976 to get the best quality of all the required elements. As a result, it's fair to say that the surround mix for Episode IV was almost completely rebuilt from scratch, with Matt comparing his work to the original print master to ensure its creative accuracy. And at every step of the way, director George Lucas and original sound supervisor Ben Burtt were consulted to ensure that the mix reproduced as closely as possible their original intent for the film's sonic experience. In fact, Matt says he played the film's reels many times for George, in 15-20 second chucks, to get his feedback.

That's not to say that there aren't new little tweaks here and there, but rest assured they're very subtle. A few additional audio details were apparently "added" into the mix as well. I put added in quotes, because in many cases these elements - mostly very subtle background sound effects and voices - were recorded back in 1976-77 for the original film and were even used in the original audio mix, but because of the poor state of the art for movie soundtracks at the time, nobody's ever really heard these things before.

In the scenes Matt sampled for us, the clarity, resolution and staging of what heard was really quite impressive. I have to say, talking with Matt was enormously reassuring. He just clearly gets it. He knows these films, and he loves them as much as anyone. He knows all the complaints fans have had with the 2004 DVD release and he made sure to correct them - to get them right at long last.

Now, you'll recall that a little bit ago, I said these should probably be best considered new 2011 versions of these films, and not the 2004 DVD versions. All the fixes and corrections alone justify this in my opinion, but there's another reason too... and you can probably guess what it is: Once again, George has apparently added a few new "surprises" into these films. I don't know what they are and didn't get to see any of them on Friday, but I was assured that there will be "new things to notice" when we watch the films. I think we can safely assume that one of them will be the new all-digital Yoda in Episode I. Way back when Episode III was released on DVD, ILM digital effects supervisor Pablo Helman confirmed to me that the puppet Yoda in Episode I was replaced with a digital version to better match his appearance in Episodes II and III. In fact, the Episode III DVD extras includes a clip of the Episode I digital Yoda. However, this Blu-ray set is really the first opportunity we'll have to see it in full. What the other changes to these films may be, I have no idea, but I suspect there will be no lack of blog posts on this very subject within hours of the first discs becoming available to fans.

So the next obvious question is, how to the films look in HD based on what we say on Friday morning? The answer is very good indeed. Do they look better than the 2004 DVDs? Absolutely. Do they look better than recent 1080p HD cable and satellite broadcasts? Again, yes - not just for the fixes to problem A/V issues that have been done but also because of the added video and audio data rate afforded by the Blu-ray format, and the fact that each film comes on its own BD-50 disc. And don't forget that Episodes I, II and III should look fantastic simply for having been mastered directly from the digital production files.

On the other hand, will Episodes IV, V and VI look as good as more recent films that have had state-of-the-art negative scans of 4, 6 or even 8K resolution? No, probably not. It will obviously be easier to say for sure when the final product is in hand in a few weeks, and we all have some time to really go over it and live with it a bit. In any case, this is one of those issues over which personal opinions are going to vary widely. The takeaway here is this: These films will look notably better than they ever have before at home, on any home format, and most (if not all) of the A/V issues that have driven fans crazy over the years - particularly about the 2004 DVD release - should be fixed on these Blu-rays. [Editor's Note: My belief is that the 2004 DVD negative scans of the Original Trilogy were produced at 2K resolution, which would roughly match the production resolution of the Prequel Trilogy. We also believe that Lowry Digital was involved in the Blu-ray production effort. When and if we're able to officially confirm this information, we'll let you know.]

Now then, let's move on to the extras. Is it really worth getting the Complete Saga set just to get the three extras discs? For me at least, the answer here is clear: Absolutely. Yes... I've now seen many of the Original Trilogy deleted scenes. No... I can't tell you much about them (believe me, that drives me as crazy as it does you). But I was pretty surprised by them and in a good way. What I can tell you is that they are substantial - at least for the Original Trilogy. This isn't just dribs and drabs stuff - it includes long sequences. And they're extremely cool. Frankly, for me this is the real draw of the entire BD release. As you've seen in some of the teaser clips Lucasfilm has released, they're not pristine, but most of them are in HD - at least the Original Trilogy clips. And trust me, they're well worth seeing. It's stuff some of you have wanted to see in good quality since 1977, along with a few things fans may not have known even existed. [Editor's Note: The one other thing I'll say is that the Prequel Trilogy deleted scenes appear to be IN ADDITION to those that were included on the DVDs. So this seems to be all-new material for those films.]

The main extras are split over two Archives discs - one for the Original Trilogy and one for the Prequel Trilogy. On each, there's a main menu screen that allows you to select which film you want to delve into. Then each film section is divided into worlds - as it happens, the worlds that appear in that particular film. In each of these worlds, you'll find relevant Interviews, Collection content (a.k.a. rare Lucasfilm Archive material, like model turnarounds), Conceptual Art and the Deleted/Extended Scenes. There are dozens of model turnarounds, which allow you to view various ships, props and costumes in extremely high detail - frankly, much more than you ever saw in the actual films. Who knew the soles of an AT-AT's feet were so dirty? You can fly around these models from different angles, and look at various portions of each in close up. Then, nearly all of these turnarounds have additional newly-produced video material - including filmmaker/artist interviews and more - talking about that particular model and/or the scene in which it appeared. In the concept art sections, I'm told that over 400 pieces of rare, original production artwork from the likes of Ralphs McQuarrie, Joe Johnston and others can be found. And there are "over 40" deleted/extended scenes in the Saga set in all. Nearly all of these extras are in HD (save for select older material shot on analog video).

