I was part of the creative crew that fabricated this entire city. I was the artist who painted every building, rooftop, roads etc. it took 4 months, 6 days a week! it was a blast!
That is amazing. For that time to do all that is nothing short of amazing. Thank you for your hard work. To hear this is reminiscing the movies I saw with my Dad back then. When this came on popcorn and soda in hand. Family movie night was officially underway.
I will carry the memories of this one minute production to my deathbed. One of my earliest memories and only happy memory of my parents not yet divorced was HBO movie night. Definitely saw too many PG13 and R rated movies as a toddler but hey that’s another story
On behalf of my siblings (and myself!), thank you! for creating a masterpiece and icon that will forever be a fond childhood memory. The 1980's were a special era in time, to say the least.
It cannot be said enough how this intro could hype you up if you were a kid back then. Especially if you didn’t have HBO on your own, and you were watching it somewhere else…
Kid? I was 20. HBO made some kind of announcement before this came on so you had time to run in grab the remote and turn up the volume. What a different time.
I always felt a sense of excitement when the letter O became this awesome, rainbow swirly whooshy graphic. I knew deep down in my core that I was about to witness greatness.
From the 80s and even to THIS VERY DAY it's possible for me to say that I am still AMAZED by this television promotion ... the MUSIC (the ORCHESTRA and even the LYRICS from the original song), the MODEL set, the CINEMATOGRAPHY, and, of course, the SPECIAL EFFECTS are all something that I still LOVE ❤
I watched this into so many times as a kid. It would make me feel so excited for whatever movie was about to play. Back when I use to feel something. Now I feel nothing before a movie starts and mostly just think "This will probably suck, how long till I can go to sleep and hope not to wake up".
Especially after resting your eyes and ears on the graphics and the haunting tone of the tune...and then seeing a Friday the 13th movie next up on the roster. And many times, you would be watching at night! I will NEVER forget the fear of it all. Eerie and amazing it was! #forever80s!
I remember the first time I saw this how incredible I thought it was! It’s 2024, now 58 & looking back. It still amazes me & how this generation is missing true art with modern technology & everything streaming! Good memories! 👏🏽👏🏽To all creators!
No way Mister or Mistress @@mmojdeenettfsavecanadathxt191! This intro need to be in 3D/CGI, in honor of the 40th anniversary to the "HBO In Space" intro A.K.A. "The Fantasy" in 2023!!
They seriously need to bring this intro back! Easily one of my favorites when I first saw it. Just a shame that they only did it for on-air programming and not home videos, though.
It’s even more impressive when watching the behind-the-scenes video showing you how every bit of this intro was done and realising that no CG was involved, not even for the logo.
Kids nowadays just could never understand! I mean I grew up right in the middle of New York City in the 80's, and even there we only had a total of 7 regular TV channels to choose from. If you included UHF, you'd maybe have 12 to choose from. But hardly anyone watched UHF unless you spoke Spanish or Chinese, or were looking for a late airing a Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers. So in reality most people were choosing among 7 stations, and only 3 were major networks. So when your home suddenly had HBO, or Showtime, or Cinnemax, or anything beyond the regular 7 channels, you literally felt like ROYALTY! You were now living in the lap of luxury. The excitement of hearing this jingle when I was a kid still remains fresh in my mind. I mean I'd hear this and I'd run into the room, and maybe I'd see the beginning of Star Wars or Superman or another movie I loved right after it played. It was a pretty exciting thing. These days there are like 500 channels to choose from on the TV, if you even watch TV at all, because there are so many other ways of watching things. The excitement that we felt seems to be gone nowadays.
April 22nd, 1983 here. Greatest year to be born. Greatest era. I think of the 80's very often till this day. Thank you for sharing this wonderful hidden treasure piece.
I was 8 when we got cable with HBO in 1989... This intro was still in regular use and was always my favorite because it always reminded me of the intro to Beetlejuice (which I had just seen in the movies the year before).. Remains my favorite to this day!
No 3D (besides the logo, that must have cost a fortune back then), the stop-motion, the orchestrated music (no stock crap), the lighting and art direction. The perfect intro.
Even the logo wasn't a 3D render - they made it out of brass! Never would have thought they'd actually BUILD the logo. The multicolored lights there were fibre-optics on a mechanical system......
