Pyramid Films

Background
Pyramid Films is an educational media company with a catalog of nearly 700 titles. Founded in 1960 by Dave and Lynn Adams, Pyramid initially focused on CPR-training films, before branching out to other topics such as anti-smoking films and anti-drug films.

1st Logo (1967-1978)


Logo: On a black background, we see a trail of various words in various colors saying "Pyramid Films". Before they complete, a pyramid that has lines at the right fades in.

FX/SFX: The trail, the pyramid fading in. Primitive trailing effects, even for the time.

Music/Sounds: A synth drone, or none.

Availability: Seen on some educational films and documentaries from the time, such as Vicious Cycles.

Legacy: The black background and trail effects may get to some, not to mention it's silent.

2nd Logo (September 4, 1977-)
Logo: Against a sunrise background above a shimmering ocean, a prism is seen rotating in the middle of the background. The background grows brighter as a rainbow laser strikes the prism and moves to its tip, forming a silver-grated version of the pyramid from the previous logo. "PYRAMID" is below in a white font, and everything is against a black background with a blue haze below.

Variant: On the company's website, the background turns fully black, the “PYRAMID” text is in a slightly different font, and the logo turns flat once the laser leaves.

Trivia: A frame of this logo was once used as the artwork to the vaporwave album Holograms by Skeleton. Current issues of the album use a different cover.

FX/SFX: The prism and the laser. Very impressive animation for the time; this is one of the earliest computer-animated logos, done by Information International, Inc.

Music/Sounds: A dreamy string theme.

Availability: Common. Can be seen on short films and educational films distributed by the company, most notably Powers of Ten, which was the earliest known appearance of this logo. It also appeared on reprints of earlier films such as Closed Mondays and Toccata for Toy Trains. Films directed by Ernie Fosselius such as Hardware Wars had this logo on an early 1980's Warner Home Video VHS release titled Hardware Wars and Other Film Farces, but had it cut on most releases since. Some can even be viewed on their website.

Legacy: While somewhat dated by today's standards, this logo is insanely advanced for the time period and is still very nicely-animated to this day. The music used is also incredibly gorgeous as well, though the warped 16mm version may startle some viewers.

3rd Logo (1979)
Logo: On a black background, a 3D pyramid consisting of the Earth is shown above the crude, bold text "PYRAMID FILMS" in white.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the film.

Availability: Only known to have appeared on Meadowlark Lemon Presents The World.