Research on Institutional logos for mainstream and independent film companies

In order to create a design for my film company, I have explored the logos of both mainstream and independent companies and analysed the differences between the two. This will help me to design a logo which is appropriate for my film company.

 

Paramount Studio

Paramount is an old and very successful studio and has produced such movies as the Godfather movies and Beverley Hills Cop. The logo is a very memorable one although there have been many adaptations of the design over the years. It shows a majestic mountain which has been modelled on a mountain in the Andes, and it is surrounded in the shape of a halo by 22 stars. Colour schemes vary considerably, both from year to year and from film to film but the mountain is always seen as rising through a thick belt of cloud into an often blue sky. It is an iconic logo used a by a large mainstream studio with a large budget.

 

Warner Bros Pictures

The original Warner Bros logo featured the letters WB displayed on the bottom half of the shield. By 1937 the design had been adapted into something like the present day design where the letters fill the whole of the shield. The gold letters on a blue background stand out clearly against the blue sky. It is bright and dynamic, the shield connoting wealth and power. The non-diegetic music, As Time Goes By from Casablanca, builds as the logo is on screen, connoting a tension and excitement for the film. It is a powerful logo , used by a mainstream organisation with a high budget.

 

Metro Goldwyn Mayer

This is a large mainstream studio responsible for such films as The Wizard of Oz , Doctor Zhivago and Thelma and Louise. The logo shows a proud lion surrounded by a golden ring of film bearing the motto Ars Gratia Artis which is Latin for art for art’ sake. The primary colours are bold and dynamic. The lion is a real lion – there have been seven different lions used throughout the history of the logo, and this lion is seen to be roaring. It is a powerful logo, the lion connoting strength and superiority. It is a high budget logo.

 

Disney

The original Disney logo featured a simple white castle on a blue background. The version we know today came into existence in2006 and begins with a star glowing in the night sky. The view heads to a Disney theme park and a Disney castle with fireworks going off. The title appears at the bottom. The music is When You Wish Upon a Star from Pinocchio. The words are in white in a memorable font against the bright background of the scene. It is very iconic of the Disney brand and again a high budget logo.

 

 

Film 4

Film 4 is an independent British company owned by Channel 4 Television Corporation and has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The Film 4 logo features very solid, square white letters on a red background. The red connotes a passion for film, but there is no animation and no sound. It is a professional looking design which connotes a professional studio, but it is low budget and very simple.

 

Warp Films

Warp Films is an independent film production company based in Sheffield and London. It is a 2D black and white design without colour or animation. It is powerful in terms of its bold design and use of a lightning strike, but it is very obviously the design of a low budget film studio.

 

There are real differences between the logos used by mainstream and independent film companies. This is a reflection of the budget available to these companies. The mainstream studios aim to create a memorable, high impact logo often using animation and indeed many of these image are very iconic. The independent studios produce simple, low budget, still images with little colour or music. This will help us to chose what kind of logo we would like to use, either independent or mainstream  which will allow us to make the decision whether its a simple independent logo or a detailed mainstream one.