First Look Studios

Background

First Look Pictures was formed in 1993 as the North American distribution unit of Overseas Filmgroup, a Los Angeles-based film company that was established in the early 1980s. In January 2001, as part of a restructuring, the companies formed a holding company known as First Look Media (not to be confused with the news organization of the same name). In July 2005, First Look Media merged with Capital Entertainment into First Look Studios. It eventually acquired the Californian home distribution company Ventura Distribution in 2006. In 2010, First Look went bankrupt. The sister company Millennium Films acquired the film library and all assets of First Look, eventually being reorganized as a full-on distribution company itself. In 2015, Millennium Entertainment was renamed to Alchemy. Sometime afterwards, Alchemy folded.

1st Logo (August 25, 1994-2001)

• 
• 

Logo: We see a light blue stylized "F" made of two triangles. The words "FIRST LOOK PICTURES", each below the other, appear one after one. Below is the byline "A Division of Overseas Filmgroup".

Variant: There is a variant with the "F" in the center, "FIRST LOOK PICTURES" above, and "RELEASING" below.

Technique: The words appearing.

Music/Sounds: An orchestra winding up with a "Ahem!" and a ding, or none.

Availability: Extremely rare. Appears on Mesmer, A Map of the World, Party Girl, Antonia's Line, and other films; some international releases contain the Overseas logo.

2nd Logo (2001-2006)

• 
• 
• 

Logo: We see light blinks on a small glass sphere. It zooms out and being cut in half, along with the distorted triangle to the left. The words "FIRST LOOK" with "MEDIA" appear below.

Variants: There's a variant in which "PICTURES" or "INTERNATIONAL" (for international distribution prints starting in 2003; formerly Overseas Filmgroup) appears in place of "MEDIA". This version has the byline, "A Division of First Look Media" below.

Technique: The glass lens effects and lights, probably with some live action.

Music/Sounds: Soft chime bell sounds or none.

Availability: Can be seen on films such as Doctor Sleep (not to be confused with the 2019 film), Epicenter, Elling, Skins and Lawless Heart. This also plasters or (not often) precedes the Overseas Filmgroup logo on recent domestic prints of its films.

3rd Logo (2006-2010)

• 
• 

Logo: We see an image of a sea at sunrise with clouds moving. Then, the area around the screen darkens, and a bright flash occurs as it goes into an image of a green eye. The lens flare moves off to the right as "FIRST LOOK STUDIOS" fades in above and below, respectively.

Variant: There's a variant in which "PICTURES" appears in place of "STUDIOS". This is usually seen on trailers.

Technique: The sea, the clouds moving, the lens flaring.

Music/Sounds: A short piano tune that ends in a 5-note orchestral fanfare.

Music/Sounds Variant: On Aqua Team Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters, the opening theme of the movie is heard.

Availability: Can be seen on films produced by them from the era. The Pictures variant made a surprise appearance on Aqua Team Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters.