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Warner Home Video
Compiled by Matt Williams and James Stanley Barr
Logo captures by Bigrene2, Eric S. and Wisp2007
Editions by V of Doom
Background: Originally known as WCI Home Video (for Warner Communications, Inc.), this is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of TimeWarner, founded in 1978 to distribute on video the film and television library of Warner Bros. Studios mainly, as well as programs from other Time Warner companies. Currently, they also serve distributor for television and/or movie product released by BBC, Lifetime, Cartoon Network, Turner Entertainment Co., Court TV (now TruTV), TNT, National Geographic Society in the U.S., and product from the NBA, NFL, and NHL.
1st Logo
(1978-1981)
Nickname: "The Big \\'"
Logo: We start out with a *VERY BIG* \\' logo (that is white with a blue "tube") that fills the entire screen. It then zooms back slightly. Then above the logo, the words "WCI HOME VIDEO" between two horizontal lines appear, followed by a much smaller \\' logo besides "A Warner Communications Company". The logo fades from black after the standard FBI Warning Screen and has a more-grainy film like quality to it. The W logo is slightly smaller than on the later Warner Home Video version of the logo.
FX/Cheesy Factor: The "zooming out" of the logo, not to mention the film scratches.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Most WCI releases went straight from the Warning screen to the movie with the Warner Bros., Orion, or First Artists logo in use at the time. Few WCI VHS releases have this including Every Which Way But Loose and Magnum Force with Clint Eastwood and Bullitt with Steve McQueen. The first WCI release was The Wild Bunch. Also seen on 1980-81 WHV releases.
Scare Factor: Low; the fade from black to the logo may startle you.
2nd Logo
(1981-1985)
Nickname: "The Big \\' II"
Logo: Same as #1, except the logo is better quality, with ''WCI HOME VIDEO'' replaced by ''WARNER HOME VIDEO'', and the FBI Warning Screen now cuts directly to this logo. The \\" logo is a little bigger as well.
FX/Cheesy Factor: Same as #1, minus the film scratches.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Seen on Warner Home Video releases of the era. These releases are not very easy to spot execpt for some because they were released in clamshell packaging, with some videos from 1984-1985 released in cardboard jackets. The last release to use this logo was Gremlins. Surprisingly, according to jakestooge34 on YouTube, this appeared on the 1990 reprint of Ensign Pulver.
Scare Factor: Minimal to low; the transition from the FBI Warning screen to this logo is sudden and jarring, but this logo is otherwise harmless.
3rd Logo
(1985-1997)
Nickname: "The Cheesy Shield"
Logo: Over a time-lapsed animation of clouds, the camera zooms out between the tops of some gold-colored letters and the bottom of what appears to be a line, which is also gold. The camera then zooms out and the logo turns towards us, revealing that it is the words "WARNER HOME VIDEO" with two lines above it and two lines below it. It then zooms out to the bottom of the screen, followed by a giant WB Shield logo appearing from the top of the screen, slightly tilted to the bottom, then rotating to face us. The Warner disclaimer fades in at the bottom of the screen. "Sparkles" appear and white "reflections" appear on the logo.
Variant: There exists a rare still version of the logo, which can be found on certain Kidsongs videos and Batman Returns.
Bylines: This logo had several different bylines on the bottom of the screen, although most releases outside the US or some releases didn't have a byline.
FX: The "time-lapse" cloud animation, WB shield rotating into place.
Cheesy Factor: Relatively primitive CGI along with the "time-lapse" cloud animation. Cheap synth theme as well. The freeze frame on the still version looks cheap too.
Music/Sounds: A proud, bombastic synthesized theme that really fit the logo. This is a synthesized version of Warner Bros.' 1936 theatrical fanfare. As a sidenote, a lusher orchestrated theme with the same notes as the HV logo was briefly used as the fanfare for the movie WB shield when it returned to usage in 1984. Silent for the still version.
Availability: Seen on every Warner Home Video release from 1985 to 1997, beginning with Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Note that the current print logo is seen on 1996-1997 tapes, but still use this logo, however it also still uses the commonly seen "DIGITALLY PROCESSED" text on the side of the packaging, so this logo is an easy find. A example that has this logo is Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the bombastic music and primitive CGI may scare some, but this logo is a favorite of many. None for the still version.
