Ka 2

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Ka 2 started out in 1995 as a TV channel from Belgium. It has later gone in various name changes, those being Kanaal 2 in 1996, KANAALTWEE in 2003, 2BE in 2008, Q2 in 2016, and VTM 2 in 2020, which is currently being used.

Logo (1995-1996)


Note: The startup variant is seen in the first video around 0:30.

Visuals: On a black background, an explosion occurs from the right-hand side of the screen, bringing up fire, which then engulfs the screen. The screen fades to yellow, and the words "Dit is" appear in white. The background finally cuts to the Ka 2 logo from the time, which is two squares (one purple and one yellow), with a yellow "Ka" on the purple square (with the "K" being larger than the "a") and a purple "2" on the yellow square, on the original black background.

Variants:

  • A drastically different version of the logo was used for when the channel starts up for the day. The screen fades from the countdown screen, and the following details are shown:
    1. The "Ka" box from the normal variant (coloured differently, the text being red and the box being yellow) fading in on a black background, diagonally from the bottom right to top left
    2. A closeup of the number 2, coloured black, on a yellow background. The background flickers rapidly, like a candle would
    3. Flames emerging from the right of the screen on a black background
    4. An orange background submerged in water, with bubbles flowing from left to right
    5. Golden strips blowing, all attached to something. One of them blows off the screen to the left, revealing part of a purple-coloured "2" on a beige surface
    6. A blue background with a black right triangle (which is actually another closeup of the number 2). A light emerges from the point where B and C would meet on the triangle, and gets brighter until it engulfs the screen
    7. Another number 2, coloured yellow, on a black background. A light appears near the top of the "2" and, like the last sequence, engulfs the screen
    8. Streaks of fire emerging from the left, on a black background. This is played in reverse so that it flows into the proceeding image
    9. Golden ribbons (from the 5th image) calmly blowing in the wind on a black background from right to left
    10. Reversed footage of red paint being splashed onto a canvas with blue, yellow, and green paint
    11. A purple curtain being blown up to reveal a silver shaded background with the small "Ka" box in its normal colours to the left, and a much larger box to the right, with the golden ribbons attached to it and blowing harshly
    12. Reversed footage of yellow paint being splashed onto a canvas with blue and green paint (some of the blank canvas is still visible)
    13. A yellow background with bubbles flowing downward
    14. Reversed footage of purple paint being thrown on a canvas with red, blue, yellow, and green paint (actually part of the 10th sequence, after the red paint was splashed on)
    15. Reversed footage of bubbles flowing upward on a blue background
    16. A blue background with condensation on it. The screen zooms out to reveal it is a closeup of the "Ka" box (the "Ka" coloured yellow and the box coloured blue)
    17. A box exploding on a black background (similar to the normal variant)
    18. A black-coloured "2" on a yellow background. The background fades out and leaves the screen black for a second, but then comes back, albeit with the "2" coloured blue and the background black. The "2" flickers and the two switch colours before going back again
    19. Reversed footage of green paint being splashed onto a wall (with blue and pink paint) with a 3D "2" coloured with blue and yellow paint
    20. A thick, vertical yellow line on a black background. A light appears to the left of it
    21. The "Ka" box (coloured yellow and purple) on a black background with yellow ribbons blowing to the left
    22. Flames emerging from the left of the screen on a black background
    23. The "Ka" box and the other with the golden ribbons on it from the 11th segment, only this time almost all the ribbons have blown off, and they reveal a purple "2" on a beige surface (connecting the 5th image to this one)
    24. The normal footage of the 19th segment (green paint splashed onto the "2")
    25. The Ka 2 logo in white on the top left of the screen on a blue background. Suddenly, a colour-changing line rapidly draws itself all over the screen, and the background changes to black. Whenever the line hits the Ka 2 logo, the latter glows for a split second before returning to normal. The screen fades to black for a second shortly after.
    26. An explosion occurring in a room with several reflections around it
    27. Finally, half of the Ka 2 logo appears on a black background (the "Ka" box, the box being yellow and the text being red). An explosion is set off where the "2" box would be and engulfs the screen. The "2" box (the colours being inverted from the other box) fades in close to the screen and zooms out. The explosion fades and returns to the black background with the "Ka" box. The "2" box lands beside the other and flames emerge from underneath the former, still raging as this variant comes to an end.
  • In between commercial breaks, the 25th segment from the startup variant would appear. Going into the commercials, it would play in reverse, whilst coming back to the show, it would play as normal.
  • Before announcing the ''kultuuragenda'' (the cultural agenda), all the scenes related to the golden ribbons from the startup would play, in this order: 11, 5, 21, 9, 23. They are all extended to fit the pace of the introduction, whether by slowing them down or showing additional footage.
  • The closedown variant plays all the scenes related to paint from the startup (12, 19), with new footage not seen in the startup as well. It ends with reversed footage of blue paint being thrown (presumably from the can itself, because the quantity of the paint is much higher than the other variants) on the Ka 2 logo (the "Ka" coloured pink and the box coloured yellow, with the "2" box having inverted colours) on a white shaded background. The background then switches to a blue hue, tinting the logo in the process.
  • There were also variants used on their sister channel VTM that indicated what programming there was on their channel and which is very likely dependent on the season of the broadcast. The spring introductory variant introduces and ends the program schedule with electric flashes, the summer variant introduces it with a projected film of people on the beach attempting to start a fight and ends with a closeup of the projection, with the logo against a black background at the end.

Technique: Depending on the variant; normally live-action, sometimes 2D animation. These idents were made by Lambie-Nairn.

Audio: A dense choral theme, with two beatbox bass drum sounds at the end.

Audio Variants:

  • For the startup variant, an extended version of the theme is used, which sounds much more jumbled and avant-garde. Along with the choir, there are electronically modified soundbites of their vocals, being sped up, reversed, cut up rapidly and put through a filter to sound like a synthesizer. The theme comes to a stop several times before culminating in the normal theme. After this, an announcer says, "Dit is Kanaal 2. Dames en heren, goedenavond en welkom. Hoe ziet onze openingsavond eruit?" which translates to "This is Kanaal 2. Ladies and gentlemen, good evening, and welcome. What does our opening evening look like?". This is normally followed by the nighttime programming announcements or news broadcasts.
  • The "kultuuragenda" variant uses a much calmer theme that makes more usage of the female choir, complete with a piano.
  • The commercial break variant uses a 4-note theme done by the male choir, along with a synthesizer that accompanies the colour-changing line.
  • The closedown variant uses a portion of the startup theme, which ends with a short tribal drumbeat.
    • On one occasion, a note held by the female choir is heard after the logo cuts to black.
  • The VTM spring programming scheme variant has the sound of the sizzling of electricity and the VTM summer programming scheme variant has the sound of a projector.

Legacy: The opening variant is noted by the community for its bizarre nature, even to the point of being considered one of the scariest logos by some.

Ka 2
Kanaal 2
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