Columbia Home Video
Written and Compiled by Matt Williams and Kris Starring
Columbia Pictures Home
Entertainment
(1978-1982)
Logo: The same as the Columbia Pictures "sunburst" logo, but there is a video freeze at the end, with "Columbia Pictures" blacked out. "COLUMBIA PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS" is chyroned in.
SFX: Same as the Sunburst logo.
Cheesy Factor: Same as the Sunburst, though the freeze looks cheesy.
Music: Same as the Sunburst.
Availability: Amazingly, Stupendously, C-T Home Video LEAVES THIS IN on "Monty Python And The Search For The Holy Grail"!
Scare Factor: Again, same as in the sunburst logo.
RCA/Columbia Pictures Home
Video
1st Logo
(1983-1985)
Nickname: "RCA/Columbia"
Logo: On a black bg, a white-bordered box appears. In it are two black rounded rectangles, with the first bearing the "RCA" logo in red, and the second having the Columbia Pictures print logo in a semicircle-like border with "Columbia Pictures" below. "HOME VIDEO" is at the bottom of the white border, in black.
Variation: The RCA and Columbia logos fade in on a black bg, then the white border "swings in" to surround it.
SFX: The "swinging border" on the first variation.
Music: None
Availability: Videos from this company have long been out of print, with most videos being re-released by Columbia-Tristar(some in RCA/Columbia-style packaging!)
Scare Factor: None
2nd Logo
(1985-1991)
Nicknames: "The Cube", "The Spinning Cube"
Logo: On a black bg, we see a rotating cube, featuring the same logo as stated above on each side. The main difference to the logo, however, is that the border is now silvery, with "HOME VIDEO" in light gray. A white sparkle appears on the side as it rotates.
SFX: The rotating cube, the white star.....
Cheesy Factor: .....which look really, really primitive.
Music: None
Availability: Again, see above. This logo is slightly easier to come across, seeing that it is more recent.
Scare Factor: None.
SVS/Triumph
(1990-1991)
Logo: Same as RCA/Columbia Logo 2, only the cube now has a blue rectangle, with "SVS" in a serif font, then a line, then "TRIUMPH" underneath in a condensed font.
SFX: Same as RCA/Columbia logo 2.
Cheesy Factor: Same as RCA/Columbia logo 2.
Music: None
Availability: The logo is very rare. This was a "bridge" between the RCA/Columbia and C-T eras, releasing Triumph's releases, and some "low-profile" Columbia and TriStar releases. The label disappeared in 1991 when Columbia-TriStar Home Video was formed.
Scare Factor: None
Columbia-Tristar Home Video
1st Logo
(1991)
Nicknames: "Part I: The Boxes Cometh", "Split Rectangle"
Logo: On a black bg, we see a split rectangle. On the left side, we see the 80s Torch Lady(Print Version), and on the right, the TriStar "Pegasus Over Pyramid" logo(print version too, but minus the "PICTURES" at the bottom). Above, we see the words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR", one above the other, and at the bottom, we see "HOME VIDEO".
SFX: None, this is a still logo
Music: None
Availability: Quite rare, this is the very first logo featuring a box motif, which would eventually develop into the familiar and hated Columbia-Tristar Home Video and Columbia-Tristar Television logos. Also, this is a "Placeholder Logo", a logo that is used on a show or video when the new one isn't quite ready yet. This is a rare occurance, but such logos do exist.
Scare Factor: None
2nd Logo
(1992-1993)
Nicknames: "Part II: The Boxes Take Form", "The First Box Logo"
Logo: On a white bg, we see two boxes. On the left is one featuring a newly-done Torch Lady, and on the right is a newly-done Pegasus on a Columbia-like cloud background. Above the boxes are the words "COLUMBIA TRISTAR", with each word positioned over its respective logo."HOME VIDEO" is seen below.
SFX: None, this is a still logo
Music: None
Availability: Another placeholder logo, but this time they've actually designed the new logos. :) If I'm not mistaken, this is the first appearance of the new "Sony Logos" for each company. Again, pretty rare.
Scare Factor: None
3rd Logo
(1993-)
Nicknames: "Part III: Will This Logo Ever Die?!", "Sliding Boxes", "Blue BG Boxes"
Logo: We see a screen full of clouds forming, tossing about. Then, "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" zooms out from above, and "HOME VIDEO" shrinks out from below as we see the clouds zoom out, as part of a golden-bordered box on a blue-black gradient background. The box then splits apart to reveal the Torch Lady on the left, and the Pegasus on the right, as the wording takes its position.
Variation: Some New Line Home Video releases distributed by C-T have a Sony Pictures Entertainment byline on the bottom.
SFX: The zooming out effects, nice CGI.
Cheesy Factor: It seems a bit dated, and the Pegasus looks like it was pasted on top of the Columbia logo, as the cloud backgrounds are the same. TriStar used a different, darker cloud bg, which is why.
Music: A rather simple synth theme.
Availability: Current. I think. You see, I have come to the conclusion that the people running Columbia-Tristar are insane. There have been no less than three logos coming after this one, and yet this was used concurrently with these very same logos, with some releases featuring this logo and the supposedly "current" one! My God, it's like seeing UA94 one minute, and then Turning UA the next! These people are insane :)
Scare Factor: None.
4th Logo
(1996-1997)
Nickname: "Take Hollywood Home!"
Logo: On a brownish bg, we see a row of Torch Lady and Pegasus boxes at an angle (all are print logos). The Columbia and TriStar boxes then rise out of two of the boxes in the center as the row of boxes tilts to face the screen. The "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" and "HOME VIDEO" lines fade in above and below the logo, respectively.
SFX: Simple but nice animation.
