I was part of the team that fabricated the entire city. My task was to paint every building and every road surface, rooftop and more. I used acrylics for everything. The other guys were all experienced modelmakers from the toy industry. Years before this project, we all worked at the R&D department of Aurora Corporation designing and creating prototypes for toys, models and AFX slot cars. lot's of intensive fun!
Thank you for what you and your team created! It's an iconic encapsulation of the thrill I experienced as a kid, being transported by the movie magic on our TV. I still love watching it now, and as a former stop-motion animator, I can appreciate the level of hard work and care that went into it.
Even if they were to recreate this today, it wouldn’t be as cool as this. My hope is that you are still around to get this thank you. I remember wondering over this when I was a kid decades ago. :)
I worked for Liberty Studios when they created this open - I designed the type for "Feature Presentation" and shot the stuff that you see once you go into the "O" on an animation stand. We had to make several different titles to run before different types of programming. They were all done at the same time. "Feature Presentation" was the one most commonly played.
As a kid I remember the "HBO Village" where you'd go through a town or village, and then the words HBO would appear...does anyone else recall that? I'd love to know how hard it was to create that.
Yeah! I didn't see this intro till years after it came out (because my parents didn't have cable at the time) but I never knew how long it really took to make this happen for a 2 minute intro!
That "Feature Presentation" music, as the logo "HBO" comes floating at you, was genius. Still makes me feel excited to this day. (Anybody else remember "The following movie is rated R. It is not suitable for children. HBO will show this movie only at night"?)
@@chopitup9950, in all honesty I really don't know why HBO doesn't STILL do this. The voice over as well (telling you if it's suitable for your entire family or not). I miss so much of that, when Cable TV was new, and there really isn't any reason they can't still so intro's, like these, to current movies.
@@suplex2000 yeah, as much as they piss me off with their frequent commercial play, I appreciate keeping memories like this alive because in the end that's all we'll have left.
Hahaha! When I was a kid I'd see this and get so pumped for the movie hoping I'd be some awesome action film or sci-fi adventure or sword and sorcery epic. Then some drama movie would come on that was pretty boring to my kid's sensibilities at the time and I'd be totally bummed out.
As a kid in the 80s, this was extremely exciting. Nothing else looked quite like it. After awhile, they cut the city part from most of them, just went right to the "HBO" fly-in, so it was a real treat if you caught the city part (or had it on tape).
Practical effects are so -- practical! The interview says it all; they wanted something no one had ever seen; a new generation of cable, that leapfrogged ABC, NBC, and CBS. Mission accomplished.
No disrespect at all to the work of making the model, airbrushing the background (to look like a sunset), etc..., but the musical score...MADE this!!! Epic!
As a child, I always remembered seeing this pop onto the screen late at night, and I was always fascinated by the HBO logo flying through space. I remember always asking my mom and dad "can I stay up at least to see the intro?"...and more often than not, they'd let me~ This HBO in Space intro was made one year before I was born...They really don't make things like this anymore. That may be nostalgia talking, but it was the era I grew up in. 30 or so years later, and look how fast we've progressed from this point. It's sometimes good to just look back on what we did to get to here!
You don't know how much your work is loved, even today. When I was little, I'd hear that jingle, and I'd be running to watch that magic of this melange of models and effects. Everything from the city, to camera movement, to music and those awesome animation and text effects. This piece inspired me, and I've been studying to make illusion magic with tangible objects since. No amount of CG can compare to how memorable and great this work made by your entire team was, and how it inspires.
I love how during a slow moment where they are all taking softly and the music is all calming one guy randomly says "There's a few bums on the street, a few hookers on the corner" at around 4:54
Fun fact: the guy who wrote the music for ths intro, Ferdinand Jay Smith, was also responsible for the music behind the legendary "star tunnel" ABC Movie of the Week intro! This guy created the two best made-for-TV instrumental music pieces of the '80s, if not all time!
