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The logo as it appears on The THX Ultimate Demo Disc, the THX website from 2003-2009 and the official THX YouTube channel
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"Enhanced" variant from 1993
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**Additionally, on ''Scarface: The World is Yours'', the Deep Note starts after the sound of a motorcycle's ignition is played. This same version appears on ''MAG'' for PlayStation 3, but without the motorcycle ignition sound. |
**Additionally, on ''Scarface: The World is Yours'', the Deep Note starts after the sound of a motorcycle's ignition is played. This same version appears on ''MAG'' for PlayStation 3, but without the motorcycle ignition sound. |
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'''Availability:''' Uncommon. After the logo first appeared to THX newsletter subscribers on May 11, 2005, it officially premiered on the theatrical release of ''Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith'' due to it being an all-digital production, and seen in some theaters for some time after |
'''Availability:''' Uncommon. After the logo first appeared to THX newsletter subscribers on May 11, 2005, it officially premiered on the theatrical release of ''Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith'' due to it being an all-digital production, and seen in some theaters for some time after. |
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*It can be seen on many DVD releases as well such as ''Titanic: Special Collector's Edition'', ''Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'', and the Japanese DVD of ''Lorelei: The Witch of The Pacific Ocean'' (debut). |
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*The game variant appeared on ''Jak X: Combat Racing'', ''NBA 07'' (PS3 only), ''Scarface: The World is Yours'', ''MLB 06: The Show'', and ''MAG'' (at an even more abridged pace). |
*The game variant appeared on ''Jak X: Combat Racing'', ''NBA 07'' (PS3 only), ''Scarface: The World is Yours'', ''MLB 06: The Show'', and ''MAG'' (at an even more abridged pace). |
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*The VHS version only appears on some international VHS releases of ''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith''. |
*The VHS version only appears on some international VHS releases of ''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith''. |
THX is a motion picture quality certification system (despite being branded as a "sound system" until 1997) founded by Tomlinson Holman and George Lucas in 1982 (in turn was then-owned by Lucasfilm Ltd. until June 2002, when spun-off in its present-day company - THX Ltd.), named after the first film Lucas directed, THX 1138. The first THX film was 1983's hit movie Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. THX officially stands for "Tomlinson Holman's eXperiment". THX certifies fine-tuned home theater equipment, TiVo DVRs, and some PCs. They have previously certified physical media such as VHS, LaserDisc, DVD and Blu-ray (and HD-DVD; Brave Story in Japan and Pan's Labyrinth in France only) until around late 2012, as well as video games until 2010. In 2006, THX ran a contest for fans of the logos to create their own. You can see the winners of that contest here. Previously owned by sound card manufacturer Creative Technology, THX was acquired by gaming peripheral manufacturer Razer on October 17, 2016.
Trailer: We start with a black screen before the following white text fades in: "For the past 35 years, motion picture loudspeaker systems have not changed..." Later it fades out, and another white text appears reading "Lucasfilm Ltd. and this theatre are pleased to introduce a new motion picture sound system." That text fades out, and after a few seconds, the letters "THX", underlined and which have the slightly taller "T" stem extend over the other two letters, appear in a glassy sky blue color. The color fades in majestically with "LUCASFILM LTD." above it and "SOUND SYSTEM" below it, both in small text. It stays on screen for about 10 seconds, then slowly fades out with the text above and below the logo.
Trivia: The names for some of the early THX trailers given by Lucasfilm derive from the earliest Oscar-winning pictures, like Wings, Cavalcade, and Cimarron.
Variant: In a Movie Television report on THX's 10th anniversary, the trailer was in black & white.
Technique: 2D animation.
Music/Sounds: A synthesized crescendo sound effect known as the "Deep Note". It starts off with a group of 30 descending synthesized voices reminiscent of the sound of an airplane flying. Each voice moves slowly and randomly in a frequency sweep between 200hz and 400hz. This part of the Deep Note then repeats, and eventually, the voices proceed to their target notes, a drastic change of three octaves. The lower notes grow deeper, and the higher voices grow more shrill, becoming an ascending dramatic sound until the sounds stop in one pitch. Three voices are heard per note, slightly detuned. Two more voices are heard in the bass. It was coded by James Andy Moorer.
Availability: Extremely rare. This was only used on the theatrical premiere of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi in theaters located in Dallas and Hollywood, and was never used on THX-certified video releases. That said, it can be seen on select Demo DVDs and at THX's official website (plus their official Vimeo and YouTube). The alternate variant appears on one of the Return of the Jedi featurettes made exclusively for the Star Wars Trilogy: The Definitive Collection LaserDisc set.
Legacy: The introduction of the infamous THX logo. It's a simple effort, but nonetheless a very effective one as well, mostly thanks to its musical soundtrack, the Deep Note. It is probably one of the most infamous movie sound marks in history, thanks to its often frightening nature for younger viewers.