I was part of the team that created the fabricated HBO city. My task was to paint every building , all the weathering, every rooftop, road , and endless details. I used acrylics only and spent 4 months 6 daze a week along with my pals...it was such great fun project!
F YEAH! You knew you were in for a banger when you sat down to watch this intro. 1989 in the living room with the fam on the “big” tv…25 inch color console from Montgomery Ward.
Man! This brought back ALL the feels!!! I loved this and was fascinated by the city and neighborhood! And it just built anticipation for whatever you waited all month to see!!!
HBO Was originally introduced in 1972. This HBO Introduction was Originally introduced in 1982. Whenever they used this musical number it would make me think that a Blockbuster movie was about to start. Star Wars, Superman, Star Trek, Close Encounters of The Third Kind. Etc. I remember when HBO Very first started out in 1972, at first it wasn't a 24-hour Premium service channel. It would go off the air at 12:00am midnight, and would not be on again until 4:00pm the next evening. I Love & Miss this HBO INTRODUCTION WITH MUSIC.Then the start of a Blockbuster movie.
I remember when TV stations used to make awesome stuff like this all the time. Kids today just don't know what they're missing. Except this is here, so I guess they do.
@@marcj9116 I cannot discount the 70s, they were great as well. I was in elementary school thru middle-school in the 70s. Started high school in 81. I listen to music from all decades before the 90s. Everything after the 80s pretty much sucked.
I agree with everyone here on this amazing opening intro for HBO in the early 80's. Anybody here remember Fraggle Rock kids show that aired on HBO in the early 80's also.
As a kid in the 80s it was such a magical and fun experience and just seeing this brings back so many memories of fun on the living room floor waiting for our movie. It's so nostalgic, brings tears of joy 😭😭😭😭😭😭
The best part about this was the landscape was hand crafted. No CGI crap, just many hours of hands on hard work by a team of skilled people that put that landscape together.
Yeah, I distinctly remember distortion during the theme around 0:43, the way I heard it my entire childhood. This is the best quality I’ve ever seen it in.
As im dying someday, play this intro, and i will feel no pain, feel only complete and utter joy that I'm about to enter the 1980s once again. The golden era. God this intro was amazing
Interesting enough as you read reviews about this intro many times kids before they went to bed didn’t care about the movie at all. They just wanted to see the intro - that means it’s a powerful intro!!!
I spent way too long at 12am trying to remember what this music was from having it stuck in my head and only having vague memories of it being linked to an old vhs recording
Nothing compares to this for a movie intro. There is no other intro or ad that I’ve looked up 40 years after it was on the air just to see if it’s online.
I remember sitting around the big tv floor model we knew something good was about to come on how the camera moves through the city and countryside was epic Dame I miss being a kid very good times
I was part of the creative crew that fabricated this entire city. I was the artist who painted every building, rooftop, roads etc. it took 4 months, 6 days a week! it was a blast!
That is amazing. For that time to do all that is nothing short of amazing. Thank you for your hard work. To hear this is reminiscing the movies I saw with my Dad back then. When this came on popcorn and soda in hand. Family movie night was officially underway.
It reminds me of beetlejuice.
❤❤❤
I will carry the memories of this one minute production to my deathbed. One of my earliest memories and only happy memory of my parents not yet divorced was HBO movie night. Definitely saw too many PG13 and R rated movies as a toddler but hey that’s another story
On behalf of my siblings (and myself!), thank you! for creating a masterpiece and icon that will forever be a fond childhood memory. The 1980's were a special era in time, to say the least.
This intro absolutely fascinated me as a kid and still does 40 years later
Same here. And still love watching it.
One hundred percent. '83 baby here.
Hell yes! They never should have abandoned this intro. It's still the GOAT.
It cannot be said enough how this intro could hype you up if you were a kid back then. Especially if you didn’t have HBO on your own, and you were watching it somewhere else…
I don’t know why but it felt important
You knew good shit was about to come on.
Yup. It would get me so excited to see a movie
Kid? I was 20. HBO made some kind of announcement before this came on so you had time to run in grab the remote and turn up the volume. What a different time.
I'm fired up now like I was 40 years ago.
