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{{PageCredits|description=mr3urious and Blue2000|edits=Blue2000|capture=Eric S., FLEMISHDOG and silkdog|video=Eric S., thevideorewind, James Bushnell and DudeThatLogo}}
==Background==
'''Vision Video Ltd.''' was a British home video distributor and former production company that was founded in the early 1980s as Virgin Video. In July 1989 the company was acquired by Jonathan D. Krane's [[Management Company Entertainment Group]] from the Virgin Group and renamed it to Virgin Vision. However MCEG was filed in chapter 11 bankruptcy as they sold 85% of the company to GE Capital with the remaining 15% stake acquired by the Virgin Group but then it later sold the remaining 15% to GE Capital making it full ownership of Virgin Vision. The company scaled down it's operations to video distribution only in the UK and GE Capital later renamed the company to Vision Video Ltd. However in early 1991, GE Capital announced that Vision Video Ltd. (at that time Virgin Vision) was up for sale and in January 1993 [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (UK)|PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]] had acquired the company with it's operations merged with it's home entertainment arm [[PolyGram Video (UK)|PolyGram Video]] making it a label. But in December 10, 1998 Polygram was sold to Seagram & Sons (the former owner of [[Universal Pictures]] which is now part of NBCUniversal). Currently [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] owns the majority of Vision Video's library through the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library which had brought back in 1999.


==Virgin Video==
===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]].
===1st Logo (1981-1986)===
[[File:GW272H207.png|300px|center]]
{{YouTube|id=KiIOyPq9J-g}}


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.
'''Nickname:''' "The Gongman"


Currently, the film assets of the company are owned by MGM, while Universal Pictures UK owns the rest of the business.
'''Logo:''' We see a muscular, shirtless man hitting a vinyl record labeled with the Virgin logo on it, as if it were a gong (like [[The Rank Organisation (UK)|Rank]] logo). It explodes and as the pieces fly away, sparks appear and white the familiar "Virgin" logo which is stylized for a moment before flashing to it's normal corporate font. The text "'''''FILMS'' and ''VIDEO'''''", stacked appear on the bottom right of "Virgin", and "'''''presents'''''" fades in underneath. All the text is in white.


===Logo (Fall 1992-2003)===
'''Variants:''' In an extended version we see the man from before about to hit the record again now in gold, but it shakes and he runs away as an airplane comes crashing though it. We pan across the puzzled man as the airplane makes smoke trials that form the normal "Virgin" text which flashes as the stacked text "''FILMS PRESENTS''" appears below it.
[[File:Vision Video Ltd. (Fall 1992-2003).jpeg|center|350px]]
{{YouTube|id=36CpQQntYBA|id2=BNb1QdfLM3s|id3=iGN2bmYl_z0}}


'''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.
'''FX/SFX:''' The man hitting the vinyl record and breaking it into pieces then the sparks appearing from the Virgin logo, the Virgin logo writing itself in and flashing, and the text appearing.


'''Technique:''' CGI.
'''Music/Sounds:''' Silence, or the opening theme of the movie


'''Audio:''' A dramatic synthesised fanfare plays while the black pillars rise from the {{color|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:''' Depending on the variant:
* Normal: Very rare. Appears on some very early pre-cert concert VHS releases from this time period such as ''Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - The Best of OMD''.
* Extended: Ultra rare. The variant only appears on older international prints of ''Electric Dreams'' and retained on the 1984 UK VHS from the company although some releases plaster it with the next logo while the US release plasters it with the 1984 [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios|MGM/UA Entertainment Co.]] "Diamond Jubilee" logo.


'''Editor's Note:''' None.
'''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.


==See Also==
===2nd Logo (1982-1986)===
*[[Vision Video Ltd. (Warning Screens)]]
{{YouTube|id=bWgqwp_VymM}}

'''Nickname:''' "Virgin From Hell"

'''Logo:''' Against a black background the word "Virgin" (in red and in the thinner variant of it's corporate script font) zooms out from the top left of the screen with a residue-trailing effect and stops in the center of the screen and then flashes. Then the following text "VIDEO" which is in a small plain font zooms out from the bottom right corner of the logo with another residue-trailing effect then it also stops and flashes. It later fades out as a glowing text "Presents" fades in.

'''Variants:'''
* On some releases like ''NOW Music'' and at the end of some like ''Rupert and the Frog Song'' the text "Presents" isn't shown. In addition the logo stays on-screen longer because of it.
* On ''UB40: Labour of Love'' when the logo fades out "Presents" is nowhere to be seen.
* A variant for theatrical movies where it reads "FILMS" instead of "VIDEO". The colours are much darker in this version so it makes it look orange than red.
* Another theatrical variant reads entirely in white "Virgin FILMS PRESENT".