"Ferdinand Jay Smith, was also responsible for the music behind the legendary "star tunnel" ABC Movie of the Week intro! " No No No Not true. The movie of the week intro music was made by Burt Bacharach ad the name of the song is Nikki. He made it for his daughter after she committed suicide ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0Es6w3aIlwQ.html - Nikki
When I was in probably the 3rd or 4th grade.. I saw this with the premier of 'Fraggle Rock'.. I always, always felt like that city was a place I could visit and call home.. about 6 months into Fraggle Rock, I saw this little Documentary on HBO while home during the summer.. I was disappointed it wasn't a real city and amazed at the fact this was a created city just for this.. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time an appreciate things more.. Thank You to anyone who contributed to this project.. You created a memory that will never die.
I would have been 13/8th grade when this piece appeared, and that feels right in my memory. My parents lived out in the middle of nowhere, so we didn't have cable. My mother had a friend in town that would record many VHS tapes worth of movies and shows off HBO and Cinemax for us, and I had a friend who had ALL the channels. This intro in particular had a magic that reverberates even now. When it was new, the visuals and music were almost overwhelming--transportive, transformative. HBO was carrying you to another world...of R movies! Great memories of staying up late on Friday and Saturday night watching those tapes, or of summers at other people's houses, everyone going quiet when this came on. Thank you for uploading this documentary. I don't remember seeing it at the time. Incredible work that went into it, and you really can and could feel it, even on an old NTSC TV.
@@voidFutureVector I don't know if kids today will ever know what that feeling is like. I'm right there with you still.. I'm glad you and I made it this far. Cheers to you, I hope your journey to this day was a good one.
TheeShannonS I was born in 2001, so I remember grewing up with this intro until 2002 and we used to did have cable until '09 or 10. We moved out in mid-late 2011. mid-late 2011, 2012 and late-2014 were the years that I hated. Early 2011, early-late 2013 and early-mid 2014 were better.
I remember watching this back in the 80's, as a kid. They did this entire presentation on HBO about how they did their own intro, and it occupied a time slot on their channel. They were pretty proud of it.
Amazing to learn of all the time and hard work that went into the creation of such an iconic opening bumper...even all these years later, I get goosebumps when the changeover from cityscape to spacestation HBO logo is about to happen, and the "lead-in" notes play. Thanks to all of those guys for bringing us such lasting memories.
Iconic. I remember when I was younger, every time this came on before a premiere episode or movie, you knew it was gonna be good. Made it seem exciting and dramatic.
One of the great tidbits of information about this production was that HBO was on the ropes financially at this particular time when Ross Greenberg discovered Ferdinand Smith & his music and told him we are going all out with budget we want the very best - - there was no promise that it was going to work out but now we see the whole piece together was absolute brilliant
I am SO glad you have shared this. I'm 45 and I remember watching this as a 7 year old and being absolutely fascinated by it. Now, with some stock footage and After Effects, I can do the same thing and believe me, I do not take that for granted. It is a reminder that those of us born in the 70's are now truly "living in the future"!
80s kid. I think it's still cool watching this. I forgot how bad ass the hbo theme song was. The most messed up part is the 15 second how they used computers part. Watching that on my phone is surreal.
It still stands as one of the all time best HBO intros today. I guess they have to do shorter intro sequences because, those seconds add up over time. Its strange that the current HBO intro is kind of sad, when technology would make it easier to make really kick ass stuff like this all the time.
Yeah. I mean, we have such great technology now, and all the intro is these days is a shitty static effect with the HBO logo bursting out and the static disappearing. =(
+BikerBoyNJ It's ashame because the technology is light years ahead of what we had then but what we had was creativity. Interesting how they made it. I could watch this everyday for the rest of my life!
It's just amazing to see how filming something so simple has come, this would have taken barely a few minutes now, but back then ...14 hrs for just 30 seconds. This was always such a wonderous build up to me, from the guys home, simply putting on a movie to the outter reaches of space with the amazing HBO logo space ship! Now this was creativeness at it's best !
not worth the time, money or the effort when we have CGI now. Our eyes see things differently now. If this was in 4k HD it would look to us as amateurish.
