HBO Feature/Special Presentation IDsThis is a featured page

Logo descriptions by James Fabiano, Kris Starring, Zach Harden, and Kylejaker1988
Editions by Jeff B., Yoshidude987, and TheMisterFree
Video capture by HBO

1st Open
(1979-1982)

Nickname: "The HBO Feature Marquee"

Logo: We start out with a space background with a light grid sheet at the bottom running. Then, we see searchlights on the left and right sides, and
HBO Feature Movie (1970's-1983)criss-cross together. At the same time, blue lights appear and yellow rays rain throughout out of the blue light, changing into blue rays, then yellow circles, then yellow zigzags, then colorful criss-cross lines, then blue and yellow straight lines, and finally wavy lines with curvy lines. Then we pan up to the searchlights up close, and the searchlights reveal a box of popcorn, which completely disappears. Then we see yellow animated drawn popcorn moving then falling down with a "shadow" effect. Then, the same popcorn reveals a marquee with the lines and designs (looking like the Orpheum or Pantages theater), and the marquee zooms up. Then, we move to a plain black screen, and the words "HBO FEATURE MOVIE" one above each other zooms and pans down in a "shadow" effect. Then, lines appear behind each word, and the words turn red. The bars shine repeatedly.

FX/SFX: Mostly backlit computer animation is used here (same effects used in the movie Tron), and it looks really well done for the time.

Music/Sounds: An orchestral theme that sounds like it's from Sesame Street.

Availability: Extinct.

Scare Factor: Low. The music may not sit well with some.



2nd Open
(1979-1982)

Nickname: "The Hollywood Walk", "Big Band"

Logo: The camera travels down an infinite lapse of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where we see some movie items on the left and right sides of the screen
HBO Feature Movie (1970's-1983)
(i.e. a glass slipper, a box of popcorn, a soda bottle, etc.) We then zoom into a picture with strange objects moving around, we then cut back to the Walk of Fame where we see a box office from a far distance. As the sky turns to night, we zoom into the box office and the screens cuts to black where the "HBO FEATURE MOVIE" texts animates as usual.

FX/SFX: The zooming.

Cheesy Factor: Rather cheap animation, but kind of fun to see.

Music/Sounds: A jazzy version of the fanfare. Fits well with this logo.

Availability: Extinct. It was last seen on HBO around 1982.

Scare Factor: Low. The music might be loud to some.



3rd Open
(1979-1982)

Nickname: "The Flashing Theater"

Logo: On a space background, we see a vortex positioned like a floor, sitting in the middle of the screen. At the same time bright lines begin drawing out a
HBO Feature Movie (1970's-1983)
stylized movie theater complete with box office. We then zoom into a yellow star and then cut to more bright lines drawing out the interior of the theater. Red and blue curtains appear on the stage and as we slowly zoom in the curtains unveil and we go to a black background where we see the "HBO FEATURE MOVIE" text animates as usual.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor
: The drawing lines, the flashing effects. All typical '70s animation.

Music/Sounds: An alternate version of the fanfare used in the first logo, only more slower and louder.

Availability: Extinct. It was last seen on HBO in the early '80s. Check old videotapes for it.

Scare Factor: Medium to high. The flashing effects and loud music might not sit well with most people.



4th Open
(1979-1982)

Nickname: "Shapes In Space", "The Abstraction"

Logo: On a space background, we pan through and around many abstract shapes of varying color and size, some of which light up. They go all over, with a star and circle passing by, along with a
HBO Feature Movie (1970's-1983)
bubble snake. After a while, a stylized yellow box moves in from the right and we zoom into it, where we go to the black background again with the text animated out as usual.

FX/SFX: The shapes, the box moving in, text animating out.

Cheesy Factor
: Kind of simple animation, but kind of cool.

Music/Sounds: A bouncy techno version of the fanfare, kind of fits well with this logo.

Availability
: Again, extinct. Check old videotapes for this logo.

Scare Factor
: Low. The abstract animation might scare a few, but it's a lot tamer.



5th Open
(1980-1982)

Nicknames: "Funky Marquee"

Logo: We see a futuristic-like city at twilight, and we pan to the left where we see a movie theater with searchlights criss-crossing. Then we zoom into an
HBO Feature Movie (1970's-1983)
opening where we see a bird's-eye view of the theater lit brown/orange. We slowly zoom into the projection screen and we fade into a black background with the text animating as usual.

FX/SFX: Live action
.

Music/Sounds
: A rather moody, funky, smooth version of the fanfare. Again, it fits well with this logo.

