Draft:Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO)

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum



Background

Video Instant Picture Company (VIPCO) was a video company that was best known for distributing obscure and cult horror films as well being the leading distributor of the video nasties/pre-cert era and previously banned films in the UK. It was founded by Mike Lee in the late 70s as "VIPC". The company was infamously known for several video nasties such as Zombie Flesh Eaters. In the 2000s, VIPCO began to re-release many films to DVD in the UK that were previously banned by the BBFC. The original company became defunct in 2007. Fifteen years later, in 2022, BayView Entertainment acquired the name for its horror production and distribution company.



1st Logo (December 1980-2005?)


Visuals: On a black/dark blue starry background, there is a spinning globe in the center of the screen. A pink ring is then seen spinning horizontally on the globe and the ring turns into a green ring after spinning around once and then spins again to turn back into a pink ring and then the globe fades out and after that the pink ring spins yet again to turn back into a green ring and then the spins one more time but leaving a trail of every frame when spinning around. After spinning one more time, two thicker white rings appear from the ring and zoom out from the center to the sides of the ring with both of the rings happening to leave a trail of every frame while zooming out with the left ring having a green trail and the right having a pink trail while the big green ring in the center fades out. After the white rings completely zoom out the white text "VIPCO" appears between both the rings while glowing up in pink. Then a reel pops outside the "VIPCO" text with the white rings now as spools. The text then stops glowing and pink text zooms out to the logo leaving a delayed trail with the text on the top of the logo "Video Instant" and the text on the bottom of the logo "Picture Company".

Technique: 2D animation.

Trivia: The company was originally named "VIPC" but customers often misread the trademark "VIPC" surrounded by the spools of a videocassette as "VIPCO". As a result, the company decided to change it to VIPCO instead.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on many of their infamous pre-cert releases of many cult classics horrors starting with Zombie Flesh Eaters, Island of Mutations, Psychic Killer, and Immoral in December 1980. Then all of their pre-cert releases in 1981 starting with Starcrash, The Diamond Mercenaries, When a Woman Is In Love, The Three Musketeers, Hussy, Rise and Fall of Idi Amin, The Legacy, The Bogey Man, The Invincible Iron Palm, Breaker! Breaker!, Nightkill, Beyond Kill, Fight for Freedom, Hey Abbott!, Werewolf of Washington, Smokey & the Judge, the second release of Zombie Flesh Eaters, Shogun Assassin, and Black Fist. Then pre-cert releases in 1982 starting with Big Boss 2, King Frat, The Driller Killer, Circle of Two, The Pacific Connection, Kill Squad, Invaders of the Lost Gold, Death Trap, The Slayer, Blood Bride, War Devils, A Time to Die, Deception, The Groove Tube, Savage Intruder, Andy Warhol's Frankenstein, The Nesting. Then the pre-cert release in 1983 starting with Lady Ice, Andy Warhol's Dracula, High Noon II - The Return of Will Kane, Dark Sanity, The Deadly Spawn, Double Jeopardy, Night Beast, Execution, Black Jack, The Kid with the Broken Halo, The Lazarus Syndrome, The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, Portrait of Hit Man, Massacre Mansion. Then the last pre-cert release of the company in 1984 The Evil Force,

2nd Logo (2000-2004)


Visuals: Unknown

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A mix of audio clips from various movies from Vipco's Vaults of Horror collection.

Availability: It was only used for Vipco's Vaults of Horror DVDs.

3rd Logo (December 13, 2022-)

Visuals: An inactive TV screen is shown on a desk in a dark room. As the TV turns on, static displays within the tube, and later the VIPCO logo from before alongside play overlays. The static gradually decreases and stabilizes until the end, when the screen turns off.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Cold and dark ambience plays in the background, which is later joined by the screen turning on, and later off, alongside ominous static for a few seconds.

Availability: The logo debuted on the digital and home media releases of The Last Slay Ride and 13 Tracks to Frighten Agatha Black. It has later appeared on films released under this banner.

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