I always felt a sense of excitement when the letter O became this awesome, rainbow swirly whooshy graphic. I knew deep down in my core that I was about to witness greatness.
And then Police Academy 3 would start playing...
@@nathanshaw9688 Haha exactly. No complaints though
For the past 40 years, the 12 note HBO fanfare that Ferdinand Jay Smith composed became the signature of the channel.
It’ll never get better than this.
If you saw this ident live, you knew you were about to experience some of the best material that TV had to offer at the time.
It was great when it was a movie like Raiders of the lost Ark or European Vacation. Not so much when it was romancing the stone or Auther
@@MillerVanDotTVtelevision
From the 80s and even to THIS VERY DAY it's possible for me to say that I am still AMAZED by this television promotion ... the MUSIC (the ORCHESTRA and even the LYRICS from the original song), the MODEL set, the CINEMATOGRAPHY, and, of course, the SPECIAL EFFECTS are all something that I still LOVE ❤
The lyrics???
@@andreswade TIL Not only lyrics (HBO Main Theme, Part II), but an entire album. th-cam.com/video/v0KaMq_75d4/w-d-xo.html
@@andreswade
There are LYRICS in one of the videos ... did you see it? Not sure if my LINK to you was DELEATED???
Still remember this as a kid, blown away
I watched this into so many times as a kid. It would make me feel so excited for whatever movie was about to play. Back when I use to feel something.
Now I feel nothing before a movie starts and mostly just think "This will probably suck, how long till I can go to sleep and hope not to wake up".
Especially after resting your eyes and ears on the graphics and the haunting tone of the tune...and then seeing a Friday the 13th movie next up on the roster. And many times, you would be watching at night! I will NEVER forget the fear of it all. Eerie and amazing it was! #forever80s!
I remember the first time I saw this how incredible I thought it was! It’s 2024, now 58 & looking back. It still amazes me & how this generation is missing true art with modern technology & everything streaming! Good memories! 👏🏽👏🏽To all creators!
Nostalgia hit so hard 🤜 😢 with this intro that I felt an indescribable feeling in my chest.
They need to bring back that music!
I am 100% on board with this comment.
@@VcrWorld stop motion
No way Mister or Mistress @@mmojdeenettfsavecanadathxt191! This intro need to be in 3D/CGI, in honor of the 40th anniversary to the "HBO In Space" intro A.K.A. "The Fantasy" in 2023!!
You mean "The Fantasy" by Ferdinand Jay Smith?!
This theme leading into House of Dragon s2
This intro is truly epic. You knew you were about to watch something great. Bring it back.
To this day, the greatest ident for anything, anywhere! I always play this before I watch/listen/play something I'm very hyped for.
Watching this on a big boxy screen tv in 1984 was epic. Couldnt no one tell us nuthin.
They seriously need to bring this intro back! Easily one of my favorites when I first saw it. Just a shame that they only did it for on-air programming and not home videos, though.
Won't be appearing on HBO's streaming service either as they were renamed MAX.
They used quite a lot on HBO Olé, the latin american division.
Almost dropped a tear! Whew! The memories of watching this intro on the floor by the heater with my big blanket! Nothing compared! Nothing
Still gives me a tingle. I miss when HBO was WORTH watching.
Damn. Family in front of the TV when we finally got HBO. We went nuts to this intro.
Seeing this as a two or three year old kid I was always so excited to stay up late for a movie and so freaked out by this intro.
You and me both haha
Yeah. Being inside the I was scary...
I get more nostalgic chills from this intro alone than any movie at the time I watched on HBO.
It’s even more impressive when watching the behind-the-scenes video showing you how every bit of this intro was done and realising that no CG was involved, not even for the logo.
Kids nowadays just could never understand! I mean I grew up right in the middle of New York City in the 80's, and even there we only had a total of 7 regular TV channels to choose from. If you included UHF, you'd maybe have 12 to choose from. But hardly anyone watched UHF unless you spoke Spanish or Chinese, or were looking for a late airing a Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers. So in reality most people were choosing among 7 stations, and only 3 were major networks. So when your home suddenly had HBO, or Showtime, or Cinnemax, or anything beyond the regular 7 channels, you literally felt like ROYALTY! You were now living in the lap of luxury. The excitement of hearing this jingle when I was a kid still remains fresh in my mind. I mean I'd hear this and I'd run into the room, and maybe I'd see the beginning of Star Wars or Superman or another movie I loved right after it played. It was a pretty exciting thing. These days there are like 500 channels to choose from on the TV, if you even watch TV at all, because there are so many other ways of watching things. The excitement that we felt seems to be gone nowadays.
