Filmmaking is an iterative process, where judicious editing distills a movie down into its finished form. In the days before nonlinear editing, the discards were said to be left on the "cutting room floor." These days, they're stored digitally, and now have a new opportunity to be seen as part of a DVD release.

"Inevitably there are things that the director falls in love with that, really, in the long run don't have much to do with the story," says Writer/Director George Lucas. Seven favored scenes that were originally cut from the film are being resurrected.

Unlike other movies, Star Wars scenes require an exceptional amount of work before they're considered complete. The live action performances are captured on film, but they must go through the digital wizardry of Industrial Light & Magic before they're done. Scenery, effects and even entire characters are added in ILM's computers.

"It wasn't just simply hitting a button and making it happen," says Producer Rick McCallum. "We had to set up a crew, finish all of the conceptual artwork, finish the animatics of the things we'd stopped midway, and that was like making a movie." Over nine months of work went into crafting the new finished footage found on the DVD.

Presented here is a detailed run-down of the seven sequences now completed with finished visual and sound effects crafted specifically for the DVD release. The deleted scenes reside on the second disc of the two-disc set. They can be viewed individually, or as part of a Deleted Scenes Documentary that features interviews explaining why the sequences were cut.

Scene 1: Complete Podrace Grid Sequence

Eighteen Podracers gathered from across the galaxy to compete in the Boonta Eve Classic. In the theatrical release of The Phantom Menace, we only get a close look at a handful of them during the Podrace introductions: colorful characters like Ben Quadinaros, Gasgano and Teemto Pagalies.

Now, in the DVD, the starting grid sequence has been expanded to include many more competitors, each waving to their adoring public. The three-eyed Mawhonic chews his cud as he grips his controls, raring to tear across the desert flats at supersonic speeds. The arrogant Clegg Holdfast primps and preens during his introduction. Elan Mak is almost too busy fine-tuning his Podracer to look up at his fans. The shovel-snouted Dud Bolt is already behind the controls of his Vulptereen 327 racer. The bird-brained Mars Guo gets miffed at Jar Jar upstaging his intro. Ody Mandrell and Ark "Bumpy" Roose get brand new close-up shots.

Family is a major theme in the Star Wars saga, and the DVD affords a glimpse at a new clan. The scrappy Ratts Tyerell looks back at his loving wife and adorable children one last time before rocketing away.

"There's a lot of anticipation, introducing all the racers, the revving of the engines, the mill of the crowd, the smell of the gas," describes Editor Paul Martin Smith. After the starting grid has been cleared of beasts of burden, well-wishers and pit crews, the mighty Podracer engines roar, ready to burst out of the gate. The camera catches close ups of eager speed demons revving their engines (although one sadly misplaced pilot is consulting his driver's manual at the last second).

The last new image of this sequence is an uncomfortably close look at a hapless frog's last few seconds of life as Jabba the Hutt formally begins the race.

Scene 2: Extended Podrace Lap Two

The very first rough cut of the Podrace covered four laps and almost 25 minutes. Reducing it to the finished film version not only saved ILM a great deal of work, but also kept the adrenaline and momentum of the race at a fever pitch. The DVD extends the second lap of the Podrace with new live action and computer-generated footage.

The new sequence begins with a showdown between Sebulbaand Clegg Holdfast. The two racers are neck-and-neck. Sebulba triggers his Podracer's hidden flame-emitter, roasting Clegg's engines.

Holdfast's charred ride crashes into the desert. Within seconds, a battered holding arm hovers into frame. Other racers such as Gasgano and Aldar Beedo maneuver around the scavenger as it belches out four cap-shaped insect-limbed salvage droids that pick Clegg's wreckage clean. Anakin nicks one as he comes tearing around the bend.

Back at the starting grid, Ark "Bumpy" Roose puts in for a quick pit stop. In the arena, a six-armed Xexto vendor hawks his gorg-goodies to a hungry crowd.

The DVD shows Anakin ascend from fifth to third position in the race. He outjumps Gasgano, and squeaks past the bullying Teemto Pagalies. As Anakin closes in on Mars Guo, Sebulba takes out the loud-mouthed alien by throwing debris into his engine intakes. Guo's Podracer shatters into a million pieces, and one of the high-speed fragments severs Anakin's control cables. The resourceful Skywalker gets out of that mess, however.

Scene 3: The Waterfall Sequence

The waterfall sequence was the first one George Lucas decided to revisit and complete. It was initially cut from the film since the perilous scene delayed the important events that followed it. Sequence Supervisor Dean Yurke oversaw the careful composition of hundreds of elements to make the finished shots.

The Gungan bongo surfaces in a Theed estuary. Deactivating the protective hydrostatic bubble, Qui-Gon Jinn stands and surveys his surroundings. The roar of water alerts him to the danger the current is dragging the bongo over the edge of a treacherous waterfall.

Using his Jedi ascension gun, Qui-Gon fires a grappling hook into a brick wall and secures the submarine. Obi-Wan then begins to cross the river, using the cable as a guide. Qui-Gon follows.

The terrified Jar Jar requires more prompting. As the sub begins to tip over the edge, the clumsy Gungan dives into the water, and uses his powerful legs to fight the undertow and swim to shore. The bongo shatters as it plummets down the falls.

Again on dry land, the Jedi continue on their mission with the Gungan in tow.