4th Logo
(1997- )
Nicknames: "CGI Invisible/Visible Shield", "Boring Shield", "Shield of Boredom"
Logo: Against a backdrop of clouds, a clear WB shield with a wordless banner slowly fades into view. Then the words "WARNER HOME VIDEO" are wiped onto the banner as the colors slowly appear on the shield.
Byline: From 2001-2002, the byline "An AOL Time Warner Company" was seen below the logo. The shield is a bit smaller in this version.
Variant: In 1998, like other Warner labels, a 75th Anniversary version was made. This used a smaller shield with the banner reading "WARNER BROS.", and featured a giant 75 behind it. "YEARS ENTERTAINING THE WORLD" is seen below.
FX/Cheesy Factor: A simple, effective logo animation; nothing really cheesy except for the "wiping" on of the "WARNER HOME VIDEO" text.
Music/Sounds: A quiet piano tune.
Availability: Currently in use (and easy to get bored with when seeing it so many times). Don't expect this on 1996-1997 WHV tapes, as the print version of this logo was introduced in 1996, and those tapes contain the previous logo, but you should also expect the "DIGITALLY PROCESSED" text on the side of its packaging, so the previous logo is an easy find. The first videos that had this logo were A Time to Kill, the 1997 reissue of Scooby-Doo Goes Hollywood and others.
Scare Factor: None; this is a clean (and BORING) logo. But it's annoying for those who like the previous logo.
Logo captures by Bigrene2, Eric S. and Wisp2007
Editions by V of Doom
Background: Originally known as WCI Home Video (for Warner Communications, Inc.), this is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of TimeWarner, founded in 1978 to distribute on video the film and television library of Warner Bros. Studios mainly, as well as programs from other Time Warner companies. Currently, they also serve distributor for television and/or movie product released by BBC, Lifetime, Cartoon Network, Turner Entertainment Co., Court TV (now TruTV), TNT, National Geographic Society in the U.S., and product from the NBA, NFL, and NHL.
1st Logo
(1978-1981)
Nickname: "The Big \\'"
Logo: We start out with a *VERY BIG* \\' logo (that is white with a blue "tube") that fills the entire screen. It then zooms back slightly. Then above the logo, the words "WCI HOME VIDEO" between two horizontal lines appear, followed by a much smaller \\' logo besides "A Warner Communications Company". The logo fades from black after the standard FBI Warning Screen and has a more-grainy film like quality to it. The W logo is slightly smaller than on the later Warner Home Video version of the logo.
FX/Cheesy Factor: The "zooming out" of the logo, not to mention the film scratches.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Most WCI releases went straight from the Warning screen to the movie with the Warner Bros., Orion, or First Artists logo in use at the time. Few WCI VHS releases have this including Every Which Way But Loose and Magnum Force with Clint Eastwood and Bullitt with Steve McQueen. The first WCI release was The Wild Bunch. Also seen on 1980-81 WHV releases.
Scare Factor: Low; the fade from black to the logo may startle you.
2nd Logo
(1981-1985)
Nickname: "The Big \\' II"
FX/Cheesy Factor: Same as #1, minus the film scratches.
Music/Sounds: None.
Availability: Seen on Warner Home Video releases of the era. These releases are not very easy to spot execpt for some because they were released in clamshell packaging, with some videos from 1984-1985 released in cardboard jackets. The last release to use this logo was Gremlins. Surprisingly, according to jakestooge34 on YouTube, this appeared on the 1990 reprint of Ensign Pulver.
Scare Factor: Minimal to low; the transition from the FBI Warning screen to this logo is sudden and jarring, but this logo is otherwise harmless.
3rd Logo
(1985-1997)
Nickname: "The Cheesy Shield"
Logo: Over a time-lapsed animation of clouds, the camera zooms out between the tops of some gold-colored letters and the bottom of what appears to be a line, which is also gold. The camera then zooms out and the logo turns towards us, revealing that it is the words "WARNER HOME VIDEO" with two lines above it and two lines below it. It then zooms out to the bottom of the screen, followed by a giant WB Shield logo appearing from the top of the screen, slightly tilted to the bottom, then rotating to face us. The Warner disclaimer fades in at the bottom of the screen. "Sparkles" appear and white "reflections" appear on the logo.