@@ohmusicsweetmusic it is ALWAYS worth the effort, bro. If you’re looking for certain effects to look realistic, you’ve got to go practical. Yes, it is expensive but practical effects will certainly leave an impression on moviegoers; the effort is not lost to us all…
This HBO introduction takes me back to one of the most treasured parts of my childhood. The dad changing the channel. The logo floating over the city, The HBO light show at the end. And then, for me, hopefully, Rocky 4 or The Neverending Story showing afterward ☺️. Oh how I miss the 80's.
Thanks for posting this. There was something magical about the 80s. This intro theme music and the graphics bring back wonderful childhood memories. Times were so much simpler. Nowadays I bet this intro theme could be done easily. I’m surprised they put this much effort into such a short clip. But it’s imprinted in all of our memories so it was worth it!
I vividly remember watching this. Behind The Scenes was one of the only ways you were able to get a glimpse into how movies. In this case the HBO intro were made. It was one of my favorite mini shows that they aired. The entire intro only aired before the 8 o'clock movie. There were a few versions. Sitting down and watching a movie back then seemed much more exciting. it was an event. The good ol days.
Not me, I didn't miss a thing. I reran it over & over a hundred x just to see every little detail... I'm a damn perfectionist... And because of that is why I loved every little detail... From the bricks, to the streetlights, to the apts & the lights on in most, the cars passing by. This is something I could play with forever!! Thanks to all the crew for making this happen. Its lasted in our memories for 2-3 decades..... This was a true example of the hard work humans will give to create happiness for others!! ❤
Boogster Su I doubt that'll ever happen. Unless they have the entire city and the chrome logo intact, it'd be too expensive to recreate (at least to fan expectations). If they ever remake this intro, we might have to settle for a CGI version. Or, if they cared to, a hybrid of CGI and practical effects.
I was thinking why not do it with a drone. You'd get the same affect with a real city, and it wouldn't be super expensive to produce. Would definitely leave a hefty budget to really scout the perfect location.
Watching HBO while posting this, lol... Their newest intro looks similar to this but you can tell its CGI. Also the music has changed drastically but idea is still there. The only cool part is when they turn on the tv, its the retro HBO in the starfield.
This sequence and everything about it made such an indelible mark on me as a kid. I had no idea this "making-of" video existed. Thank you SO much for posting it. I knew the city was done with models and knew the HBO logo was physical as well but I did not realize that the animation inside the O form was also shot practical. Eye opening stuff. Epic!
You are not alone! I remember watching this at 7 years old and being so fascinated by it. Now to think I could recreate most of it in After Effects in a matter of hours is totally mind-blowing to me. I also tell Alexa to turn off the bedroom lights and Google to take me home. When did the "future" arrive so suddenly?
@@videodoe Our regional transit has a bus that looks like a red trolley. Everytime I see it pass by, the Neighborhood Trolley music is always playing in my head. :)
@@tsntana That's why I referred to this as Mr. Roger's Neighborhood on steroids. It was certainly a beautiful day in this neighborhood when HBO debuted the starship logo.
This production, along with the movies and music videos from the 80’s, has to be considered one of the greatest achievements in art and audiovisuals we got in the 80s. 6:13 Thanks for contributing to the soundtrack of my life, sir
A step in the WABAC Machine! Its really neat to see how special effects have changed over time. While the special effects today are better, the special effects "back in the day" were done with a lot of artistry and ingenuity. True artists who built that town and a fun walk down memory lane. Thanks for posting!