Availability
: Extinct. Check some old videotapes for this logo.

Scare Factor: Low to medium.



6th Open
(1980-1982)

Nickname: "Liquid/Neon Marquee"

Logo: On a black background, purple streaks rain down the screen at an angle. We then fade to see a gray square with a neon pink outline flipping and
HBO Feature Movie (1970's-1983)
zooming away, with an ocean at the bottom of the screen. When it disappears, a flash brings forth a series of gold bars that fly on the left and right sides of the screen. They eventually form a theater hallway with the ocean turning into the floor. A brown screen turns the background to black and the usual text animates out.

FX/SFX/Cheesy Factor: Pretty cool animation for 1980.

Music/Sounds: A relaxing synth version of the fanfare mixed with drums.

Availability: Extinct. This was the last intro HBO used until the "HBO In Space" logo was created. Again, check some old tapes for it.

Scare Factor: Minimal.



7th Open
(September 1982-1997)
HBO Feature Presentation - CLG WikiHBO Feature Presentation - CLG Wiki
HBO Feature Presentation - CLG WikiHBO Premiere Presentation Bumper (1983)HBO Feature Presentation - CLG WikiHBO Theatre (1983-1999)HBO Feature Presentation - CLG Wiki
HBO Rock Bumper (1983)
HBO Family Showcase (1983)HBO Comedy Bumper (1983)HBO Standing Room Only Bumper (1983)HBO On Location Bumper (1983)
HBO Saturday Night Movie (1983-1999)HBO Feature/Special Presentation - CLG WikiHBO Feature Presentation - CLG Wiki
HBO Feature Presentation - CLG Wiki


Nicknames: "HBO in Space", "Starship HBO"

Logo: We start with a man tuning the cable on a TV set for a channel (to HBO, of course!) in his apartment as he settles down on the couch with his wife with food items in front of them (i.e. a tub of popcorn, a pizza cut into slices etc.). The camera pans backwards outside the window to show a somewhat busy city intersection with figurines of vehicles and people standing on the sidewalk at twilight. The music starts, and the camera "flies" forward down the street, through several intersections. At one point you can even see a movie theater that actually has "HBO Theater" on it. We fly over some buildings and we go out of the city and into the suburbs, with lots of trees. We fly over several houses and a clock tower. Then the camera pans up into the sky, which briefly turns sunset-ish, then blue and black with a starfield. We go up into space, eventually panning up to reveal the source of the light -- a star (positioned near the top center of the screen) that gets brighter and brighter, and eventually explodes, leaving behind a shiny chrome model monolith. The monolith moves down and across the screen and rotates clockwise, revealing itself as the HBO logo, then turns around one more time as the camera zooms in on the side of the O. The side of the O disappears in a flash of light, revealing a stream of colored rays streaking counter-clockwise around a silver axis, and "HBO FEATURE PRESENTATION" (Note: different titles would appear depending on the program) appears, one word atop the other (and a line under "PRESENTATION"), in a heavy, lavender 3D "gaspipe" lettering style against an array of purple lines. some more rays sweep across the words and shine, then the background would fade to black with more flashes from the surrounding rays.

Trivia
: This logo was parodied in the music video for "DVNO" by Justice, with EVEN MORE high-tech effects..


Variants:
  • A slightly more common version starts off with the city covered in fog (which slowly clears up), then has the camera pan across the city as usual.
  • A short version of the logo that starts before the "big bang" was shown most often (the long version would only be used for new features).
  • There are seven different endings depending on what the program is. They include "HBO Feature Presentation" (the standard version), "HBO Premiere Presentation", "HBO Family Showcase", "HBO Classic Feature", "HBO Theatre", "HBO Music", "HBO Saturday Night Movie", "HBO Sunday Night Movie", "HBO Special", "HBO Comedy", "HBO Rock", "Standing Room Only", "HBO Originals", "HBO Sports", and "On Location".
  • Two April Fools Day variants that used a much cheaper version of the city with HBO monolith, and end card also exist: one used "HBO Feature Presentation" in the style of a rebus puzzle (H-bee-O Feet-Y-oar Present-A-shun) which flipped up into the screen, while the other had the "lyrics" to the song in a "follow the bouncing ball" style over the model city. When we reach to space, the familiar HBO is now in aluminum foil held by string and is spins around by a hand. "HBO FEATURE PRESENTATION" in cheaply arranged paper letters fade in on a black background with a pair of live-action hands making odd movements briefly over it (the rebus puzzle version faded to this, but with only a half-second of hand movement).
  • Some end cards had the lines colored royal blue or a red-gray gradient.
  • A somewhat rare version exists. After the man tunes the cable to HBO, we can see his family sharing popcorn while HBO started to be tuned on TV before zooming out the window. This was apparently used when this intro first debuted.
  • Occasionally, during debuts of popular films, when the streaks move around the "O" it would cross-fade into a promo, and when the promo ended it would fade back to the "Feature Presentation" version, which would end as normal.

