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Using WookieGroomer's 1080p splitscreen of the 1993 & 2004 versions of Star Wars: A New Hope, I have attempted to recreate, upgrade, and expand on the official visual comparison. I hope this compiles all of the changes between the 1993, 1997, and 2004 versions of Star Wars. I also hope this will convince people that we should have the original version, even with its flaws. --------------------------------------- Individual descriptions are taken from the official list and marked so each change is attributed to which Special Edition. Descriptions marked with an "*" are entries not in the official listing. ------------------Several of these changes may only be differences in the 1993 print of the original version used for the 2006 DVD.

"The original 1977 version of Star Wars began with the painted 20th Century Fox logo, which was updated in 1997 to the new digital logo that identified Fox as a News Corporation company." (1997 change)

"The plain green Lucasfilm Limited card was replaced in 1997 with an animated presentation, though the 'new' logo had been in existence since before 1977." (1997 change)

The preface was rendered thinner with wider spacing in 1997 (middle) and yet again in a different font in 2004 (bottom). (1997 Change, 2004 Redo)*

The Star Wars logo recedes much faster in the Special Edition, though no one knows why, as the crawl worked with the slower logo in 1981 after adding "EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE". Also note the different starfield in the 1981 version (middle image) (1981 Change, 1997 Redo)*

"The original 1977 theatrical crawl did not begin with an Episode title or number; these were added in the 1981 theatrical re-release." Also note the different starfield in the 1981 version (middle image) (1981 Change, 1997 Redo)*

"The spacing of the words in the title crawl has changed to avoid single words on a line ending a paragraph. Also note that the capitalization of "Rebel" was fixed in the second paragraph so that it matches the first." NOTES: The original opening crawl had the text on 21 lines, so to still keep it as 21 lines when adding two new lines in 1981 (Episode IV, A NEW HOPE) they simply changed the spacing of the words in the first two paragraphs of the text. This also changed the musical timing. The word "Rebel" is capitalized in the first paragraph because it begins a sentence. Perhaps it was changed more to match the capitalization in Empire Strikes Back's crawl. Also note the different starfield in the 1981 version (middle image) (1981 Change, 1997 Redo)*

"Another example of the 1979 reshuffling of the crawl to avoid ending a paragraph with a single word on a line." Also note the different starfield in the 1981 version (middle image) (1981 Change, 1997 Redo)*

"The last paragraph of the crawl was left largely unchanged, though the spacing of the ellipsis has been widened to make the text more block-shaped." Also note the different starfield in the 1981 version (middle image) (1981 Change, 1997 Redo)*

The camera pans down from the crawl faster and settles on the planet for several beats before the Blockade Runner flies overhead in all versions since 1981, while the ship flies overhead as soon as the camera settles on the planet in 1977 along with its musical cue. The matte painting of the moons are also stretched slightly vertically in the original version, which was fixed in the 1981 release (middle). (1981 Change, 1997 Redo)*

The entire first shot was recomposited in 1981 (middle), then recomposited again against the original starfield for the 1997 Special Edition. The glare from the engines is more evident in the 2004 version than any previous version. (1981 Change, 1997 Redo)*

The starfield is different for the 1997 version. Not sure why. (1997 Change)*

This first shot of R2 and 3PO has been reframed, possibly due to a tear in the negative. (1997 Change)

In order to retain image quality by using the original negative, this fade was redone optically by Pacific Titles. (1997 Change)*

The Blockade Runner was recomposited, the matte lines reduced, and the docking animation smoothed out. (1997 Change)*

The Blockade Runner was recomposited and the shadows darkened while the escape pod was also recomposited and has some motion blur added. (1997 Change)*

The Escape Pod and starfield was recomposited and reframed. (2004 Change)

In order to retain image quality by using the original negative, this wipe was redone optically by Pacific Titles. (1997 Change)*

"The sky in the original 1977 version of this shot was changed to better match continuity with other shots in the desert sequence." The sand dunes also seem to be digitally redone, as if they only kept the part of the image around 3PO. * (2004 Change)

In order to retain image quality by using the original negative, this wipe was redone optically by Pacific Titles. (1997 Change)*