HBO in the '80's: Several months of crafting small sets and practical effects in order to make a great logo that reflected a great channel HBO today: Play some piano keys and just slap the logo on, that should do it
Also, HBO then: Boxing! And Band of Brothers HBO Now: Nothing cool really, since Boxing left the network, when in reality, it had so much more gas in it's tank, World Championship Boxing, in my opinion, had the same fate as "OK K.O!" On it's sister channel, Cartoon Network, that fate being the BS anti-trust thing that AT&T and Time Warner got hit with, right before the merger occurred. The rest is all political from there.
When people actually worked and constructed stuff that would in the future become legendary. Love the old school stuff. 6:21 he wanted to create the biggest most exciting sound on television... That's exactly what he did.
And he also did for ABC way back when, with it's Star Tunnel movie broadcast opening, and the music of it as well; it had much the same visual and auditory messages as HBO did then with this HBO in Space.
SonOfaChaosGod That's true, but the technology was with practical effects, not CGI. It was a lot more raw back then, requiring more hard work, effort and ingenuity.
Stop motion,small scale sets,brilliant camera work and innovation!!!! Amazing! As a kid I would run to the TV every time I heard that, watch it and go back to playing.
6:14 - Ferdinand Smith you're a genius for the theme song. Perfection! I guess that would explain why this theme song is on the Television Greatest Hits - Cable Ready CD😊😊😊
Funny thing is that a few months back my dad watched something on either the HBO Now or HBO Go app, and the old starship opening showed up before the movie! I know sometimes you'll see the 80s special presentation opening, before older HBO documentaries start. Both that and the starship opening before a movie, were used at least till the mid or late 1990s. Know the starship opening is 32 years old(if 1983 is when it debuted, not sure if it started in 82 or 83), but it's a timeless opening before a movie they NEVER should've stopped doing!
I wanted to find a link where I could list my comment under the HBO theme. This is the best theme for ANY of these streaming platforms, hands-down!! And it’s been a long time since I’ve heard it. I’ve actually been looking for it and today’s the first time I found it. I’d like this as a ringtone! And to the guy that did some of the painting- awesome job dude!! I do a little painting and building stuff myself and I know it takes a certain mindset and it takes patience and you have to be detail oriented. So thank you for helping to create the most memorable opening theme song ever. And that song does say “ hey! you’re getting ready to see an awesome movie!!” When the music starts, I swear I can hear my family yelling to “hurry up! The movie is starting!!”
I came here and found out about all this from the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz. It's really incredible to hear and see how much effort went into this simple intro and how iconic their sonic branding became.
I loved scale models and still build for fun. My folks got HBO when I was a kid and I have fond memories of this intro. I even recall seeing this behind the scenes at some point. As others have pointed out this is amazing special effects work considering how much the industry has advanced technologically. The theme music is also iconic and a powerful albeit brief composition.
It blows my mind that the giant silver HBO was a physical object. I always assumed it was a very advanced and expensive (for that time) computer animation. Wow! Good memories.
I can't believe that it took that slow camera 14 hours to do that sequence, that's so wild to take in. HBO needs to remake the intro for the new generation of kids. What an awesome mini-doc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My American friends. This is what is presented in this video that delights me. First I met the opening, show, imposing music, effects, content for an adult audience fascinated me. Overproduction. No tons of computerized effects, all manual, done with love and care. In the past, quality was definitely unbeatable. Congratulations on the post.
EVERYTIME, and I mean Every Time, this came on... I came running to the T.V. just to hear the score and to see the graphics. I don't know what it is about it but it is DEFINITELY a very crucial part of my childhood nightlife LOL. Aloha and mahalo very much for sharing!
in the 70's we felt like we had to do things the hardest, most time consuming way for it to be really good and for people to appreciate it. We had eyes for created art things like that. We knew it wasn't real, we didn't expect to be, but it was obvious how much work and detail they put into it so it was cool.. But they totally could have taken a helicopter and filmed a montage of city/town scapes.
ohmusicsweetmusic maybe it was actually cheaper to get the helicopter film camera a permits, than to do it with models. HBO has a considerably smaller budget than most movie studios do. HBO does a lot with a little. Especially their original content.