Trailer: On a black background, we see a blue outline of a rectangle. The gray text "The Audience is Listening" (in the Archive Modern II Open font) fades inside the outline, then fades out. A few seconds later, the THX logo in silver appears, The blue rectangle outline fades out, and
LUCASFILM LTD.
SOUND SYSTEM
appear (in the Futura font) above and below, respectively. The THX logo shines.
Variants: Throughout the years, this trailer had many different variants:
Technique: 2D animation.
Music/Sounds:
Availability: Very common as a whole, though it varies by variant. This debuted on an unknown film in late 1983, and was last seen on the Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures Blu-ray.
Legacy:
Trailer: On a black background, a small, white-outlined box containing a gray gradient background appears in the center of the screen. Then, the hand of a conductor, holding a baton, moves up in the box. The hand flicks the baton, blasting out a blue "hyperspace" far larger than the box that slowly turns red. Once it fully changes color, a 3D THX logo zooms towards the viewer, against a dark red abyss. Text reading "The Audience is Listening" then fades in, in the same font and color used in "Broadway"; followed by a subtitle reading "Lucasfilm Ltd. Sound System", along with a copyright notice at the bottom right of the screen.
Variants:
Technique: CGI, mixed with live-action for the hand, done by Industrial Light and Magic using Alias Research.
Music/Sounds:
Availability: Rare. This became the first alternate THX trailer to be used in 1988, beginning with the original theatrical release of Willow in THX-certified theaters.
Legacy: This is one of two logos that used a theme other than the original Deep Note, the other being "Grand" (the 4th logo). It proved to be unpopular among viewers. Andy Moorer, in an interview with Twenty Thousand Hertz, recalled that "Nobody liked [the sounds], nobody remembered them".[3] The original version is infamous for both the reason it was recalled and for its extreme rarity. Various reconstructions have been made, and some audio had resurfaced, but no one was exactly sure what the original version sounded like beyond a general idea until video footage of the logo was uploaded in mid-February 2022. Nonetheless, this logo boasts some very impressive CGI for the time, and it's otherwise a very nicely done effort.
Trailer: On a black background, we see some white text that reads "This auditorium is equipped with a THX sound system." A few seconds later, the background turns into a dark red cloudy background. We see some white text that reads "The Audience Is Listening." After that, the red-black background slowly turns dark blue, somewhat similar to the previous background. Seconds after, a light with lens flares moves upward and a 90° turned THX logo rotates to its front in a blue gradient background, with "LUCASFILM LTD" over and "SOUND SYSTEM" below.
Variants:
Technique: CGI created by Industrial Light and Magic using Alias Research (like the previous logo) according to The THX Ultimate Demo Disc.
Music/Sounds: Some chimes and wind howling. When the background opens, wind whistles, then various ascending notes and sounds, until a Star Wars laser-gun sound and a whooshing sound occurs as the THX logo appears and ends with a choir-like version of the Deep Note. The sound for this trailer was apparently created at Skywalker Sound and, according to The THX Ultimate Demo Disc, designed by David Slusser and Marco d'Ambrosio.
Availability: Rare. Alongside DTS's "Stand Alone" trailer, this debuted on the original theatrical release of Jurassic Park (according to the 1998 Lucasfilm THX "The Audience is Listening on DVD" disc and the THX Ultimate Demo Disc), and then it was seen in all THX-certified theaters from 1993 until 1997, as well as online, on the DVDs that came with second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified by Jim Taylor and on the 2002 Fox Five-Star Collection DVD release of Speed. The "DELL PC" version is exclusive to the THX Picture and Sound Optimizer disc. The DTS version is all but extinct, only being used on early DTS films such as the aforementioned Jurassic Park; and it took until May 2022 for this variant to be discovered.
Legacy: The cloudy red background looks quite dated for the time, which is in sharp contrast to the beautiful silver CGI of the THX logo's grand appearance.
Trailer: We start in front of the fictional Springfield Aztec Theatre, complete with a film marquee with the text "SISKEL & EBERT: THE MOVIE" on it, with "TWO THUMBS UP" - SISKEL & EBERT" below it (a reference to the show At the Movies, hosted by movie critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert). We then cut to many Simpsons characters appearing in theater seats, including Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Abe (Grandpa) Simpson. The light dims and then brightens a bit. Then we cut to the movie screen, then a white screen with "THX" on it (not the same as the other trailers, obviously to avoid being sued) appears, with "SOUND SYSTEM" and "THE AUDIENCE IS LISTENING" under it. The Deep Note shakes the theater/cinema, as we see several moviegoers including Hans Moleman coil back in their seats, chaos then ensues, with Hans Moleman's glasses breaking, the man beside him having his teeth shatter in a close-up shot, an exit sign exploding, the ceiling beginning to crumble and fall, and a man's head exploding (a reference to the horror film Scanners). After the chaos, we cut back to the screen as the audience cheers for the logo. The theatre screen fades to black and we then cut to Grandpa (voiced by Dan Castellaneta), presumably hard of hearing, who yells "Turn it up! TURN IT UP!".