Music: A loud, booming chorus singing "TAKE HOLLYWOOD HOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!"
Availability: C-T used this logo in 1996 to 1997 and as a result this was probably used on most releases. I'm not sure if it was alternated with the blue bg logo, so as always, keep your eye out.
Scare Factor: High, because of that sudden chorus.
5th Logo
(1997-2000)
Nickname: "The Filmstrip"
Logo: On an ethereal blue background, we see filmstrips crisscrossing the screen, with each frame in each filmstrip featuring the C-T box logo. We see a filmstrip in the center of the screen and then pan towards it, seeing the boxes in each frame and the endings of their respective movie animations playing out within them. As the final frame reaches the screen, the background turns all white and the "COLUMBIA TRISTAR HOME VIDEO" text fades in.
The Clip On: Many times, the boxes would then slide away, the CTHV text would fade out, and one of the following phrases, in script, would zoom in from the center of the logo.
Afterwards, a trailer with one of the following features would be played.
SFX: Great CGI. And if you thought this one was good, the next one is even more mind-blowing.
Music: No music. Although, after the debacle that was "Take Hollywood Home!" this seems to be a good thing.
Availability: During the beginning of its existence it was pretty easy to spot, then around 1998 it began being used along with the blue bg logo.
Scare Factor: None.
6th Logo
(2000-) (DVD Version)
Nicknames: "C-T DVD", "The Boxes of Splendor"
Logo: On a screen filled with clouds, the words "COLUMBIA" and "TRISTAR", handsomely done in shining silver text, tumble onto the screen, "COLUMBIA" coming from the right and "TRISTAR" coming from the left. The clouds clear, revealing a nice backdrop of clouds and two white, glowing boxes. As the light in the boxes die down, we zoom towards the Columbia torch lady in the left box, and see the pegasus stretch his wings in the white box, as the wings cross over to the Columbia box. The words "COLUMBIA" and "TRISTAR" position themselves under the boxes, and "DVD" zooms out from the top, at warp speed, landing below the C-T text.
Too Little: C-T has adapted this logo for VHS releases; however, this has only been seen on "Stuart Little" so far-guess what logo they're STILL using on VHS?
SFX: Mind-blowing CGI, and has become a favorite of those who've seen it. Some have even suggested that C-T should adapt this logo for their television division. If they're gonna update logos, they'd better use one with the best CGI they can muster :)
Music/Sound FX: Whooshing sounds as the Columbia Tristar logos move into position. An ethereal humming noise as the boxes animate, and a phaser sound as the "DVD" text moves into place.
Availability: It's seen on most current DVD releases from the company; prior to this, they used the blue bg logo.
Scare Factor: The "DVD" zooming out will probably get to more than a few.
Columbia Tristar Home
Entertainment
(2001-2005)
Logo: Over the usual cloud background, we pan past an extreme close up of the Torch Lady's legs and feet(covered in the robe of course), then dissolves into a pan of the TriStar Pegasus unfolding his wings. The pan then quickly dissolves into a shot from the center of the Pegasus unfolding his wings, albeit in a close-up fashion, and then a dissolve to the Torch Lady zooming out. The logo then dissolves to reveal the Torch Lady and Pegasus side-by-side on a cloud background, with "COLUMBIA TRISTAR" slightly sliding in with "HOME ENTERTAINMENT", in a smaller font, fading in letter-by-letter.
SFX: Of course, that isn't the entire logo. Throughout the animation, the logos are artistically stylized, with mosaic and pixelization effects being used throught the logo and a scrollign Matrix-like wall of typography appearing throughout. Also, the designers of the logo, Montgomery/Cobb, retouched the face of the Torch Lady and the wings of the Pegasus to make them more realistic. The dissolves are done gradually, almost like wipes, and the logo seems to be divided up into five sections during the animation, before coming together as an actual logo at the end. The logo looks quite nice and artistic as a result.
Music: Composed by Machine Head of Venice, California, it is a wonderful synthesized fanfare that is very majestic, fitting the majestic feel of the logo. Also, it would be interesting to note that the logo is one of the longest, clocking in at nearly 20 seconds!
Availability: No longer current, but still common on DVDs released from the era.
Scare Factor: None, it's a popular logo that finally put one version of the hated Boxes to rest. Nice fanfare and great logo concept make this a winner; if only C-T could have adapted it for Television somehow...
If you want to see this logo in action, an article, with a video capture, is available at http://www.designinmotion.com/article/mainv/0,7220,25429,00.html
Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment
(2005-)
Background: In November 2004, Sony Pictures announced that the Columbia-TriStar Home Entertainment division would be rechristened "Sony Pictures Home Entertainment." For the first time ever, the Torch Lady or anything refering to Columbia's symbol is nowhere to be seen on the home entertainment logo. Instead, the Shining Bars, which were already a familiar sight on TV as Sony Pictures Television's logo, appeared in a new form for the renamed company.
Nicknames: "The Shining Bars"
Logo: Over a set of clouds, we see a bright light with rays shooting outward which start to create some lens flares. A set of white lines of light appear and zoom out to solidify into the Shining Bars, Sony Pictures Entertainment's logo, which give off rays of light. As this happens, the background turns black. The rays die down and we see "SONY PICTURES" in the Sony font appear below the Bars, a line is drawn underneath that, and "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" appears underneath.
SFX: Just great CGI.
Music: TBA
Availability: Just starting to go into use. The print SPHE logo goes back to November 2004, and those early SPHE releases still have the 2001 C-THE logo. The animated SPHE logo made its debut on the PSP UMD of "Spiderman 2" in the Spring of 2005, and it has already been spotted on the DVD of "Are We There Yet?"
Scare Factor: Low, just good CGI animation.