HBO Feature Presentation: Difference between revisions

'''FX/SFX:''' A mix of live-action shots and backlit cel animation, shot with motion control cameras and slit-scan, then composited together (similar to how the space battles in Star Wars were made). All of the 1979 idents were produced at Robert Abel & Associates.

'''Music/Sounds:''' An orchestral fanfare that sounds very similar to the Star Wars Theme, with the last piece sounding eerily similar to Star Trek's theme.

*The HBO short-form interstitial series Behind the Scenes, which aired between features from the early 1980s to about the early 1990s, had one episode titled "A Closer Look: Inside the HBO City" devoted to showing virtually all the work behind this logo and how the ideas of the bumper came up. The episode can be viewed here.

'''Availability:''' Extinct, but it was used for a stunning 20 years thanks to its popularity, so it shouldn't be difficult to find on old tapes. It can also be seen on HBO's YouTube channel. You can also see this before movies in Bryant Park in New York City, shown every Monday evening in summer. Makes a surprise appearance on the 2019 special Dan Soder: Son of a Gary.

'''Availability:''' Mainly appeared on HBO specials in the late '80s-early '90s, though it appeared as late as 1998. It appeared on The Roseanne Barr Special and George Carlin's Jammin' in New York. Most of the specials are on home video; the latter title contains it. It also appeared when HBO aired The Celluloid Closet.

*On HBO Family, the word "FAMILY" is under the HBO logo. There is also a variation of that bumper in which the background is white, and the HBO logo and "Feature Presentation" are in light blue.

'''Opening:''' We fade in to a small shot of a man holding a bowl of popcorn. As the camera pans to the right, we see him walking towards his wife, seen snuggling up with a blanket on a sofa. In the background we can see two sets of home plants, a desk lamp, a set of magazines, and two glasses of (what is believed to be) wine. On the wall, we see a canvas print of another apartment. Below the couch, a pair of shoes are visible. The man places the popcorn on a table, settles down with his wife, and turns on the TV. As we zoom out through a window, a suitcase-style turntable can be seen. Zooming further out of the apartment, we see a few more sets of apartment complexes. Another pair of shoes can be seen tangling from a telephone wire. Panning further to the right, we see two streetlamps. We then zoom out from the streets into the room of two teenage siblings; an older sister and a younger brother. The wall is covered with fan posters of various celebrities. Zooming further out, we see the sister on her bed, and the brother on a large cushion. The brother holds a tablet towards his sister. Zooming out even further, we reach a balcony. In it, a patio table and a bicycle can be seen. As the camera zooms further out, we zoom out into the living room of another apartment complex. This scene is basically a recreation of the 10th opening, with a few modern touches added (e.g. cushion couches on a rug next to a flat-screen TV, which is showing a portion of the 11th opening (the part where we zoom into the "O"). As we zoom out again, it is noticeable that the apartment complex is actually a home, nested on a floating brick lawn. More apartments and condominiums are nested next to the home. We zoom in to the living room of yet another apartment. The first thing noticed is the flat-screen TV, which is also showing the 11th opening. In it, a group of college students are seen on a couch, with one of them serving a snack. As we zoom out yet again, a man, holding his phone, can be seen on the balcony of yet another apartment. After that, the camera zooms out further and further. It is then revealed that the city is masked in the HBO logo, set over a dark sky background on a flat grassy plain, with a river shown beside it. The words "MOVIE PREMIERE" are seen below the logo. At this point, everything shown inside the towering logo is no longer noticeable in detail.

'''FX/SFX:''' There is so much detail that it is near impossible to describe everything going on in the logo. A truly breathtaking blend of live-action and CGI and an amazing homage to the 10th and 16th openings.

'''Availability:''' Debuted on February 28, 2017 as an unlisted video on HBO's YouTube channel. This full version premiered on HBO on March 4, 2017, before its premiere of X-Men: Apocalypse, and can be seen before new movies every Saturday night. The short version can be seen before most movies on the HBO channels (except HBO Family, and if there are promos before the movie).