Variant: There exists a rare still version of the logo, which can be found on certain Kidsongs videos and Batman Returns.
Bylines: This logo had several different bylines on the bottom of the screen, although most releases outside the US or some releases didn't have a byline.
- 1985-1990: "A Subsidiary of Warner Bros. Inc., A Warner Communications Company"
- 1990-1992: "A Subsidiary of Warner Bros. Inc., A Time Warner Company"
- 1992-1997: "A Time Warner Entertainment Company"
FX: The "time-lapse" cloud animation, WB shield rotating into place.
Cheesy Factor: Relatively primitive CGI along with the "time-lapse" cloud animation. Cheap synth theme as well. The freeze frame on the still version looks cheap too.
Music/Sounds: A proud, bombastic synthesized theme that really fit the logo. This is a synthesized version of Warner Bros.' 1936 theatrical fanfare. As a sidenote, a lusher orchestrated theme with the same notes as the HV logo was briefly used as the fanfare for the movie WB shield when it returned to usage in 1984. Silent for the still version.
Availability: Seen on every Warner Home Video release from 1985 to 1997, beginning with Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Note that the current print logo is seen on 1996-1997 tapes, but still use this logo, however it also still uses the commonly seen "DIGITALLY PROCESSED" text on the side of the packaging, so this logo is an easy find. A example that has this logo is Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
Scare Factor: Low to medium; the bombastic music and primitive CGI may scare some, but this logo is a favorite of many. None for the still version.
4th Logo
(1997- )
Nicknames: "CGI Invisible/Visible Shield", "Boring Shield", "Shield of Boredom"
Logo: Against a backdrop of clouds, a clear WB shield with a wordless banner slowly fades into view. Then the words "WARNER HOME VIDEO" are wiped onto the banner as the colors slowly appear on the shield.
Byline: From 2001-2002, the byline "An AOL Time Warner Company" was seen below the logo. The shield is a bit smaller in this version.
Variant: In 1998, like other Warner labels, a 75th Anniversary version was made. This used a smaller shield with the banner reading "WARNER BROS.", and featured a giant 75 behind it. "YEARS ENTERTAINING THE WORLD" is seen below.
FX/Cheesy Factor: A simple, effective logo animation; nothing really cheesy except for the "wiping" on of the "WARNER HOME VIDEO" text.
Music/Sounds: A quiet piano tune.
Availability: Currently in use (and easy to get bored with when seeing it so many times). Don't expect this on 1996-1997 WHV tapes, as the print version of this logo was introduced in 1996, and those tapes contain the previous logo, but you should also expect the "DIGITALLY PROCESSED" text on the side of its packaging, so the previous logo is an easy find. The first videos that had this logo were A Time to Kill, the 1997 reissue of Scooby-Doo Goes Hollywood and others.
Scare Factor: None; this is a clean (and BORING) logo. But it's annoying for those who like the previous logo.
BobFish |
Latest page update: made by BobFish
, Nov 8 2008, 9:24 PM EST
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About This Update
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | |
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| Beakerfreak93 | Warner Home Video | 4 | Nov 4 2008, 3:34 PM EST by Hoa | |
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Thread started: Aug 5 2008, 1:42 AM EDT
Watch
Home Video is so obsolete how about Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
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| Feral-Golduck | The 1985 Logo | 1 | Sep 14 2008, 11:27 AM EDT by Hoa | |
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Thread started: Aug 31 2008, 7:05 PM EDT
Watch
What was the last movie to use the 1985 WHV logo?
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| KodyBoy555 | Warner Home Video | 2 | Apr 5 2008, 9:24 AM EDT by BChance77 | |
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Thread started: Oct 29 2007, 8:04 PM EDT
Watch
There is no sign of Bugs Bunny on this logo.
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| Silversword55 | WHV should bring the 1985 logo back | 0 | Nov 8 2007, 6:39 PM EST by Silversword55 | |
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Thread started: Nov 8 2007, 6:39 PM EST
Watch
The current WHV logo is just ehhhh..... the 1985-1996 WHV logo was just awesome! I loved everything about that logo. The bombastic fanfare, and the logo was sweet! The graphics, and the sky look great for an 80's logo.
WHV should bring that back, but in current CGI. |
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