April 22nd, 1983 here. Greatest year to be born. Greatest era. I think of the 80's very often till this day. Thank you for sharing this wonderful hidden treasure piece.
April 22, 1981
I was 8 when we got cable with HBO in 1989... This intro was still in regular use and was always my favorite because it always reminded me of the intro to Beetlejuice (which I had just seen in the movies the year before).. Remains my favorite to this day!
Exactly!! I completely associated it with Beetlejuice when I was a kid, too.
No 3D (besides the logo, that must have cost a fortune back then), the stop-motion, the orchestrated music (no stock crap), the lighting and art direction. The perfect intro.
Even the logo wasn't a 3D render - they made it out of brass! Never would have thought they'd actually BUILD the logo. The multicolored lights there were fibre-optics on a mechanical system......
@@squishmallowfan025 Amazing! They really were artists back then.
@@squishmallowfan025 And that is why it looks so good. Practical effect > CG
I was part of the team that created the fabricated HBO city. My task was to paint every building , all the weathering, every rooftop, road , and endless details. I used acrylics only and spent 4 months 6 daze a week along with my pals...it was such great fun project!
@@robertaccornero7172 how many people worked on the project?
They should go back to this... 💯💯🔥🔥
it's incredible how till this day this add give me chills , and how clear i remember that music
One of the greatest intros of all time, No Doubt. It really got you pumped up for what you’re about to watch…They nailed it!
F YEAH! You knew you were in for a banger when you sat down to watch this intro. 1989 in the living room with the fam on the “big” tv…25 inch color console from Montgomery Ward.
Yes! Montgomery Ward!!!!
I grew up in the countryside and I so wanted to live in a city that looked like that.
Man! This brought back ALL the feels!!! I loved this and was fascinated by the city and neighborhood! And it just built anticipation for whatever you waited all month to see!!!
Gives me goosebumps every time I see it.
The 20 Thousand Hertz podcast about this intro is worth listening to. If this brings up feeling of joy and nostalgia the podcast will make your day.
Such a beautiful set, such bitchin music, such a dramatic build up, but then the movie was usually Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach.
Amazing... memories of childhood... music makes me hyped!
HBO Was originally introduced in 1972. This HBO Introduction was Originally introduced in 1982. Whenever they used this musical number it would make me think that a Blockbuster movie was about to start. Star Wars, Superman, Star Trek, Close Encounters of The Third Kind. Etc. I remember when HBO Very first started out in 1972, at first it wasn't a 24-hour Premium service channel. It would go off the air at 12:00am midnight, and would not be on again until 4:00pm the next evening. I Love & Miss this HBO INTRODUCTION WITH MUSIC.Then the start of a Blockbuster movie.
God damn I loved this intro as a little kid. It was so cool before a movie my family watched together.
This Is Awesome! The Best HBO Intro.
And maybe the best television intro ever...
That intro was so exciting as a kid, I'd watch now just for the intro
I remember when TV stations used to make awesome stuff like this all the time. Kids today just don't know what they're missing.
Except this is here, so I guess they do.
Internet archive:
Reminding us younger folks of what life was like
This is when you knew you better not miss the movie!
An impressive recreation of the HBO logo from the 80's. Bravo! 👏
Every now and then when I feel nostalgic for my childhood, I come back to this video. Man the 80s were great! There will never be a greater decade.
There already was a greater decade, it was called the 70's.
@@marcj9116 I cannot discount the 70s, they were great as well. I was in elementary school thru middle-school in the 70s. Started high school in 81. I listen to music from all decades before the 90s. Everything after the 80s pretty much sucked.
Right after this intro the Tom Selelck movie "Runaway" is expected to play, or "Cannonball Run"
I agree with everyone here on this amazing opening intro for HBO in the early 80's. Anybody here remember Fraggle Rock kids show that aired on HBO in the early 80's also.