Then there's also the Documentaries disc that includes many new and vintage featurettes and documentaries. We've listed these before. [Editor's Note: We didn't look at any of this material on Friday - and frankly it's of less interest than the two Archives discs, which are where the real gems are to be found. Be advised that you may wish to hang on to your previous Star Wars DVDs - in addition to the new BDs - if you want to keep ALL the available extras, as many of the documentaries they offered are not contained in the Blu-ray Saga set. Lucasfilm's intention was to try to include as much all-new, not previously officially released material as possible rather than simply recycling previously released extras. Just so you know.] What's more, each film has two audio commentary tracks - the ones that were on the previous DVD release as well as an all-new commentary compiled from tons of vintage and archived interviews with the cast and crew. Finally, I'm assured that there are indeed a handful of "very fun" Easter eggs scattered throughout the set.

Speaking of the bonus content, Lucasfilm's Senior Director of Marketing, Kayleen Walters, noted that the company made an effort with this release to appeal to fans new and old. Vintage documentaries and deleted scenes were included to provide substantial value to longtime fans, giving them a worthwhile reason to upgrade to Blu-ray, while younger fans will appreciate the newly-created content on Star Wars spoofs and the like. Also, by providing three SKUs - the Complete Saga box with substantial extras, as well as the movie-only Original Trilogy and Prequel Trilogy sets (note that the movie discs do have the commentaries at least) - there's essentially an option for every level of fan.

By the way, legendary special effects pioneer and ILM Creative Director Dennis Muren, who was on hand to speak of the extras, said that the turnarounds "are like a time machine for me. As I watch them, all these memories come back." Muren, who participated along with many others in the newly-shot video material that accompanies the turnarounds, noted that fans who like to build replica models of Star Wars vehicles will really appreciate the high level of detail you get to see.

On a side note, I had the chance to ask Muren what he thought about the advance of CG for visual effects and if he missed working with physical models. He said that he did, but that the old way of doing things "hit a wall in the 1980s and 90s. We took those techniques as far as they could go." CG, he says, is really just another tool that extends what can be achieved. "The goal is does it look real?" I also asked him if he thought there were some things that just weren't possible even with CG, noting The Hulk as an example of a visual that's difficult to sell to audiences - a 10 foot tall green guy is just never going to look real. Dennis suggested that he didn't so much think it was impossible, just extremely hard. "You know, if you painted a real guy green and photographed him, you'd believe he was really there. Some things we just haven't quite gotten right yet." He also noted that one day, we'll see a completely convincing, all CG-created human character carry an entire movie... but that day is probably still many years off. "It'll happen eventually, but it's just very, very difficult." He added an interesting follow-up to that, revealing that a lot of big-name Hollywood actors had themselves digitally-scanned about ten years ago, thinking that by doing so, they could continue appearing in films looking young even as they aged... but that nothing has really come of it yet because the technology just isn't there yet. Fascinating.

In any case, we'll obviously have more to say about the Star Wars Saga Blu-ray release as we get closer to street date, and you can certainly expect our full, in-depth review in the weeks ahead. (No, we don't have the discs yet.)

I have to say, I'm very encouraged by what I've seen so far with regard to these Blu-rays, and by the answers I've gotten to the questions I've asked about them. Like many of you, the last few DVD releases of these films have always left me... wanting. It just always felt like they were rushed somehow, and that all too many little important quality details just were overlooked. But this Blu-ray set feels very different. Finally, it appears that these films may have gotten the attention they deserve on home video at long last - especially the Original Trilogy. In fact, I think this may be the first time since that 1994 Definitive Edition laserdisc box set that the films have been so carefully handled, and that so many of the fan irritant A/V problems have been properly addressed. So can I say that this Blu-ray box set represents the "ultimate" release of the films on disc, or that these films will look absolutely perfect? No. But I think it's now possible for me to believe that Lucasfilm may - just may - have finally done these films fairly proud on disc. We'll see.

Special thanks to Kayleen Walters, Chris Argyropoulos, Connie Wethington, Matthew Wood and Dennis Muren at Lucasfilm for their welcome invitation, their hospitality and their assistance.

The Star Wars Saga Blu-rays arrive in stores on September 16th, and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com via the cover art links below. (As always, doing so though our links helps to support our work here at The Digital Bits - things like this very article you've just read - and we greatly appreciate it.)

Cheers!

[Editor's Note: Our friend Adam Gregorich at Home Theater Forum has also started posting his report on this event, so be sure to check it out!]

Bill Hunt, Editor
billhunt@thedigitalbits.com