Variant: A reanimated variant was shown where we see the Broadway rectangle, then it fades to the theater marquee and the scene proceeds as normal, but a bit slower to fit in with the full version of the Deep Note. Despite now being an official trailer, this version retains the legally distinct logo from the original scene.
Technique: Cel animation from Film Roman.
Music/Sounds: The atmosphere, Grandpa's dialogue, and the Deep Note. In the original scene, car horns are heard before the Deep Note.
Availability: This was originally a gag scene from The Simpsons episode "Burns' Heir" (which originally aired on April 14, 1994), but THX executives liked the parody so much that they asked to use the scene as an official trailer.
Legacy: It's quite telling how THX liked this gag so much they turned it into an actual trailer.
Trailer: The THX logo fades in as it usually would. All of a sudden, the logo sputters and then breaks down as if due to an electrical failure. A light is switched on a light blue background as a red robot named Tex rolls in from off-camera. Tex opens a panel on the "X", grabs a rocket pack, and flies off-screen, pulling out a hammer just before he goes off-screen, muttering "Oh, George..." (referring to George Lucas). Tex hammers at something on the right side of the screen, drills at something on the left side and then flies over to the "T", bumps the "H" out of the way, and moves a large switch. The switch causes the logo to re-activate and complete its usual sequence with the "LUCASFILM LTD." and "SOUND SYSTEM" text as the background fades back to black. Tex realizes the hatch in the "X" is still open and kicks the logo, which shuts the door. A black screen falls, reading "The Audience Is Listening".
Trivia:
Variants:
Technique: CGI done at Pixar Animation Studios.
Music/Sounds: The Deep Note in -1.5 lower pitch (from the Broadway DVD variant, though it actually made its debut here), Tex's dialogue, and sounds corresponding to the animation. The sound design is by Gary Rydstrom, according to The THX Ultimate Demo Disc. Mixes of the logo exist in all three digital sound formats. See "Trailer" for the rest.
Music/Sound Variants:
Music/Sounds Trivia: The sound when a piece of metal hits the ground after hitting Tex in the extended version was actually re-used from the sound effects created for Toy Story. The sound effect in question is the same when Buzz Lightyear drops a toy jack he's holding while Woody is confronting him.
Availability: Might have been common in THX-certified theaters during its heyday, but it can be found on most Pixar movies on DVD such as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, and Cars (the last THX-certified Disney DVD as no other format of Cars uses THX); as well as some THX demo DVDs and the DVDs that come with all three editions of the book DVD Demystified by Jim Taylor. This was also seen online as well. According to the THX Ultimate Demo Disc, the 1998 "The Audience is Listening on DVD" disc and the insert on the THX Picture and Sound Optimizer disc, this trailer was released in time for the film Independence Day.
Legacy: This logo boasts very nice CGI for the time as well as a humorous and friendly atmosphere compared to other THX logos.
Trailer: We see a gray, lifeless THX logo. Tex the robot, from the previous trailer, drops down from the top of the screen, and shows us a cow-in-a-can toy. He flips it over, but the mooing sound is very faint, and he shrugs. He flies to the THX logo in the background, opens the same hatch in the "X" as his previous trailer, and then pulls out a cable from it. He then returns with the can and holds the cable up with his opposite hand, revealing it to have a plug, and plugs it into the can. Tex flips the can again and we hear more realistic mooing sounds, as the THX logo turns silver and starts to rise up from the middle of the screen to its usual position nearly at the top and shines. Tex smiles and nods when suddenly the THX logo begins to rumble and shake, as if we hear a stampede of cows. Tex sees this, jumps back in surprise, and he nervously flies off with the can and the plug. The cable causes the logo to jolt to its left side for a moment before the plug disconnects from the can, putting the logo back to its normal position. The cable is pulled back into the logo, the hatch closes, and like the last trailer, the black screen with the text "The Audience is Listening" and a copyright info under it falls to the screen, as we hear one last moo.
Trivia: This trailer's original name was "Stampede", which was revealed in the DVD menu of Pixar's employee exclusive "Made in Point Richmond" DVD.
Variants:
Technique: CGI, like before, this was done by Pixar.
Music/Sounds: Same as the previous trailer, except the Deep Note is replaced by cows mooing it (if you really listen carefully, a high-pitched voice is heard towards the end of the mooing, which sounds like someone yelling "STOP!" before the sound of rumbling and cracking). The sound design is by Gary Rydstrom and Marco d'Ambrosio (who did the cow chord) according to The THX Ultimate Demo Disc. A variant of the Monster THX logo (website intro only) uses some electrical sounds from the Terminator 2 THX trailer, of which Gary Rydstrom also did the sound design. Like the previous two logos, prints existed in all three digital sound formats.
Music/Sound Variant: On some earlier home video releases that feature this trailer (like the aforementioned Monsters, Inc. VHS, Toy Story 2 Ultimate Toy Box DVD and the version on the Made in Point Richmond DVD, as well as both versions on the discs from the second and third editions of DVD Demystified), the logo is slightly louder, and more mooing sounds are added in, and the moo noise heard at the end is heard later.
