THX

Background: "The Audience Is Listening"

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 ( which in turn was then owned by Lucasfilm Ltd. until 2001, when it was spun-off into its present day company, THX Ltd.), named after Lucas' directorial debut, THX 1138. The first THX-certified film was the 1983 hit Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. THX officially stands for "Tomlinson Holman's EXperiment". THX has provided certified VHS, DVD, LaserDisc, and Blu-ray films from major studios such as Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), United Artists Pictures (UA), Columbia Pictures, among other studios, also when this was seen in theaters. They have certified video games as well.

=== 1st Trailer (May 25, 1983) ===

Nickname: "Eclipse", "The Other Side", "Dark THX" "See you on the other side" "The Audience Has Nightmares" "Deep Note 2.0"

Logo: 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 "O" appears in the middle, a la the Orion Pictures logo, and we zoom through it, revealing the THX logo, which is black and has dark shines on it. The text "see you on the other side" wipes in underneath the THX logo.

FX/SFX: The zooming in of the eclipse, done by Two-Shots Production. Extraordinary CGI.

Music/Sounds: A redone version of the THX Deep Note, also done by James Andy Morrer. It sounds more synthesized than before, and is even louder and higher-pitched.

Availability: Brand new. Debuted online in April 2015, and might be seen at THX-certified theaters.

Scare Factor: Nightmare. Due to the reconstructed Deep Note, the eclipse suddenly becoming a vortex, and the near- black darkness, this is most likely the scariest logo, but it is also the most extraordinary even with those with THXphobia.

=== 19th Trailer (2015-)===

Nickname: "Sphere" "THX 2k15" "Sphere of Audience"

Logo: On a black background, we see either the slogan "The Audience is Listening" or the THX 4K logo. It then disappears by sliding to the right. The background becomes black-gray-green gradient. A black line with 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, hence the nickname. A 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 blue lines remain, then later disappear completely. Finally, we see 2 copyright notices "THX and the Deep Note sound are trademarks of THX Ltd. registered in certain jurisdictions. All rights reserved." "This THX trailer is the property of THX Ltd. All rights reserved".

FX-SFX: Awesome CGI by Human Workshop.

Music/Sounds: The original Deep Note mixed with sound effects like a synth choir, zaps, etc.

Availability: Brand new.

Scare Factor: Medium because of the various movements, but this is a lot tamer than the last trailer.

THX France
===1st Logo (2000)===

Nicknames: "River" "What happens when you start The Crimson River" "A Flight Through THX" "The Audience is In France"

Logo: On the DVD menu of The Crimson Rivers, we zoom into the temple. Then, a symbol is drawn and turns red and black. We zoom into the symbol and it turns into an island with mountains. Then it goes into one of the mountains' core, and we see a glacier inside it with the THX logo in it. Then it melts, and the blue rectangle from the 1st logo appears and the words "LUCASFILM" appears above the logo.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: The Deep Note and sounds related to the action going on.

Availability: Only seen on the French THX-certified DVD of The Crimson Rivers, except for custom demo DVDs featuring this trailer.

Scare Factor: Medium because of the Deep Note, although it's intended to be funny.

===2nd Logo (2001)===

Nickname: "Le Raid" "THX is a good mosquito killer" "EXTHXMINATE" "The Mosquitoes Are Listening" "Le meilleur son, la meilleure image"

Logo: We observe many glowing particles coming up from a salty ocean below. Then we rapidly zoom out through the trees and see five mosquitoes

sleeping mid-air above the swamp. They are equipped with yellow "Le Raid" titled helmets and shells, though one wears a knitted hat, and other wears nothing. The mosquitoes wake up, get angry and rush forward. One of them gets first and sticks out his tongue to taunt others. However he misses the tree, hits it and falls into the swamp. Then the rest of the mosquitoes fly past the trees, one of them briefly shown from his backpack, also titled "Le Raid". They proceed to the large gathering of particles above the water and three of them are thrown out, the last one hitting the screen. The THX logo is formed from the particles, while the background turns black and the blue rectangle from the 2nd THX logo appears. The fourth mosquito is thrown out. Then the words Le meilleur son, la meilleure image (French for "The best sound, the best picture") form.

