BMG Video

Credits

Descriptions by
Nate Spidgewood

Captures by
Henrynguye5 and Dison

Editions by
kidinbed, edunk5, Kyrongenius‎, Henrynguye5 and Dison

Video captures courtesy of
4R Geo, ENunn, EnormousRat, Chris L., DudeThatLogo and MZVintages

Background

BMG Video was the home video division of German music company Bertelsmann Music Group. It functioned mainly as a general home video distributor. In 2004, BMG merged 50% of its music division with Sony Music Entertainment to form Sony BMG Music Entertainment, effectively rendering the company defunct.

1st Logo (1987-1990)

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Visuals: The screen zooms out from the "M" of the corporate BMG logo, with the "B" coming from the left and the "G" from the right, forming the wordmark on a white marble background. A small red triangle comes down from the top as well, placing itself to the top gap of the "M". Then, three red trapezoids, increasing in size, drop down onto the triangle, forming a bigger segmented triangle, while a red line emerges at the bottom of "BMG". Then, the letters of "VIDEO" flip in one-by-one, spaced out under the line.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A synth drone, followed by a clang and three slashes.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

• Check eBay or charity shops for VHS releases from the logo's timeframe that have the BMG Video label.

2nd Logo (1990-2003)

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Visuals: On a black background, a red segmented triangle "stretches" onto the screen. The letters "BMG" (in their corporate font) then zoom in underneath the triangle as its outline zooms up. "VIDEO" zooms out below, its outline also zooming out, and a dot of light comes in and draws a red line between "BMG" and "VIDEO".

Variants:

• In 1994, the logo was updated to match the company's branding: the triangle is no longer segmented, "VIDEO" is also in a different font, and the dot of light comes in a curvy path instead of a straight one. This, however, didn't apply to the variants described below.
• On some DVD releases, "VIDEO" is replaced with "SPECIAL PRODUCTS"; also in this variant, the word "DVD" (in the same color as "BMG" and "SPECIAL PRODUCTS") fades in while the line is drawn.
• Dutch releases replace "VIDEO" with "THE NETHERLANDS".

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A whoosh is heard when the triangle stretches and the letters zoom in. It is followed by a pounding backbeat when the outline for "BMG" takes off, then a synth choir and a "ding" as the red line is drawn.

Availability:

• It appears on many of their video and DVD releases such as The Mind's Eye films, The Wind in the Willows specials, and Cabbage Patch Kids tapes.
• It also appears on the 1996 UK VHS release of Street Sharks: Jawsome!
• This is also known to be on the Computer Animation Festival series and early prints of the Central Park Media release of Dominion Tank Police Act I, preceding the aforementioned company's logo.
• It also appears on music tapes, such as Meat Loaf Live.
• In Germany, some films distributed by Senator Film and Universum Film were distributed by BMG throughout the 1990s, including the Larry Clark film Kids and the animated film Felidae.
• Also, this logo appears on Firm workout video tapes and this logo was still inside those firm videos until Artisan bought the Firm brand.

3rd Logo (1995-2003)

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Visuals: On a black background, several gray beams appear before a red light briefly emits. A faded "B" flies onto the screen, then a series of faded "M"s before zooming out to reveal the "G" already placed in its position to form "BMG". The same triangle from before but without being segmented flies down above the "M". A line in the triangle's color fades in below "BMG", while the letters for "VIDEO" each turn from the left in the same color as "BMG" separated from each other.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A quiet fanfare followed by high-pitched metallic synth sounds the letters for "BMG" make when zooming. The fanfare then escalates loudly as this happens before it ends with a single drum note.

Availability:

• Found on some German DVD releases distributed by BMG such as Chicken Run.
• It was sighted on a bootleg VCD copy of Westlife Karaoke from the Philippines and was also seen on Australian Pingu tapes until sometime in 1997 or 1999.
• Also seen on original US releases of Magic Adventures of Mumfie: The Movie (now known as Mumfie's Quest: The Movie) and Cabbage Patch Kids and The Wind in the Willows tapes.
• On American releases, this logo often appears twice on the same tape, especially in Firm videos released with that logo before Artisan Entertainment bought the Firm brand and replacing that logo with the 4th one seen below.
• It also appears on the 1996 UK VHS release of Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat: Space-Time Twister and the 1997 UK VHS release of Emmerdale: The Dingles Down Under, respectively.

4th Logo (1997-2004)

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Visuals: On a navy blue/sky blue gradient background, a red triangle with silver edges comes spinning to the middle of the screen from the top left. Then, the text "BMG" in its corporate font, and a red line fly in underneath the triangle, forming the BMG logo. A shiny silver background flips in behind the logo, and after that, the text "VIDEO", in spaced-out black letters, flips in underneath one at a time. The logo shines.

Variants:

• There is no text at the bottom of the BMG logo on most international releases.
• On most American releases, the logo is shortened a bit.
• On some American releases, the logo begins when it's fully formed.
• On Mexican releases, the text "MEXICO" simply cuts in once the logo is fully formed.

Technique: CGI by Flip Your Lid Animation.

Audio: A synth brass theme combined with a brief THX-like whirr, ending in 3 synth-piano notes.

Audio Variant: On international releases, a different synth fanfare with several metallic notes is heard.

Availability:

• In the United States, it can be found on certain releases such as The Firm tapes (especially ones released by Artisan Entertainment), Reebok workout tapes and Cabbage Patch Kids tapes.
• Elsewhere it can be found on several VHS releases and Brazilian DVDs.
• On Reebok workout tapes, this logo can appear up to three times (firstly in the short variant, then the longer variant, and then the short variant again but silent).
  • On Power Blast, Rhythmic Power, Peak Strength and Long and Lean, the short variant appears but with the closing workout music.
  • A silent version is seen at the end of Intense Moves.
• On The Firm tapes distributed by Artisan Entertainment, the logo is both in the beginning and end. However, some tapes like Lower Body Shaping, Tough Cardio Mix, and 20 Questions About Fitness (Artisan release only) only have the logo in the end after the end credits.

5th Logo (2001?-2005)

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Visuals: There is a moving water surface, which frequently changes in lighting. A drip of water drops down and creates a ripple on the surface, from which the BMG logo appears. The BMG logo then slightly zooms in.

Technique: Mostly slow-motion live-action.

Audio: A synthesized sharp noise combine with long whooshes.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

• Check eBay or charity shops for DVD or VHS releases from the logo's timeframe that have the BMG Video label.