Availability: Uncommon. Seen in THX-certified theaters for some time, though for how long remains a mystery. It debuted before Alien Resurrection. The Lucasfilm byline variant can be seen on various THX-certified DVDs from 2000 to 2005, mostly on films from Pixar (such as Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 10th Anniversary Edition, and Finding Nemo) and Fox (such as Speed 2 and The Day The Earth Stood Still), as well as THX Demo discs, the DVDs that came with second-edition and third-edition copies of the book DVD Demystified by Jim Taylor, and even the VHS of Monsters, Inc., although Disney Channel's original print of the film plastered this with the VHS version of Broadway instead, possibly due to time compression. The remastered variant without a Lucasfilm byline debuted in the US on Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume Two on December 6, 2005. (internationally, it debuted on Toy Story 2 Special Edition on November 28, 2005) A variant is also on the Lair video game for PS3. This was also seen online as well. This trailer also appears in the Pixar employees only Made in Point Richmond DVD along with the Tex logo. It was also seen on the French (2 disc) Ultimate Edition DVD release of The Transporter (Le Transporteur) and the Japanese DVD releases of Waterboys (ウォーターボーイズ), Check it Out, Yo!! (チェケラッチョ!!), and Swing Girls (スウィングガールズ).
Legacy: Like the last logo, this is another funny and nicely animated THX effort.
Trailer: We see a pitch-black screen (à la the 1983 "Broadway" trailer), then we see the text "Let's see it in" appearing in separate words zooming in the center of the screen. Then we see the THX logo with the Lucasfilm Ltd. notice at the top of THX. The logo shines and we fade-out.
Technique: 2D animation.
Music/Sounds: A shorter version of the Deep Note that begins right before the rapid pitch change. However, new voices are added to the Deep Note and drown out most of the original voices except for the lower ones.
Availability: Rare. Seen in THX-certified theaters at the time. Although the THX Ultimate Demo Disc claims the trailer debuted in late 1999, this trailer did indeed debut on Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in May 1999. This also appears on The Adventures of Indiana Jones (2003 release only), The THX Ultimate Demo Disc and the Lucasfilm THX Surround EX Demonstration Disc. Don't expect this to be seen on any Disney DVDs, however.
Trailer: In a darkly-lit environment, we zoom in toward a glassy light blue sphere, which has clouds rolling and lightning flickering. As the environment illuminates, we see that the sphere is barely hovering over a textured blue floor. Suddenly, the sphere shatters, and the sky is revealed to contain several rolling gray clouds. The glass then liquefies and gathers in the center. Some lightning strikes it and forms a silver THX logo. If you look closely while the logo forms, you can see rain pouring down. Then, the environment fades to black as "LUCASFILM", spaced out to fit the width of the THX logo, fades in on top of it and a shimmering blue rectangle (the same one from "Broadway") is drawn clockwise around the logo (like a laser). The logo fades out as the text "Digitally Mastered for Optimal Audio and Video Performance" (à la Broadway) fades in.
Variants:
Technique: Top-notch CGI all around. Both the T2 variant and Cavalcade were both created by Van Ling, a prolific DVD menu creator and visual effects supervisor for several of James Cameron's films, including Terminator 2.
Music/Sounds: First, we hear the sounds of rainfall, and then thunderclaps/electric shocking sounds, followed by glass shattering, then the Deep Note. A laser-like sound is heard as the rectangle is formed.
Music/Sounds Trivia:
Music/Sounds Variant: In the T2 variant, music from Terminator 2 is heard which fades into the Deep Note used in Broadway 2000; the sound design and mix are by Gary Rydstrom at Skywalker Sound according to the credits of the T2 Ultimate Edition DVD.
Availability: Common. First seen in most THX-certified theaters starting on May 25, 2001 with its debut being on Pearl Harbor.[4] Seen on several THX DVDs such as Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Alien Quadrilogy, From Hell, Re-Animator, La Mentale, 36th Precinct (36 Quai des Orfèvres), The Incredibles, Bayside Shakedown 2, THX 1138 (fittingly enough), the Star Wars Trilogy 2004 DVD set, and X-Men 1.5; in THX-certified theaters, and on the video games NBA 09: The Inside, MLB 08: The Show, and MLB 09: The Show. It's also the intro to the menu of The THX Ultimate Demo Disc. The final appearance of the Lucasfilm byline variant was Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume One, released on March 22, 2005, and the remastered variant with the THX website URL but no Lucasfilm byline appears on the French DVD releases of Ghost Rider and L'Ennemi Intime, as well as most THX certified DVDs released by Wild Side Video, and even the HD DVD release of Pan's Labyrinth (Le Labyrinthe de Pan). Don't expect this to appear on the theatrical edition discs to the 2006 releases of the original Star Wars trilogy, despite the 'THX Optimizer' option being featured in the set-up menu. However, it does make a hidden appearance on the Australian version of the theatrical edition disc to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, in title 8.