FX/SFX: Good animation.

Music/Sounds: The Deep Note and the sounds of insect buzzing and other sounds produced by them (such as gulping sounds, ricochets, and an airplane or jet-like engine whir as one of them is blown away).

Availability: Only seen on the French THX-certified DVD of Le Raid, except for custom demo DVDs featuring this trailer.

Scare Factor: Same as the 1st logo.

===3rd Logo (2002)=== Nickname: "French Broadway" "Deep Note In France" "The Audience Is Listening in a french cinema"

Logo: We see two silver bars zooming in, in a grainy film quality. Their borders tremble. Another bar follows them rotating, joins them and the figure starts

rotating, forming the "H" in the process. Then the letters unfold into the 3D THX logo, sending other letters at the sides, and the grainy quality gets lost. Then the "T" grows its usual elongated bar and the small bar comes from the right, expanding below. Then "Lucasfilm" and the copyright symbol rise in the logo; the blue box appears.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: Starts with silence and proceeds to the Deep Note.

Availability: Only seen on the French THX-certified DVD of Les Tontons Flingueurs.

Scare Factor: Same as the 1st logo.

THX Certified Games
===1st Logo (Mid 2000s- )===

Nickname: "The Gaming Experience" "The Gamers Are Listening" "The Best Gaming Sounds" "Gamer's Best Friend"

Logo: We see the words "Experience THX", which dissolve and the THX logo appears. It shines as usual showing the text "CERTIFIED GAME" below.

Variants:
 * There is a version where the flash is purple, and the Deep Note starts from the ignition sound.


 * In The Matrix: Path of Neo, the logo zooms in as Matrix lines, then turns, and the flash appears.


 * In Need for Speed: Shift, the words "EXPERIENCE THX" appear below the complete logo.


 * In Need for Speed Underground, the only word below THX is "GAME".

FX/SFX: TBA

Music/Sounds: The Deep Note.

Availability: Rare. Seen in THX-certified games. The original variant was spotted on Shadow Ops: Red Mercury.

Scare Factor: Medium to high because of the dark atmosphere and the Deep Note.

===2nd Logo (2005)===

Nicknames: "Galaga", "8-Bit", "Soul Calibur III THX", "Galaga Meets the Deep Note" "The 8-bit Is Listening" "GalaTHX" "Insert THX Coin"

Logo: On a white background, we see the words "PLAY GAME!?" in a regular video game font flashing in red. Two lines of all-red aliens from the arcade game Galaga come from the top of the screen, cross each other, make a U-turn, and merge into one big section. A third section comes from the bottom of the screen, spins around, and goes into the big section. A fourth section does the same thing. A fifth section of aliens comes from the top of screen and makes a U-turn. It goes into the big section too. Two or three more sections go into the big section. As the aliens get in their place, an all-red starfighter comes from the bottom of the screen and stops. One of its guns moves a little bit like an arm. Then its guns all bend over, signaling the beginning of an 8-bit rendition of the THX "Deep Note". However, one of the aliens gets mad, and the others run away, prompting the starfighter to shoot it, and it does. The aliens then get back together, and the stafighter's guns all bend over once again, which signals the beginning of a regular "Deep Note". A red "THX" logo with a "CERTIFIED GAME" byline (in the same font as "PLAY GAME?!" earlier) moves the aliens out of the way while the spaceship's guns "wave" to the aliens. When the "THX" logo is in the middle of the screen, the starfighter is on top of it and zooms off. The entire logo then pixelates into a black background, a shiny "THX" logo, and the byline "CERTIFIED GAME" in Arial. The finished logo shines.

FX/SFX: Too much to mention in delightfully retro 8-bit graphics (except after the pixelation).

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of Galaga, various 8-bit sounds (including sounds from Galaga and the beginning of an 8-bit rendition of the Deep Note), and finally the Deep Note.

Availability: This only appeared on Soul Calibur III for the PS2.

Scare Factor: Minimal to medium. Even if you have "THXphobia", this THX trailer is a favorite of those who have seen it because of its retro theme.