The music is absolutely masterful
As a kid in the 80s it was such a magical and fun experience and just seeing this brings back so many memories of fun on the living room floor waiting for our movie. It's so nostalgic, brings tears of joy 😭😭😭😭😭😭
The best part about this was the landscape was hand crafted. No CGI crap, just many hours of hands on hard work by a team of skilled people that put that landscape together.
🦏
Impressive work! Would love to hear your process on the upscale. Sounds like the music was even cleaned up too
Yeah, I distinctly remember distortion during the theme around 0:43, the way I heard it my entire childhood. This is the best quality I’ve ever seen it in.
Getting sentimental over this intro!!
So is it weird for me to say that I actually miss this intro
Thank you for this
You're welcome!
DUDE! NOW THIS LOOKS AMAZING!
One of the greatest intros in TV history!
This intro alone is more entertaining than anything on Netflix today.
As im dying someday, play this intro, and i will feel no pain, feel only complete and utter joy that I'm about to enter the 1980s once again. The golden era. God this intro was amazing
I wish they would bring this back.
Interesting enough as you read reviews about this intro many times kids before they went to bed didn’t care about the movie at all. They just wanted to see the intro - that means it’s a powerful intro!!!
Totally awesome. The 80s...what a time to be a kid!
HBO needs to bring this incredible intro and music back! In fact, I never thought they'd get rid of it.
Whatever they’re doing now, there’s no way it’s as cool and memorable as this
If I ever make a film worthy of having an HBO premiere, I am forcing them to use the classic 1983 intro for it.
I spent way too long at 12am trying to remember what this music was from having it stuck in my head and only having vague memories of it being linked to an old vhs recording
Bought back some memories here
This was my childhood HBO so many memories the new HBO is boring but still a fun channel to watch.
talk about great memories . That was a wonderful time to be alive;
I used to sit on the floor with my stuffed animals and pretend that I was piloting the Millennium Falcon whenever this intro aired! 😹🐶🙋🏿♂️
You knew movie night at home was going to be lit when this played.
Happy 😁 40th Anniversary HBO! Blessings and Hugs 💖💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕!
They went from this epic intro to video static with a tone.
The horror
“We’re incredible I guess, ahhhh.”
The Simpsons
@@MovieFan1912📽️
Nothing compares to this for a movie intro. There is no other intro or ad that I’ve looked up 40 years after it was on the air just to see if it’s online.
One of the BEST HBO INTOS TO DATE! 👍🏻🇺🇲
And with that, HBO pretty much beat every other company intro for anything ever.
Great work!
They used miniatures to pull this off and it’s beautiful I like this did amazing intro.
Just as I can never again not hear Game of Thrones' theme following the TV static intro, this one is forever prologue to my Muppets movie memories.
This intro is REALLY epic!
“And now….Road House…”
0:37 meant everyone in the house sit down, shut up, turn the light off and enjoy the show
🥷
For those times when this supremely classic intro was the highlight and draw even more so than the program that followed…🙌👍😆
NICE! This clip encapsulates my entire childhood! 🤣🤣
🖐️
I remember sitting around the big tv floor model we knew something good was about to come on how the camera moves through the city and countryside was epic Dame I miss being a kid very good times
Bring this back!!!
The best way to indentfy if the movie you were going to watch was about to be one for the record books
Wicked!!!!!!!! ❤❤❤❤thank you
I will always enjoy this so much it was so magical and peaceful😇
This looks amazing. What happened to the music though? This was almost perfect.
the music is spot on, what are you talking about?
I’m gonna use this as a opening on my vacation reel. It’s gonna feel like a movie lol 🎥 🍿
I miss that intro
👑 🐍
Ah my childhood. This was back when HBO was like "so Spielberg and Elfman think they can have all the fun huh, we'll see about that"
I remember there was a behind the scenes special about the making of it too
I hear the music in my head even when the volume is muted.
Best hype reel ever.
This is my childhood ❤
Absolutely love that that's like the coolest thing ever and I remember watching that on the Black Box the cable black box back in the day😇😇😇😇👍👍👍👍💖💖💖💖
Minutes before the VCR home rental explosion HBO showed movies first after their theatrical run
The Goonies about to come on.
I would love to see this actually come back, I don’t care if it’s done in CGI.