Legacy: This logo has a dark atmosphere, but also has very incredible CGI all around and helps assert THX's power as a brand.
Trailer: On a black background, we see out-of-focus movie clips on a THX logo. Some of these clips include Star Wars: Episode I, Alien and Jurassic Park. The logo then starts to shine as the blue outline from the Broadway trailer appears around the screen and the words "CERTIFIED CINEMA" appear under the THX logo. Everything except the blue outline fades out and is replaced by the THX website URL on the top, copyright notices on the bottom and the phrase "20 Years of Making Great Movies Come Alive."
Technique: 2D animation.
Music/Sounds: In this order, sound/dialogue clips from the following movies are heard:
After this, the -1.5/low-pitched Deep Note from the "Tex" and "Broadway" (DVD variant) trailers starts playing as the final sound clips play from:
Sound Design was by Gary Rydstrom and Steve Boeddeker of Skywalker Sound.
*1 denotes Skywalker Sound title *2 denotes THX-certified title
Availability: Extinct. This was only seen in THX-certified theaters in 2003 and early 2004; licensing issues have probably prevented this trailer from being used again, as THX doesn't own the rights to the clips featured.
Legacy: Even if it didn't last for more than a year, this trailer was quite unique compared to other THX trailers, featuring clips and sound effects from various movies.
Trailer: We first see a pitch-black screen, but then we see the words "THE SCIENCE OF SENSATION" (in capital letters) coming at us each two words at a time (like the "Broadway 2000" trailer) and as a purple flare appears under the 'O', the words suddenly fade out by spreading apart. Then, the THX logo and the text "CERTIFIED CINEMA" appears, with a faint shine where the 'O' used to be. The logo shines with a flare coming down on the "T". WWW.THX.COM and the copyright at the bottom appear.
Trivia: This trailer was originally created for use with digital cinema projectors, not only for the use of the tagline, but also include a flare so it can immerse the viewer with a sharper and cleaner picture in the auditorium before a film would start.
Variants:
Technique: CGI animation.
Music/Sounds: A remastered Deep Note, some shining sounds, and whooshes. In this remastered Deep Note, some voices are reminiscent of the newer ones from the Broadway 2000 version, and some of the voices reach their final pitches before the others do.
Music/Sounds Trivia: The audio used in this trailer made an appearance in a parody in Over the Hedge. (the glimmer is heard briefly, if you listen closely.)
Music/Sounds Variants:
Availability: Uncommon. After the logo first appeared to THX newsletter subscribers on May 11, 2005, it officially premiered on the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith due to it being an all-digital production, and seen in some theaters for some time after.
Legacy: On home media releases, it could catch people off-guard the first time if they were expecting the DVD version of the Broadway trailer thanks to the unsettling nature of the trailer. That said, it's one of the more unimpressive THX logos out there.
Trailer: On a black background, we see the metallic outlines of the THX logo fade in. Then the shiny silver color fades inside the THX logo. The THX logo glows and makes a big shine with some sparkles. Then below the THX logo is the disclaimer: "THX and the THX logo are trademarks of THX Ltd., which may be registered in some jurisdictions. All Rights Reserved."
Variant: At the beginning of a retail demo video on THX-certified LG TVs, the metallic outlines fade in quicker, the shiny silver color fades in slower, and the shine of the THX logo isn't as bright. On the alternate HD variant, the logo is light green, mostly due to color grading from the digital intermediate process.
Technique: 2D animation produced by Eyestorm Productions.
Music/Sounds: The -1.5/low-pitched Deep Note from Tex and Broadway (DVD variant) trailers.
Availability: Rare. Can be seen on THX Demo Disc II, in HD on the games NBA 08 and MLB 07: The Show (PS2 and PS3), The Bourne Conspiracy, and whenever you start up a THX-Certified TiVo. The alternate HD variant seen on a promotional disc on the HD-DVD side for the French HD-DVD release of Pan's Labyrinth (Le Labyrinthe de Pan) (also in SD on the DVD side), the Japanese DVD of I Just Didn't Do It (それでもボクはやってない), the French DVDs of L'Ennemi Intime (hidden in title 7) and Shine a Light (hidden in title 13), as well as the French (2-disc) DVD of Hot Fuzz.
Trailer: The THX logo starts up like any other, but just as the Deep Note is about to get loud, the logo suddenly crashes down revealing Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) and Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) creating the Deep Note with many instruments. The two realise they've been exposed, before looking at each other and smiling awkwardly as they raise the logo (apparently made out of wood) back up. The Deep Note starts again (albeit less loud than before) and the logo shimmers in green from left to right. While the Deep Note is playing, Donkey comes out and plays the kazoo over the last few seconds. Shrek whispers at him, and the two walk off-screen. The screen fades to black as the words "illuminate your senses" fade in on the top and shine, a smaller THX Certified Cinema logo in the middle, and copyright info on the bottom.
Trivia: The "LUCASFILM" text above the THX logo is visible for a split second when Shrek lifts it up. This is an editing mistake that made it to the final trailer, as this trailer was supposed to premiere in late 2001 when THX was still part of Lucasfilm.
