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HBO Intro - Behind the Scenes

archivefilms3 HN recommenders · 2019–2025
1.3M views · documentary · evergreen · Uploaded 2007-07-23

A 1983 behind-the-scenes film about making the HBO 'Feature Presentation' starship logo sequence. It shows the handcrafted miniature city, motion-control cameras and practical effects.

HN recommends it as a look at pre-CGI effects work that looks like CGI but was entirely physical.

Animation & visual effectsFilmmaking & video production

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6 comments from Hacker News

@Bluecobra2019 · in “Sir Rod Stewart reveals his epic model railway city”

I loved that intro when I was growing up! There's a documentary about how they made it that can be found on Youtube: [VIDEO]

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@EvanAnderson2019 · in “Windows 10 Desktop: Physically building and photographing the logos (2015)”

I am reminded of the epic HBO "Feature Presentation" intro (insofar as it was physically constructed): [VIDEO]

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@jcl2023 · in “CGI Renders Are Real Photos”

Reminds me of the making of a pre-CGI HBO intro -- looks CGI but is entirely physical models, motion controlled cameras, and clever compositing: [VIDEO]

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@bitwize2024 · in “The Netflix Logo with Yarn was a lie”

Please don't tell me the handcrafted miniature city and practical effects used in the 1983 HBO intro was all a lie too... [VIDEO]

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@MarkusWandel2024 · in “Max Headroom and the World of Pseudo-CGI (2013)”

Or this: [VIDEO] (SD unfortunately but then it is old - impressive amount of model building to achieve something that would be a CGI nobrainer today)

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@SoftTalker2025 · in “How was the Universal Pictures 1936 opening logo created?”

The original HBO "Feature Presentation" intro was shot with minatures and similar sorts of effects, all before digital/CGI existed or was feasible. There's a documentary about it on YouTube [VIDEO]

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