Vision Video Ltd.: Difference between revisions

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Background

In July 1991, GE Capital bought out Virgin's stake in Virgin Video, and the company was renamed itself in July 1992 as Vision Video Ltd. In January 1993, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment acquired the company and its operations merged with its home entertainment arm PolyGram Video. Vision Video Ltd. was retained as a label of PolyGram Video that dealt with budget VHS releases, similar to their existing 4Front Video.

On December 10, 1998, Polygram Filmed Entertainment was sold to Seagram & Sons (the former owner of Universal Pictures which is now part of NBCUniversal). In 1999, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library, including the Virgin Vision/MCEG/Palace library and placed it under its Orion Pictures subsidiary. As for Vision Video Ltd. itself, the label continued to be used for budget releases after the rebranding of PolyGram Video UK as Universal Pictures Video UK, and soon expanded to budget DVDs as well. The label was fully retired by the beginning of 2004.

Currently, the film assets of the company are owned by MGM, while Universal Pictures UK owns the rest of the business.

Logo (Fall 1992-2003)

Visuals: The sequence starts with an orange background, which the camera quickly pans out to reveal that it's part of a large scribble resembling a tornado on a dark blue space. Lightning strikes a spot on it as a rough black pillar with a diagonally-cut top, starts to rise from the ground, electricity surrounding the pillar as well. The camera continues to rotate and tilt upwards as the pillar causes bolts of lightning to shoot out from it, summoning two more pillars that resemble itself to rise out and conduct more electricity. As the camera settles into place, more bolts from outside of the screen come in before one final bolt shoots across the screen, producing a white flash and transforming the three pillars into a 2D drawing, their shadows forming "VVL". Then three more small bolts come down to strike the white text "VISION VIDEO LTD.", which just faded in, to slightly cause them to shine, and the last bits of electricity die down.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A dramatic synthesised fanfare plays while the black pillars rise from the orange scribble, ending in a final chord when the lightning strikes. After that, an eerie synth piece is heard in the background. All composed using the Roland S-50.

Availability:

Seen on UK VHS releases by the company from the time-period, such as Laurel and Hardy.
During the PolyGram/Universal era, this logo is also seen on several budget UK VHS releases, such as the 1999 UK VHS release of Sherlock Holmes In The 22nd Century.
- It is also preserved on the 1998 UK promotional VHS release of Torvill & Dean: Behind the Ice Adventures, the 1998 UK VHS release of The Ultimate Comedy Collection, and the 1999 UK VHS releases of Billy Connolly: Live 99, Once Upon a Time in Letterland, and Letterland: Detective Dippy Duck, respectively, among others.
- It is also seen at the start of the 1998 UK VHS release of Letterland: A Christmas Story before the Astrion logo.
It is also preserved on select budget DVD releases as well (following Universal's 1997 logo), namely releases of stand-up comedy shows such as Harry Hill: First Class Scamp, various Billy Connolly releases, Lee Evans: Live at Wembley, and Peter Kay: Live from the Top of the Tower, British television shows such as various The Vicar of Dibley releases, and documentaries such as ABBA: The Winner Takes it All.
- However, when compared to VHS releases, the VVL print logo appearing on the packaging may not always guarantee an appearance. Most VVL DVD releases (eg, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Cubix: Robots for Everyone! - The Unfixable Robot and Laurel and Hardy: The Music Box) only contain Universal's 1997 logo at the beginning (or for Brotherhood of the Wolf, the StudioCanal logo as well).
- It also strangely shows up on the 2003 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? DVD Game (one of the last original releases with this logo), although the print logo doesn't appear anywhere on the packaging.
- Strangely, this logo is also intact on the 2007 UK DVD release of The Vicar of Dibley: The Ultimate Collection, following the 1997 Universal Pictures logo.

