Fan edit. Remixing media.

'Alternative cuts' (especially 'Director's cuts') of films are nothing new, nor are slightly altered/updated editions of books. Music gets remixed. In the realm of video-gaming, patches/bug fixes/mods and the like are of a similar vein. Clearly, any piece of art can be subject to revision and reinterpretation, usually at the hands of the original creators. But times are changing, It is well known that the computer age has heralded a generation which doesn't simply passively consume content but rather actively participates as content-producers. Video-game creators are cottoning on with the concept of 'user-generated content' now well-established. Almost anyone can now (with varying success), edit levels, mod and create scenarios, new objects, artwork and even music (ie. Rock Band). End-users now have an unprecedented ability to interact with media and shape their own experiences. Often vibrant fan communities are spawned where creations are traded and worked on collaboratively. In some cases people can even legally sell their new content to other users. With at least basic forms of editing software pre-installed on most machines, the tools to produce; machinima, remix of songs and redub or edit videos are under everybody's fingertips. What I am leading to is the existence of a film 'Fan edit' community. No these aren't exactly 'Fan films' (films or videos inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans) although they too have benefited from the advent of cheap video technology & special effects. 'Fan edits' are alternative versions of films (usually the restoration of deleted or previously lost scenes) produced entirely by fans. I find this fascinating. Highly regarded films and films with a strong following are common choices (ie Star Wars, Lord of the Rings) . It is now in the hands of dedicated individuals or groups to extend or improve pieces to their limits. Think of the possibilities. Shoddy studio cuts which mar a potential classic can be redone in line with the original vision. Deleted scenes can be edited back into movies to give a better cut. All this may amount to insignificant tweaking to the average viewer, but for an enthusiast this may be the only method to approach a definitive version of their beloved film(s). There are obviously also a lot of tricky legal questions pertaining to this practice, which lands squarely in the copyright grey-area. Fan-editing? Potentially valuable or amateur irrelevance? You decide.

http://fanedit.org/ - Big fan editing community.