FX/SFX: The city cars, wind, and the light sounds in the end. The effects used for the HBO logo are very hi-tech (for the time), and not a single computer-generated image was used to make it. The model city is also intricately detailed.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic theme (that in the long version, starts with a whoosh and a piano/string chord and gets progressively more tense) leading into a very loud, upbeat, almost disco-style horn-driven overture, then ending with synth sweeps (representing the rays "inside" the "O"). Composed by Ferdinand J. Smith.

Music/Sound Variants:
  • For the first few months the open was used, a different end-tune that was similar to the "HBO Special" version played instead of the normal end.
  • For the "Family Showcase" variant, the music would get softer and play an uplifting theme just after the "O" disappears.
  • For the "HBO Music/ HBO Rock" variants, a rock guitar tune would play near the end.
  • For the "HBO Special" variant, a faster-paced horn tune would play, which sounds kind of like a game show theme.
  • For the "Standing Room Only" variant, an upbeat, fast-paced tune would play.
  • For the "On Location" variant, a slow, jazzy tune would play.
  • One April Fools variant had the theme being played on kazoos, while a "BOING!" sound is heard while the aluminum HBO comes in on the background.
  • For the "HBO Comedy" open, a "comedic" tune would play.
  • For the "cross-fade promo" version, a voice-over would begin speaking as we enter the interior of the "O", and the first variant mentioned played under the VO at the end.

Availability
: Extinct. It was shown before movies shown on HBO. Check those old tapes!

Scare Factor: Low, due to the somewhat fast movement of the city scene and the flashing at the end. But that notwithstanding, this is a very popular logo.




8th Open
(1987-1997)
HBO Feature Presentation - CLG WikiHBO Movie (1987-1988)

Nicknames: "Non-Primetime HBO", "Neon '80s Geometric HBO"

Logo: We see a heliotrope HBO logo across a vertical filmstrip with light rays being shot through it. The camera pans around and zooms back from several CGI squares glowing various neon colors. Then, the lights shoot out the last square and light up a group of small circles glowing rainbow colors, then zoom out to reveal a light-purple HBO logo with "Movie" written in script in a raspberry-like color with the rainbow circles on a black background behind it.

Variant: In Hungary, "Mozi" (Hungarian for "movie") appears below, with the colors appearing brighter. Most other countries probably have "movie" written in their own native language as well. In Brazil, "Apresenta" (Portuguese for "presents") appears below.

FX/SFX: The pan-down from the CGI squares, the lasers lighting the circle, the zoom out to the HBO Movie logo.

Cheesy Factor: None. This is very professional late '80s animation in addition to those neon rainbow colors.

Music/Sounds: A loud electric guitar fanfare, which culminates into what sounds like the beginning of a Depeche Mode song.

Availability: Extinct. It was last seen on HBO in the late '90s. Check those old tapes for the logo!

Scare Factor: Low to medium. The glowing is not as bad as the "HBO Feature Presentation"'s flashing, but that loud synth-guitar music may get to some.




9th Open
(1988-1994)

Logo: On a violet/white CGI background with a dark blue CGI floor, we see many colored shapes zooming through the screen. A black rectangle zooms in slowly, along with other ones forming a mantel-like shape, where a hot pink HBO logo risesHBO Feature Presentation - CLG Wiki up, and as the camera stops, the gold words "SPECIAL PRESENTATION" zoom out with a shadow effect and plasters itself on the front of the mantel with the HBO letters turned on a slight angle (a la 20th Century Fox).

FX/SFX: The zooming and rising.

Music/Sounds: A synthesized rock fanfare.

Availability
: Mainly appeared on HBO specials in the late '80s-early '90s. It appeared on The Roseanne Barr Special and George Carlins' Jammin' In New York.

Scare Factor: None at all. It's a cool logo of some sort, otherwise its camera pans might startle a few there.