Technique: CGI animated by Pacific Data Images/DreamWorks Animation, of course.
Music/Sounds: The Deep Note (the descending part at first with it falling over), the instruments, Donkey saying "Uh-oh...", Shrek whispering "Donkey!", and Donkey's response: "Okay, okay! Chill, Shrek...". Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy reprise their roles as Shrek and Donkey from the film, respectively.
Music/Sounds Trivia: Donkey's "Uh-oh..." is taken from an early part of the film when he realizes he ran out of fairy dust while he is trying to escape the guards.
Availability: Extinct. It was supposed to premiere on November 2, 2001 presumably before Monsters, Inc., but was pulled at the last second, as such, it was theorized that Disney threatened to cut ties with THX over the trailer since Shrek's DVD release date was the same day that Monsters, Inc. opened in theaters due to long-standing animosities between Disney and DreamWorks (which Disney denied), but THX themselves stated it was due to not wanting to be associated with a specific film. It eventually debuted online in 2006 to promote Shrek the Third[5], with the trailer also appearing on the film itself theatrically in UK cinemas (and possibly other films). It was later uploaded to the company's YouTube channel as well.
Trailer: On a gray background, we see a clapperboard on screen. The clapperboard claps and then disappears off-screen. The camera then zooms out and turns, revealing the background to be a gray BMW car with the iconic "kidney grille". Tex flies on-screen and stops in front of the car, giving a "stop" signal. Tex mutters "Uh oh..." then tries to fly away but ends up getting sucked into the car. He gets flung around the car's engine uncontrollably and is eventually able to stop and regain his balance. He then looks up and sees part of the engine spraying. After spraying for a few seconds, it explodes, and Tex gets covered in black ash. Another part of the engine then pushes Tex up, and he gets chased by another explosion. He manages to escape from the car just in time, but then he loses control and hits the THX logo off-screen. He then stands back up, shakes his arms and foot, looks back at the THX logo, and does a "Ta-dah!" pose. A copyright notice fades in and out on the bottom right.
Variants:
Technique: CGI animation.
Music/Sounds: A man saying "And...action!" when the clapperboard is on-screen, Tex's voice, some car sounds, and other sound effects, and the -1.5/low-pitched Deep Note from before.
Availability: Rare due to its short lifespan. Seen on THX-certified DVD players in some cars, and seen in theaters during this time period; it's said to have premiered before Cars. This was spotted on the 2006 DVD of District B13 and THX Demo Disc II, as well as the 2006 Japanese releases of Brave Story on DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray.
Legacy: As with the 6th and 7th trailers, this is yet another humorous effort from THX. However, the way the car boots up and the close-up of the car could also be jarring to viewers. It is a shame, though, that this was short-lived.
Trailer: We start out with an octagon shape figure rising out of a silver surface (à la a ripple effect), and forms into another figure, which looks like petals from a flower (in fact is a blue passion flower) because we're looking at it from the top. Inside the "flower" is a crown shape figure that has wings on top of it, slowly spinning around, producing the held organ note sound, as we zoom in on it. Then, the scene changes. We now see another set of wings that also spin around, but faster. A ring is spinning around with it and goes down towards the bottom of the screen, producing the buzzer. And the scene changes again. The same set of wings from the first scene is shown, once again spinning slowly, with shades seen on the left side of the screen. As the scene changes again, a tulip is seen zooming in towards us as it opens up its front, producing the deep brass sound. Then we zoom in on a mushroom as it bumps up a bit and makes drum beats. Then a set of butterflies fly by (with some stopping in the front center of the screen), producing some flapping sound, we see the flowerhead-like plant with dragonfly wings as petals, it pushes one-by-one clockwise, making dolphin chirping sounds, then we see a lotus seed head opening and closing its holes as it makes a melody played on a glockenspiel. Intact with the drumbeats of the jingle, we see a variety of mushrooms as they "beat" and bump up the drumbeats, and then the scene changes to swirly-like circles that vibrate, as we zoom from one to another, making the bass horn stab. We zoom into another tulip, making another deep brass sound, and suddenly, we fly over all of the above-mentioned items. As the camera tilts toward the front and zooms back, we see that the plant-covered structure is actually the THX logo. The plants then retract back, revealing the silver color of the logo; this version looks slightly (but also noticeably) different than the other trailers of the past. The logo zooms back as the copyright info fades in on the bottom.
Variant: On the 2008 DVD of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (and the 2008 DVD reprints of the other three Indiana Jones films), the Japanese BD of The Magic Hour, and the Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy, this logo is formatted in 2.35:1 as compared to most other releases (2008 BD of Crystal Skull, Avatar, etc.) containing the trailer in 1.78:1.
Technique: This is fantastic CGI, also animated, designed and produced by Eyestorm Productions.