'''FX/SFX:''' The trailing effects with computer graphics.

===3rd Logo (1986-1992)===
<gallery mode=packed heights=200>
File:GW282H212.jpg
File:GW263H211.jpg
</gallery>
{{YouTube|id=KF7fnvLgAEk|id2=PoqjBdYtQSw}}

'''Nickname:''' "The Beams"

'''Logo:''' On a black background a set of revolving tri-colored light beams (which are Red, Blue and Green) shoot out towards the screen and bounced back and forth three times in a backwards "Z" formation. As it hits the center various circles wipe in to form the Virgin logo, glowing various colors as it rotates upward. Then a light glows under it and fully turns into white circles forming the logo as it's signature red color wipes over the circles. The light then engulfs the background becoming blue followed by white and then mostly blue.

'''Variants:'''
* In the United States and Canada, a different end result is used with slightly cheaper animation, a blue background and drop shadow on the Virgin logo and "VISION" sandwiched on two red lines.
* There is another version exists where the logo is already formed then it shines twice
* A filmed version also exists.

'''FX/SFX:''' The light beams and the logo turning upwards, and the coloring which are very nice computer effects from the '80s.

'''Music/Sounds:''' A sound of synthesised horn notes accompanied by chimes as the beams bounce around a decent synthesise sound when the logo rises up played over a synth horn and at the end we hear strings when "Virgin" fills red.

'''Music/Sounds Variant:''' On some tapes the jingle ends rather quickly than usual.

'''Availability:''' More common than the previous logo. Seen on VHS releases of films such as ''Retribution'', ''Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II'', ''Edge of Sanity'', ''Checking Out'', ''How to Get Ahead in Advertising'', ''Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills'', ''The Banker'', ''Fear (1988)'', ''The Rosary Murders'' and ''Destroyer'' among others. Also seen on British tapes of ''Paris by Night'', ''RoboCop'', ''The Terminator'', and ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie'' among others. Also in Canada some tapes from this company show the [[Cineplex Odeon Video (Canada)|Cineplex Odeon Video]] before this logo even some from [[M.C.E.G. Virgin Home Entertainment|MCEG Virgin]] including ''Slipstream''. Likewise on some tapes in Argentina the [[Transmundo Home Video (Argentina)|Transmundo Home Video]] would appear before this logo and ([[Management Company Entertainment Group|MCEG]]'s on PAL tapes. In the UK you will also see the MCEG logo before this (International) logo on some tapes from 1989 until it's rebranding in 1992. It also appeared on the Canadian VHS of ''Communion'', after the Cineplex Odeon Home Video logo and before the MCEG Virgin logo.

'''Editor's Note:''' None.

==Vision Video Ltd.==
===(1994-2003)===
[[File:47Lbi9gGx5uUM7cT2azxmg14010.jpeg|center|350px]]
{{youtube|id=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36CpQQntYBA}}
'''Logo:''' From black, in a story exture the camera pans away from an orange background to reveal it is actually an orange scribble reminiscent of a tornado on a dark blue background. Then two white lighting bolts strike as the middle black pillar emerge and rises from the middle of the scribble with electric shocks around it. Then the pillar shoots lightning and two dinagical black pillars then emerges from the bolts rising from the left and right respectively as the camera continues to pan away from the orange scribble. When the camera is nearly at bird's eye view, the three pillars get struck by a flash of lightning as the text "VISION VIDEO LTD" fades in below the bottom of the screen and the pillars stopped rising and now gained shadows to form the initials 'VVL'.

'''FX/SFX:''' The pillars rising, the electricity, and the background. All CGI effects.

'''Music/Sounds:''' A dramatic 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.

'''Availability''': Extinct in the UK - Can be seen on all VHS releases from VVL. For its final few years in service, this logo would follow after the [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] logo - this logo can be found on Universal's budget VHS releases.

'''Editor's Note:''' The dramatic fanfare and hit can get to some people - but otherwise it's harmless.


{{chronology|[[Virgin Video]]|[[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment]]}}
{{Navbox-Comcast}}{{Home Entertainment-Navbox}}
{{Navbox-Comcast}}{{Home Entertainment-Navbox}}
[[Category:British home entertainment logos]]
[[Category:British home entertainment logos]]
[[Category:British logos]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Home entertainment logos]]
[[Category:Home entertainment logos]]
[[Category:Universal]]
[[Category:Universal]]

Latest revision as of 22:37, 20 June 2024


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.

See Also

Virgin Video
Vision Video Ltd.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
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