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Making of the 1983 HBO intro

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 | Posted by Matt McCorkell | 10 comments

This really brought me back to my childhood after watching the intro on Andrew Kramer’s site.  I wonder what the original effects team that worked on it are up to now?

Check out the Making of the HBO Starship Intro:

YouTube Preview Image

You can watch the intro by itself below:

YouTube Preview Image sketchtheatre

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10 responses to “Making of the 1983 HBO intro”

  1. jamiehardt said:

    How do I get the song! :)

    1:30 pm on Tuesday, February 9, 2010

  2. Crystal said:

    This was great to see. Thanks!

    2:38 pm on Tuesday, February 9, 2010

  3. The ’80s HBO Logo Was Spinning Brass And LEDs | Gizmodo Australia said:

    [...] song. It’s worth it to see how special FX were made “with computers” before CG. [CGChannel] Tagged:clipsdocumentariesentertainmenthboretromodospecial [...]

    2:42 pm on Tuesday, February 9, 2010

  4. The ’80s HBO Logo Was Spinning Brass and LEDs [Hbo] | Products & Tech News said:

    [...] CGChannel uncovered this fantastic '80s vintage documentary that details the three-month process behind HBO's iconic pre-movie intro. Grit your teeth past the corny "Illusion!" song. It's worth it to see how special FX were made "with computers" before CG. [CGChannel] [...]

    3:51 pm on Tuesday, February 9, 2010

  5. Richard700 said:

    It took three months for the model makers to build the model – I was on the job for about a year.

    4:08 pm on Tuesday, February 9, 2010

  6. Fzzt said:

    Excellent find. I loved that opening & music, in the era before dvr’s that was your cue to get your butt in gear and plop down in front of the tv!

    6:40 am on Wednesday, February 10, 2010

  7. JMenna said:

    Wow, not only do I remember the intro, I remember this mini-doc! very cool.

    1:24 pm on Wednesday, February 10, 2010

  8. MV Diablo TV party said:

    Anthony Lover (the guy with the wall to wall pupils) takes the viewer on a TOUR and FLIGHT as we SWOOP DOWN the streets of the city!

    And James E. Kowalski is the guy who (somewhat somberly, possibly bitterly?) makes this happen, even though people take it for granted. Foliage? You better f***ing believe it.

    And then the guy sings the song about LOOKING CLOSER to WHAT YOU SEE! And his lyrics don’t – have – to – rhyme – that – much.

    And then Anthony tells us that this movie set (filled with glue and smoke and toxic chemicals and guys with bulging crotches and delicate things that could get broken by just staring too long at them) is A GREAT PLACE for children. It’s better than Toyland at Christmastime! (News flash to Anthony: you’re insane.)

    And FYI, that’s not Ferdinand J. Smith, minor composer and connoisseur of classy suits and ties. That’s Marjoe Gortner. (Look it up.)

    Finally, it’s all filmed with a special super duper camera that’s controlled by something called A COMPUTER.

    That’s how it can perform extremely complex moves and motions. Like moving slowly forward…in a straight line…for 14 hours.

    ILLUSIONS…You’re going into a trance! (feel the bassline!) and then there’s the roadie from Journey operating the camera!

    ILLUSIONS….everyone’s wearing Angel’s flight pants!

    ILLUSIONS…check out that nasty matte line!

    But seriously, that music at the end is pretty cool. It was a Pavlovian bell to me when I was a teenager. It was the sound that meant that some movie with exposed breasts was coming on shortly.

    Thanks for the flashback.

    I am now going to Netflix “Roadhouse” and “Ghoulies 2″.

    10:09 pm on Wednesday, February 10, 2010

  9. Lee Perry-Smith said:

    This is so cool, thanks for posting. I wish I had seen this in my child hood.

    8:32 am on Saturday, February 13, 2010

  10. The ’80s HBO Logo Was Spinning Brass and LEDs [Hbo] | Tech stuff center said:

    [...] CGC&#104&#97nnel unco&#118ered this f&#97nt&#97stic ’80s &#118int&#97&#103e document&#97ry th&#97t det&#97ils the three-month &#112rocess behind HBO’s iconic &#112re-mo&#118ie intro. Grit your teeth &#112&#97st the corny “&#73llusion!” son&#103. &#73t’s worth it to see how s&#112eci&#97l FX were m&#97de “with com&#112uters” before CG. [CGChannel] [...]

    12:37 pm on Thursday, February 18, 2010

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