Music/Sounds: A variety of instruments playing in sync with each plant, performed by Low in the Sky. This ends with a less noisy version of the Deep Note, accompanied by the swoosh. Unlike the previous THX trailers, the music starts at the ending note (blended into the background instrumentation at first) and comes to a quick end rather than fading out smoothly. Mixed by Gary A. Rizzo at Skywalker Sound.
Availability: Common. Seen in most THX-certified theaters starting in late November 2007, and THX DVDs/Blu-rays from 2008-2012 such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Magic Hour (ザ・マジックアワー) (Japan only), Shine a Light (France only), Outlander: Le Dernier Viking (Outlander) (France only), Largo Winch (France only), Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection (2008 reprints of the 2003 DVDs originally containing Broadway 2000, as well as the first home release to feature this trailer), and the 2008 BD of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. On Avatar, Red Tails, and Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy (Blu-ray only), it appears at the end. It was also seen online as well.
Legacy: A creative and beautiful effort from THX, thanks to the animation and the music.
Trailer: On a black background, we see this odd speck that talks in a familiar voice to Horton (from Horton Hears a Who; voiced by Jim Carrey). It turns out to be Mayor Ned McDodd (voiced by Steve Carell), the mayor of Whoville, trying to hear him.
Horton: "Come in, Mr. Mayor. Can you hear me?"
Mayor: "Uh, not quite!"
Horton: "How about now? Is this better?"
Mayor: "Ye-yeah... Yeah, sort of."
Horton: "Hello? Am I getting through?"
Then, the mayor says, "Kinda losing you...", causing Horton to drop the THX logo, and he appears while shouting "How about this?! If I get up real close, can you read me?!" knocking the mayor off-screen, then followed by the Deep Note. Horton then turns to the audience laughing, winks, and then goes off-screen. The THX logo shines as usual. Then the screen transitions to a message reading "THE AUDIENCE IS HEARING" (spoofing the "The Audience is Listening" motto, with "HEAR" in the same font as the movie). On the side of the screen, we see the mayor peek out of the side of the screen, with his clothes blowing.
Trivia: Horton's line "How about this?! If I get up real close, can you read me?!" was also used in the film.
Technique: CGI animated by now-defunct Blue Sky Studios.
Music/Sounds: The characters talking, sound effects corresponding to the animation, and the 2005 Deep Note (if you listen closely).
Availability: Extinct. It was only seen in THX-certified theaters to help promote Horton Hears a Who!. Also seen on the THX website.
Trailer: On a deep cloudy background, we see a light tunnel of many rainbow colors as well as a shadow in the distance. The shadow then emerges to reveal a silver and shining THX logo as well as a crystal blue rectangle outline from the Broadway trailers, which zoom slowly at us. A small copyright notice is seen below the THX logo.
Technique: Colorful CGI animation.
Music/Sounds: The 2005 Deep Note.
Availability: Rare. Can be found on the THX Calibrator disc, 3D movies in cinemas and 3D Blu-ray releases, like the 3D Blu-ray of Avatar (to date, the very last certified THX home media release with logos on it) and the theatrical premiere of Tron: Legacy.
Logo: On a black background, we see a blue trail of light fly around. It flies to an atmosphere with a purple hue. A pink, blue, purple and green trail of light follows the blue trail and flies around with it. We then see a closeup shot of the two trails of light flying. The rainbow trail of light makes some shapes with its light, while the blue trail flies around the shapes and makes some mini shockwaves. We then cut to a white background but is revealed to be the back of the blue trail of light in the purple atmosphere. The rainbow trail of light joins the blue trail and the two trails fly towards the THX logo, which is seen in the distance. Everything is in slow motion for a split-second, and then the two trails quickly charge towards the THX logo and reveal it. This version looks noticeably different from the other trailers of the past, Due to the THX logo being noticeably thinner than normal. The THX logo shines as the two trails of light into the bottom line of the logo and causes a bright light to appear. This bright light takes up the entire screen.
Technique: Incredible CGI.
Music/Sounds: Sound effects accompanying the atmosphere, followed by the Deep Note.
Availability: Extinct. It was a prototype logo that was found on THX's website for a short time.
Trailer: We start off in a shooting starfield. Then, a large black eclipse fades in, glows, and spins. Then, many shiny white/black sticks and veins appear all over the eclipse, representing the iris of the human eye, and we zoom further into it as the sticks and veins move around and form in different ways. Suddenly, a large shock wave appears in the middle and we zoom through it, revealing the THX logo, which is black and has a dark shine on it. The text "see you on the other side" wipes in underneath the THX logo.
Variants:
Technique: Extraordinary CGI done by independent Norwegian design studio Two-Shots Production (now "Vortex Film").
Music/Sounds: A redone version of the Deep Note, also done by James Andy Moorer. It sounds more synthesized than before, and is even louder than before. It starts off with the synths ascending and descending over and over again until they rapidly change their pitches. During the rapid pitch change, the clashing pitches of the lower synths cause a "rumbling" sound as the Deep Note gets louder, and the final pitch gets louder and louder as more and more synths join them at the final chord. The highest synths on the final chord create a synth organ-like sound, while the lowest synths create a deep humming sound. Mixed by Lora Hirschberg (with assistance by Gary Rydstrom) at Skywalker Sound.