10th Open
(1990-1994)

Nicknames: "HBO Pendulum"

Logo: We see a countdown with the letters "H", "B", and "O". Suddenly, a CGI globe appears. It bounces into the next floor, which says "MOVIES", and bounces onto a filmstrip. An "M" bounces it onto the next floor, which says "BOXING". The globe and a letter "B" fight with each other, pushing the globe onto the next level, which says "MUSIC". A bunch of globes appear. Three of the globes turn red and bounce onto the next floor, which says "FAMILY". An "F" juggles them, throwing them into the next floor, which says "COMEDY". A letter "C" laughs as the countdown appears again. It turns into an "O", which is the HBO logo. The globe bounces into the middle of the "O".

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A calpyso/rock theme.

Availability
: Extinct.

Scare Factor: None at all.



11th Open
(1997-1998)

Nicknames: "HBO 1997"

Logo: We see the words "FEATURE PRESENTATION" appear over the HBO logo seen in many situations (like the ITV "Hearts" idents from the same time).

FX/SFX: CGI animation, often mixed with live action.

Music/Sounds: The 1982 fanfare (short version) heard in different instruments depending on the variant.

Availability
: Extinct. These opens were only used for a year before the next one came along (see below).

Scare Factor: None at all.



12th Open
(November 5, 1998-April 1, 2011)

HBO Feature Presentation - CLG Wiki

Nicknames: "The Road", "HBO 2000", "HBGlow"

Logo: We see a busy street corner with a theater whose marquee reads "HBO FEATURE PRESENTATION". We zoom into the theater, pass the box office
and into a bright light. We end up zooming down a road in a residential neighborhood with cars driving about. The camera goes through a bridge superstructure shaped like an "H". We end up zooming down a rural highway, passing farms and such. After we hit some fog, we are on a mountain road, flying over a pit, and we head down a "B" shaped tunnel. We end up on a desert road surrounded with gorges and cliffs at the other end, and we zoom into a truck with an "O" shaped, cylindrical tank, taking us through another transition. We end up zooming through a CGI rendering of "HBO City" from the 1982 opening, and into a skyscraper-filled downtown. Passing through the buildings with a lens flare effect, we travel down a freeway as lights quickly power up from behind buildings, and then more lights activate ahead of us. The camera pans and takes us into an aerial view above the clouds, and we see the spotlights are outlining an HBO-logo shaped harbor. The 3D letters "FEATURE" go into place over the HBO logo, and a flash below that brings forth the word "PRESENTATION" on a black rectangle as we tilt above the HBO-harbor.

Variant: A shorter, much more common version of this logo was available, which starts off with the lights lighting up. The full version as described above is extinct and was retired for good on March 26, 2011.

FX/SFX: Breathtaking CGI from Pittard Sullivan! A nice computer generated opener inspired by HBO's original stop-motion effort.

Music/Sounds: A re-orchestrated version of the 1982 fanfare.

Availability: Retired as of April 2011. Check your recordings.


Scare Factor: None whatsoever. This is a great opening filled with spectacular computer graphics. A suitable successor to the original HBO opener.



13th Open
(April 2, 2011- )

Nicknames: "HBO 2011", "HBO Aurora", "Welcome to the 21st Century, HBO!"


Logo: On a black background, a flash appears. Then, the flash turns into a blue aurora background and as it does so, the HBO logo on the left and the words "Feature Presentation" on the right appear.

FX/SFX: The flash.

Music/Sounds: An orchestrated version of the 12-note HBO fanfare.

Availability: Common. Appears on all the HBO networks.

Scare Factor: Low.


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pez1970
Latest page update: made by pez1970 , May 10 2013, 1:05 PM EDT (about this update About This Update pez1970 Edited by pez1970

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Keyword tags: HBO Time Warner
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MariluHennerArtist45 Standing Room 2 Dec 9 2012, 5:48 PM EST by Mr.Logo
Thread started: Jul 15 2012, 10:42 AM EDT  Watch
Isn't there a version of the old HBO Feature Presentation opening that ends w/ "STANDING ROOM"?
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Keyword tags: HBO Time Warner
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Iamed8 New Feature Presentation for HBO 0 Apr 17 2011, 2:25 PM EDT by Iamed8
Thread started: Apr 17 2011, 2:25 PM EDT  Watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HANFUOF_9ZI watch this video for seeing the new hbo feature presentation.
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Keyword tags: HBO Time Warner 2011
THELOGOfactory1.12 Rating Joke 4 Feb 10 2010, 9:20 AM EST by Yoshidude987
Thread started: Jul 20 2009, 2:59 PM EDT  Watch
I think after the April fool's variant, you could see that the movie was rated "B for boring-why bother?" Then someone would stamp on April Fool stamp.
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