Starz Originals

Background
Starz Originals is the production arm of the Starz Network for producing original series formed in 2006.

1st Logo (2006-2009)
Nickname: "The Starz Star"

Logo: TBA

FX/SFX: TBA

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on the first seasons of Crash: The Series, Head Case, and Party Down on Starz and Starz Edge.

Editor's Note: TBA.

2nd Logo (2008-2011)
Nicknames: "Shine", "Starz Focus"

Logo:
 * Opening Variant: On a brown-beige background, four frame lines, mocking the style of a camera shot, expand quickly. At that point we see a blurred close up shot of the Starz logo, with "ORIGINALS" below it. The blur disappears quickly and the logo starts putting itself into focus. After it does so the logo lets out a little lens blur. The camera frame expands and shrinks back to its normal size. We see a close up shot of the text "FEATURE", stacked on top of "PRESENTATION". The text puts itself into focus. The background shows a blurred panning transition of the text. Later, the frame and the text fully expand out of view and on the same background, this time with the effect of a strip of film flickering, we see the given rating for a specified program.
 * Closing Variant: On the same background as before, we see the focus from the opening variant. In it, we see an even larger close up of the Starz logo and pan around it. The screen then flashes and "ORIGINALS" appears. We pan around the text. The screen flashes again, and the logo zooms out in its fully formed position. The background flickers and the logo gives out a lens flare. The screen flashes one final time and the logo disappears.

FX/SFX: The focus, the text, the flashing, the zooming, the panning, the flares. This logo was complied by Troika Design Group of Hollywood, California (you can see the full showcase here). They also complied the 3rd and 5th logos.

Music/Sounds: An organ-synth theme.

Availability: Seen on Crash: The Series, Martin Lawrence Presents: First Amendment Stand-up, Head Case, Party Down, Spartacus, and Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

Editor's Note: TBA.

3rd Logo (2011-2013)
Nicknames: "The Next Big Thing", "Starz Focus II"

Logo: We start on a sparkling orange star-hole (between the "a" and "r") in the "starz" logo, which reveals itself and zooms out in a bright space. There is an orange torrent below. Four brackets surround the logo and "ORIGINALS" expand below it. The torrent below shines.

FX/SFX: The logo unveiling itself and zooming out. This logo was complied by Troika Design Group of Hollywood, California (you can read more about the rebranding here). They also complied the 2nd and 5th logos.

Music/Sounds: An original fanfare with four beats at the end.

Availability: Seen on Spartacus Vengeance, Camelot and Magic City.

Editor's Note: TBA.

4th Logo (2013-2016)
Note: A higher quality version of the logo (audio-only) can be found here.

Nicknames: "Taking You Places", "Starz Focus III"

Logo: On a black background, a satin-silk smoke trail rises up. The Starz Originals logo from the previous logos forms beside the smoke trail.

FX/SFX:  CGI animation. This logo was complied by yU+co of Hollywood, California. You can read more about the rebranding here.

Music/Sounds: A bouncy synth with a nice piano ditty.

Availability: Seen on shows from the era on DVD and Blu-ray. It originally appeared on 2015-2016 episodes of Outlander, Power, and Ash vs. Evil Dead, but they plastered by the next "logo" below.

Editor's Note:  None.

5th Logo (2016-)
 Nickname : "Obsessable", "The Black Room"

 Logo :
 *  Pre-show Variant: : On a monochromatic background with beige lighting and frosted glass flooring, a video shot of the show about to play (lasts one second) appears as it zooms out to reveal another shot, and again to reveal one more shot. Then on a similar background with a different focus and dust residue from the lighting flying over the screen, the shot zooms out to reveal the show's name (in Museo Sans) in all caps (for example: "OUTLANDER"). Below it we see "STARTS NOW". A viewer discretion warning fades in, bearing a resemblance to the 2nd logo but with a few differences. First, the background. Second, the font. Third, the warning borders are replaced with flat lines and have been moved to the beginning. And finally, all program specifications have been moved to the bottom center of the screen. No mention of Starz in this variant.
 *  Opening Variant : On a black background, a flash reveals the Starz logo. Next to it, "ORIGINALS PRESENTS" fades in.
 *  Closing Variant : In the same setting as the pre-show variant, a light reveals the text "STARZ ORIGINALS", which zooms out. The light dies down but remains on the flooring.

 Trivia :
 * Starz has complied their own brandbook which can give you more info about their rebranding. Read it here.
 * The animation was complied by Troika Design Group of Hollywood, California, of which were also responsible for the 2nd and 3rd logos. You can read more about the rebranding (and see the full showcase) here.

 FX/SFX :
 *  Pre-show Variant : Show clips zoom out, a line of text follows, transition to the viewer discretion warning.
 *  Opening Variant : A flash appears, text fades in.
 * Closing Variant : A flash appears, text zooms out.

 Music/Sounds :
 *  Pre-show Variant : A piano tune with percussion and bass notes. It sounds similar to the current WMHT logo music.
 *  Opening Variant : None.
 *  Closing Variant:  Same as the pre-show variant, except a whoosh has been added to the beginning of the logo, and the tune has been shortened to 3 piano notes.

 Availability : Seen on post-2016 episodes of Starz Original series, including Outlander, Power, and Ash vs Evil Dead.

 Editor's Note : This logo, as well as the rest of Starz and Encore's post-2016 branding, received criticism due to it being considered bland in terms of design and music compared to its previous logos.