Draft:CBS Movie Intros

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum





1st Intro (1974-1978)

Visuals:

  • Special Movie: Unknown
  • Friday Night: Unknown

Technique: Unknown

Audio: Unknown

2nd Intro (1978-1983)


Visuals: Unknown

Technique: Unknown

Audio: Unknown

3rd Intro (1983-1986)


Visuals:

  • Saturday/Tuesday/Wednesday Night: The segmented words "CBS SATURDAY/TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY MOVIE", in the familiar Didot font, slide from the right of the screen to the left on a black background, with blue light trails surrounding each word. Once the words scroll offscreen, a blue filmstrip flies in from the right and moves to the left. A longer blue filmstrip flies in from the right a few seconds later, and the camera moves to the center as it's revealed that the filmstrips are making the CBS eye, along with a third blue filmstrip. An orange light shines and moves to the top-left, and the filmstrips become a 2D version of the CBS eye, which zooms out and shrinks to the bottom of the screen. A blue light slides down from the top and wipes in the following words in blue:
CBS
SATURDAY/TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT
MOVIE

The words are in the Didot font, and blue lines are above and below each word. Another blue light slides down from the top and shines on the finished product.

  • Special Movie: Unknown

Variant: Short versions of the "Saturday/Tuesday/Wednesday Night" variant exist. One only contains the first part of the intro (the words sliding), while another starts with the CBS eye being formed.

Technique: CGI.

Audio:

  • Saturday/Tuesday/Wednesday Night: 2 sets of five orchestral notes, accompanied by 4 shorter notes, play as the words slide to the left. After the second set, ten more notes are heard, then as the first filmstrip appears, eight notes are heard. A brief flourish is heard when the second filmstrip appears, followed by the same 8 notes, but with an additional seven notes afterward. A short, held-out note is heard after that, and three orchestral notes play three times as the CBS eye shrinks and the light reveals the words. Finally, ten more notes are heard.
  • Special Movie: Unknown

Audio Variant: The short versions use a modified version of the theme. The version containing only the words sliding starts the theme like the regular theme would, but with a rearranged set of seven notes at the end. The version that starts with the CBS eye being formed has this shortened to only one set of five orchestral notes before the last seven notes.

4th Intro (1986-1989)


Visuals:

  • Special Movie: Unknown
  • Late Night: The camera zooms from a series of small CBS eyes on a black background. From the bottom of the screen, "CBS", "LATE" and "NIGHT", all in a silver Didot font with golden back outlines, fly in and rise to the top of the screen. Once all three words have reached the top, the intro fades to the camera panning from behind the CBS eye wallpaper and zooming out to reveal the words from before, but now stacked on top of each other. Three stars fly in and pass each of the words in sync with the last three notes of the music, and the words glow when the stars pass.
  • Mini-Series: Unknown
  • Sunday Night: Unknown
  • Saturday Night: Unknown
  • Tuesday Night: Unknown

Technique: CGI.

Audio:

  • Special Movie: The music from the previous intro.
  • Late Night: A shortened version of the 3rd intro's music, starting at the first set of eight notes.
  • Mini-Series: Unknown
  • Sunday Night: Unknown
  • Saturday Night: Unknown
  • Tuesday Night: Unknown

5th Intro (1989-1993)


Visuals:

  • Special Movie: Unknown
  • Sunday Night: Unknown
  • Tuesday Night: Unknown

Technique: Unknown

Audio: Unknown

6th Intro (1993-1997)


Visuals: Unknown

Technique: Unknown

Audio: Unknown

7th Intro (1997-1999)

Visuals: The intro starts out traveling through the doors of the CBS Television City with several people walking by. As the doors are opened by two red-uniformed ushers standing on both sides, there is the CBS eye, and then fireworks shoot out. The fireworks reveal the words "CBS SPECIAL MOVIE" in the Didot font on a yellow light CBS eye. The camera then zooms out.

Technique: A combination of live-action and CGI, produced by Pittard Sullivan.

Audio: The music used during CBS's "Welcome Home" era, which was composed by Cue11.

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