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 ===Background===
 In July 1991, GE Capital bought out Virgin's stake in [[Virgin Video]], and the company was renamed itself in July 1992 as '''Vision Video Ltd.''' In January 1993, [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]] acquired the company and its operations merged with its home entertainment arm [[PolyGram Video]]. Vision Video Ltd. was retained as a label of PolyGram Video that dealt with budget VHS releases, similar to their existing [[4Front Video]].
-On December 10, 1998, Polygram Filmed Entertainment was sold to Seagram & Sons (the former owner of [[Universal Pictures]] which is now part of NBCUniversal). In 1999, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] acquired the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library, including the Virgin Vision/MCEG/Palace library and placed it under its [[Orion Pictures]] subsidiary. As for Vision Video Ltd. itself, the label continued to be used for budget releases after the rebranding of PolyGram Video UK as Universal Pictures UK, and soon expanded to budget DVDs as well until it was fully retired.
+On December 10, 1998, Polygram Filmed Entertainment was sold to Seagram & Sons (the former owner of [[Universal Pictures]] which is now part of NBCUniversal). In 1999, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] acquired the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library, including the Virgin Vision/MCEG/Palace library and placed it under its [[Orion Pictures]] subsidiary. As for Vision Video Ltd. itself, the label continued to be used for budget releases after the rebranding of PolyGram Video UK as Universal Pictures Video UK, and soon expanded to budget DVDs as well. The label was fully retired by the beginning of 2004.
 Currently, the film assets of the company are owned by MGM, while Universal Pictures UK owns the rest of the business.
 ===Logo (Fall 1992-2003)===
 [[File:Vision Video Ltd. (Fall 1992-2003).jpeg|center|350px]]
 {{YouTube|id=36CpQQntYBA|id2=BNb1QdfLM3s|id3=iGN2bmYl_z0}}
-'''Visuals:''' On an {{color|orange}} background, which the camera quickly pans out to reveal that it's part of a large scribble resembling a tornado on a {{color|darkblue|dark blue}} space, lightning strikes a spot on it as a rough black pillar with a diagonally-cut top, starts to rise from the ground, electricity surrounding the pillar as well. The camera continues to rotate and tilt upwards as the pillar causes bolts of lightning to shoot out from it, summoning 2 more pillars that resemble itself to rise out and conduct more electricity. As the camera settles into place, more bolts from outside of the screen come in before one final bolt shoots across the screen, producing a white flash and transforming the 3 pillars into a 2D drawing, their shadows forming "'''VVL'''". Then three more small bolts come down to strike the white text "VISION VIDEO LTD.", which just faded in, to slightly cause them to shine, and the last bits of electricity die down.
+'''Visuals:''' The sequence starts with an {{color|orange}} background, which the camera quickly pans out to reveal that it's part of a large scribble resembling a tornado on a {{color|darkblue|dark blue}} space. Lightning strikes a spot on it as a rough black pillar with a diagonally-cut top, starts to rise from the ground, electricity surrounding the pillar as well. The camera continues to rotate and tilt upwards as the pillar causes bolts of lightning to shoot out from it, summoning two more pillars that resemble itself to rise out and conduct more electricity. As the camera settles into place, more bolts from outside of the screen come in before one final bolt shoots across the screen, producing a white flash and transforming the three pillars into a 2D drawing, their shadows forming "'''VVL'''". Then three more small bolts come down to strike the white text "VISION VIDEO LTD.", which just faded in, to slightly cause them to shine, and the last bits of electricity die down.
 '''Technique:''' CGI.
@@ Line 17: / Line 19: @@
 '''Availability:'''
-* Appears on UK VHS releases from the company such as ''Laurel and Hardy''.
+* Seen on UK VHS releases by the company from the time-period, such as ''Laurel and Hardy''.
-* During the PolyGram/Universal era, this was used on several budget UK VHS releases such as the 1999 UK VHS release of ''Sherlock Holmes In The 22nd Century'', and also later appeared on budget UK DVD releases as well.
+* During the PolyGram/Universal era, this logo is also seen on several budget UK VHS releases, such as the 1999 UK VHS release of ''Sherlock Holmes In The 22nd Century''.
-* This logo also appears on a 1998 UK promotional VHS release of ''Torvill & Dean: Behind the Ice Adventures'', the 1998 UK VHS release of ''The Ultimate Comedy Collection'', and the 1999 UK VHS release of ''Billy Connolly: Live 99'', respectively, among others.
+** It is also preserved on the 1998 UK promotional VHS release of ''Torvill & Dean: Behind the Ice Adventures'', the 1998 UK VHS release of ''The Ultimate Comedy Collection'', and the 1999 UK VHS releases of ''Billy Connolly: Live 99'', ''Once Upon a Time in Letterland'', and ''Letterland: Detective Dippy Duck'', respectively, among others.
+** It is also seen at the start of the 1998 UK VHS release of ''Letterland: A Christmas Story'' before the [[Astrion]] logo.
-* One of the last releases to feature this logo was the 2003 ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' DVD Game (although it doesn't appear anywhere on the packaging).
+* It is also preserved on select budget DVD releases as well (following Universal's 1997 logo), namely releases of stand-up comedy shows such as ''Harry Hill: First Class Scamp'', various Billy Connolly releases, ''Lee Evans: Live at Wembley'', and ''Peter Kay: Live from the Top of the Tower'', British television shows such as various ''The Vicar of Dibley'' releases, and documentaries such as ''ABBA: The Winner Takes it All''.
-* Strangely, this logo also appears on the 2007 UK DVD release of ''The Vicar of Dibley: The Ultimate Collection'', after the 1997 [[Universal Pictures]] logo.
+** However, when compared to VHS releases, the VVL print logo appearing on the packaging may not always guarantee an appearance. Most VVL DVD releases (eg, ''Brotherhood of the Wolf'', ''Cubix: Robots for Everyone! - The Unfixable Robot'' and ''Laurel and Hardy: The Music Box'') only contain Universal's 1997 logo at the beginning (or for ''Brotherhood of the Wolf'', the [[StudioCanal]] logo as well).
+** It also strangely shows up on the 2003 ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' DVD Game (one of the last original releases with this logo), although the print logo doesn't appear anywhere on the packaging.
+** Strangely, this logo is also intact on the 2007 UK DVD release of ''The Vicar of Dibley: The Ultimate Collection'', following the 1997 [[Universal Pictures]] logo.
+==See Also==
+*[[Vision Video Ltd. (Warning Screens)]]
 {{chronology|[[Virgin Video]]|[[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment]]}}
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 [[Category:United Kingdom]]
 [[Category:Home entertainment logos]]
-[[Category:United States]]
-[[Category:American home entertainment logos]]
 [[Category:Universal]]
 [[Category:NBCUniversal]]
 [[Category:Comcast]]
-[[Category:British film logos]]
-[[Category:Film logos]]