VCX

Background

VCX (Video Cassette X-Rated) is a pioneering adult video distributor formed in the late 1970s by Norman Arno, who had known connections to the Peraino crime family responsible for funding the production of the infamous 1972 porn chic hit Deep Throat. VCX transferred many adult films, such as Debbie Does Dallas, to VHS and Betamax in the early days of video. Some of these titles made it to Laserdisc through Image Entertainment. The company also made video history by being one of the first to market and sell blank video cassettes (with the VCX brand) in partnership with TDK. Today, VCX still exists, albeit under different ownership, specializing in repackaging the "classics" of the VCX library to DVD.

Logo (1978-Late 1990s)

1978-1983 (A)
1978-1983 (B)

1983-1990s (A)
1983-1990s (B)

Visuals:

On a space background, nothing happens for 9 seconds. Then, the letters "V" in red, "C" in yellow, and "X" in blue zoom out with trail effects. A flash brings forth them in silver, and a yellow spark wipes in the words "THE FINEST IN VIDEO CASSETTES" as the letters sparkle. Then the whole thing zooms in off-screen and the VCX logo zooms in, which is 2 black chevrons forming a "X" with a red triangle in between the top section (like the VCII logo, but with complete chevrons.), all surrounded in an orange aura. The same phrase zooms in below and a copyright date appears below.
In 1983, the logo was changed quite a bit. In the beginning, the words "the future is..." fade in. The text fades out. The letter animation is now repeated twice, and the comet now wipes in "...is the future", with a noticeable freeze-frame. The logo then fades out and then the 2nd half plays as normal, but the VCX logo is smaller and the words "THE FINEST IN ADULT ENTERTAINMENT" fly in from the bottom. A copyright date appears in later versions.

Variants:

A version exists where the colors are switched, with the text in orange and the glow in blue.
Sometime in the mid-to-late 90s however, a version would omit the second half of the animation with a chyron screen on a blue background (looking like a VCR menu of the time) with the address and URL of VCX.

Technique: Camera-controlled animation.

Audio: A stock track composed by Keith Mansfield known as "World Champion" used in other places such as the late 70s CTV Special Presentation bumper and some Argentinian TV station IDs. Later videos used a deep 4-note synth tune that repeats itself for the whole duration, plus some whirring sounds when the letters animate, and a space-like synth flourish for the ending. Some versions of this logo have a female announcer saying "This is a VCX presentation".

Availability: VHS tapes from the company continued to have this logo up into the late 90s. The version with "World Champion" should be easier to come by as it was the "theme" for VCX during much of its history. VCX still exists as a company to this day, specializing in re-releases of 70s/80s adult film classics on DVD, touting itself as "Home of the Classics." However, they utilize a different logo animation. This is also on a few mainstream (read: R-rated) tapes from VCX, including Stamping Ground, a concert film featuring, among others, Pink Floyd and Santana.