The S From Hell

[schwa242]

I may have spoken to you about scary production logos in the past (I've certainly linked to them enough times), and perhaps you thought me insane. "It's just something at the end of the show! Who cares?" When you're six, loud synthesizer tones mixed with an animated synthetic creation can seem like a demon from the pits of hell. And you know what?

Comments

[urbeatle]

By coincidence, yesterday I posted a link to clips of the Screen Gems S and the Screen Gems dancing sticks tags in thread about obscure audio/visual elements of the past stuck in my branes. I was never frightened by the Screen Gems thing; I just can't forget it.

Incidentally, there was another moving lines tag that may or may not have been Screen Gems. I haven't been able to track it down. I remember the lines in that being more horizontal than the dancing sticks, and bongos were involved, I believe.

[schwa242]

It's not ringing a bell, even though wiggly lines and bongos are certainly common elements.

[weirdlovemaker]

Um. What.

[schwa242]

Don't make fun. There are dozens of us! DOZENS!

[urbeatle]

Is it sad that I recognize that as an Arrested Development quote?

[schwa242]

Nah. Is it sad that I couldn't remember where I stole the line from as I wrote it, even though I knew it came from something? Especially considering, y'know.

[mmcirvin]

The Screen Gems logo never particularly affected me, but I was terrified of all "Please Stand By -- We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties" cards.

I used to think there was something metaphysical going on here, that I took them as a reminder of mortality or an indication that reality was breaking down. In hindsight, I think it was really just my powerful childhood startle reflex, and my anticipation of being startled (the same thing that had me terrified of the possibility of popping balloons). When you saw that card, usually the sound would be out entirely for some long, entirely unpredictable period, after which the voice of an announcer would suddenly come on at slightly-too-loud volume imploring the viewer to sit tight. I dreaded being startled by the announcer's voice.

And, like the kid in the film, once I had a nightmare that I had woken up in my bedroom to find one entire wall of the room glowing with WETA-26's Please Stand By card.

[mmcirvin]

...And at the other extreme, in those pre-VCR, pre-cable days, seeing this was kind of like Christmas morning in miniature.

[schwa242]

Oh hell yes. I still want one of these.

[mmcirvin]

I bet you knew what it was before clicking on the link.

[mmcirvin]

Also, I have to say that the moment that film won me over was when it went into the "Halloween III: Season of the Witch" bit.

[mmcirvin]

Similarly to my story about startle reflex and PLEASE STAND BY, my best guess as to what was going on with the Screen Gems logo has to do with the bit about the acoustics of the little synthesized fanfare. Has anyone looked at the spectrum of that last note to see if there are some strong high-frequency components there, say way up somewhere near 20 kHz, that would grate on the ears of little kids?

[schwa242]

It wouldn't surprise me, since the logos probably wouldn't be nearly so disturbing without the synthesizers going with them. But I think part of it has to do with animated nonsense that has no bearing in the real world. These logos create a temporary five second reality repeated over and over with long intervals in between. And now I am reading too much into this.

As for balloons popping, I had the anticipation fear of sound in "The Muppet Movie", when Animal grew to a giant size and smashed through a second story roof. On two viewings, I would plug my ears off and on through damn near the whole movie (after the first time I saw it) waiting for giant animal to finally show up.