Music/Sounds Variant: In the longer versions, after the synths switch back and forth between ascending and descending, the louder synths are stretched out until the final chord.
Availability: This made its debut online and was most likely seen in theaters from that time period. The normal 30-second variant has been reported to have been seen on Terminator Genisys. The Razer variant was only seen as a promotional video on Vimeo titled "THX Is Evolving". The 60-second variant is extinct and was only used in the Warren chain of cinemas.
Legacy: The logo gained infamy for the much louder Deep Note, and thus is sometimes thought to be the scariest THX trailer of them all due to this (especially the 60-second variant).
Trailer: On a black background, the phrase "The Audience is Listening" fades in. It disappears by sliding to the right. The background becomes a bluish green gradient. A black line with light blue marks slides to the right of the screen and starts to gently shake. It becomes liquid and breaks up into small circles. We zoom through the liquid. Multiple grouped lines start swirling around in a circular motion, then forms into a 4-layered sphere. A light blue glow surrounds the sphere. It becomes liquid and opens up, revealing blue electric lines. It later explodes to fill the background with black, then zooms out in the form of the THX logo. It later fills up with metallic material, making it look normal. Some of the light blue lines remain, then later disappear completely. Finally, two copyright notices appear:
Variants:
Technique: CGI animation, done by Human Workshop.
Music/Sounds: First, the beginning half of the 2005 Deep Note plays, then gets interrupted by whooshes, liquid sound effects, and a low synth note, followed by a choir. During the glow, the Deep Note resumes, followed by another whoosh, and an explosion.
Music/Sounds Variant: During the "making of" video, there was no Deep Note.
Availability: Unknown. First seen on the Human Workshop website. It's currently unknown if this trailer has been used in other places as of this writing.
Trailer: A large purple smoke cloud explodes on the screen, and the camera zooms out to reveal a nebula. We continue to zoom out through the space-like background as a mountain range appears below. The mountains then appear reflected in a waterdrop on a dragonfly's wings. The dragonfly beats its wings in slow-motion clearing the waterdrops, and flies through a new background, featuring some plants that appeared in the "Amazing Life" trailer. The camera dips down into a pool of water and emerges to reveal a city at night, as a helicopter flies past. The city is revealed to be inside a snowglobe on a table of various items. The camera pans back to reveal two similar tables with blue holographic domes on them. Then, Tex appears from the left and flies to a table in the front and loads up a similar holographic dome over the table and flies off. The camera continues to zoom out, revealing that Tex is aboard a star cruiser of some sort. The ship makes a light-speed jump, and the camera pans through the space station the ship was docked at. It is then revealed that the space station is in the shape of the THX logo, which becomes a more traditional silver color. The space background fades to blue, and then everything gradually fades out.
Trivia:
Variant: At the THX Ultimate Cinema, once we see the THX logo it continues to zoom away and a blue box surrounds it, the text "ULTIMATE CINEMA" fades in, then it fades to black.
Technique: Impressive CGI done by Andrew Kramer (who also owns Video Copilot) and American Meme.
Music/Sounds: Sounds accompanying the environments, along with descending sounds invoking the Deep Note. When we start panning through the space station, we hear the Deep Note, with multiple stop-starts during the early stages. The stop-starts get faster and faster until the Deep Note converges into a single sound.
Music/Sounds Variants:
Availability: Current. Debuted on THX's YouTube and Twitter pages, and also appears in THX-certified theaters such as the THX Ultimate Cinema.
Legacy: This is a great trailer by THX, thanks to the CGI and the references to previous trailers, such as the "Amazing Life" plants and the appearance of Tex.
Trailer: In a glassy room in the same spaceship from the "Genesis" trailer Tex and a drone named Bob attempt to place an orb in a socket, in front of a window with a floating THX logo in the background. When Tex tries inserting the orb the first time, the THX logo flashes a little, and the orb pops out of the socket. When Tex is distracted trying to fix a small door that has somehow opened, Bob starts playing with the orb like a basketball right before Tex tries to grab it. Tex is about to place the orb into the socket, but notices Bob is visibly sad. They compromise and Tex lets the drone slam dunk the orb into the socket, which causes the THX logo to power up and light up. Both robots move to the side as the camera zooms up to the THX logo, They then fist pump. we fade to the THX print logo, the text "SPATIAL AUDIO" fades underneath it.
Variant: A prototype or alternate version appears on EyeBelieve's Vimeo channel. The ending of the trailer is slightly different, with the Deep Note being the 2005 version instead of the low-pitched/-1.5 Deep Note.
Technique: Very nice CGI by EyeBelieve.
Music/Sounds: Whirring of the flying drones, pinging, balls flying and hitting things, robotic grunts, a slamming noise and then the Deep Note (-1.5/low-pitched).
Availability: Current. Premiered on THX's YouTube channel, used as a demo of THX's Spatial Audio technology.