In order to retain image quality by using the original negative, this wipe was redone optically by Pacific Titles. This wipe transitions into a Special Edition scene. (1997 Change)*

"The 1997 release lowered the horizon line of this establishing shot to make room for a digital sunset. The camera still tilts down to reveal R2-D2, as it did in the 1977 release." (1997 Change)

"The 1997 Special Edition release changed the sky of this shot to better represent twilight." (1997 Change)

"The original shot of the sandcrawler model was shot day-for-night, meaning the artificially darkened daytime sky would not have stars. The 1997 Special Edition digitally changed the sky to a starry night." (1997 Change)

In order to retain image quality by using the original negative, this wipe was redone optically by Pacific Titles. This wipe transitions into a Special Edition scene. (1997 Change)* (not frame accurate)

"The 1997 Special Edition expanded the search for the droids with new footage of stormtroopers combing the desert, complete with digital landing craft and dewbacks." (1997 Addition)

"This 1977 shot was enhanced in 1997 with far more mobile digital dewbacks." (1997 Change)

In order to retain image quality by using the original negative, this wipe was redone optically by Pacific Titles. This wipe transitions into a Special Edition scene. (1997 Change)*

"The original shot of the sandcrawler model was replaced with a new shot of the same model moving across a miniature landscape in 1997." (1997 Change)

"The original framing of this shot was scaled down, with the image area extended with a digital matte painting that added more vaporators and more sandcrawler than was practically built on location." The additional vaporators are gone in the next shot from this angle. (1997 Change)

In order to retain image quality by using the original negative, this fade was redone optically by Pacific Titles. (1997 Change)*

Leia's hologram was recomposited in 1997 and the beam from R2 was digitally redone to stabilize and give it more of a glow. (1997 Change)*

Leia's hologram was recomposited in 1997 and the beam from R2 was digitally redone to stabilize and give it more of a glow. Note how the original beam goes well over the top of Leia's head. (1997 Change)*

Leia's hologram was recomposited in 1997 and the beam from R2 was digitally redone to stabilize and give it more of a glow. Note that now the scan lines on Leia are vertical in the SE. (1997 Change)*

Leia's hologram was recomposited in 1997 and the beam from R2 was digitally redone to stabilize and give it more of a glow. (1997 Change)*

"A strange omission in the 1997 Special Edition was the animated cone of light that extends from R2-D2's holographic projector, seen in the 1977 theatrical version." Strange that the official list points out that this is missing from the Special Editions. This may be missing due to going back to the original negative and not adding the light back. (1997 Error)

Leia's hologram was recomposited in 1997 and the beam from R2 was digitally redone to stabilize and give it more of a glow. Note that now the scan lines on Leia are vertical in the SE. (1997 Change)*

Leia's hologram was recomposited in 1997 and the beam from R2 was digitally redone to stabilize and give it more of a glow. (1997 Change)*

Another example of the missing beam of light in the 2004 version. * (1997 Error)

Leia's hologram was recomposited in 1997 and the beam from R2 was digitally redone to stabilize and give it more of a glow. Note that now the scan lines on Leia are vertical in the SE. (1997 Change)*

Another example of the missing beam of light in the 2004 version. * (1997 Error)

Leia's hologram was recomposited in 1997 and the beam from R2 was digitally redone to stabilize and give it more of a glow. It also looks like the "sparks" coming from the restraining bolt have been recomposited. (1997 Change)*

Clouds were added to the 2004 Special Edition to better match the close up of the suns. It is also possible that the suns were recreated from scratch. Both suns also seem to set starting with 97, when only the red sun did originally. (2004 Change)*

"The 1997 Special Edition removed some occluding landscape from the famous twin sunset scene, to match continuity to the long shot which has an unobstructed view of the suns." Actually the mountain is present in the 1997 Special Edition, making this a 2004 change, however the suns were recomposited in 1997 to get rid of some static grain. (1997/2004 Change)

In order to retain image quality by using the original negative, this wipe was redone optically by Pacific Titles. (1997 Change)*

"The sky originally changed color when the camera cut from close-up to medium shot in this scene, since each was gathered at a different time. The Special Edition corrected the color of the redder sky to match." (1997 Change)