BMG Video

Logo description and capture by Nate Spidgewood Editions by kidinbed and edunk5 Video captures courtesy of MisutiBuzel and EnormousRat

Background: BMG Video was the home video division of German-owned music company Bertelsmann Music Group. In 2004, BMG merged 50% of its music division with Sony Music Entertainment to form Sony BMG Music Entertainment, but on October 8, 2008, Bertelsmann sold the rest of BMG to Sony, renaming Sony BMG back to Sony Music Entertainment. The BMG name is now used for the music distributor and publisher BMG Rights Management.

1st Logo (1991-2003)

Logo: On a black background, a segmented triangle "stretches" onto the screen. The letters "BMG" then zoom in underneath the triangle as its outline zooms up. "VIDEO" zooms out below, its outline also zooming out, and a dot of light comes in and draws a red line between "BMG" and "VIDEO".

Variants:
 * Sometimes "VIDEO" is replaced with "SPECIAL PRODUCTS"; also in this variant, the word "DVD" (in the same color as "BMG" and "SPECIAL PRODUCTS") fades in while the red line is drawn.
 * Dutch releases replace "VIDEO" with "THE NETHERLANDS".

FX/SFX: The "stretching", the shining. Good 1990s computer effects.

Music/Sounds: A whoosh is heard when the triangle stretches and the letters zoom in. It is followed by a pounding backbeat when the outline for "BMG" takes off, then a synth choir and a "ding" as the red line is drawn.

Availability: Somewhat common. It can be seen on any of their videos or DVDs such as The Mind's Eye films, The Wind in the Willows: Mole's Christmas and Cabbage Patch Kids tapes. This is also known to be on the Computer Animation Festival series. In Germany, some films distributed by Senator Film and Universum Film were distributed by BMG throughout the 1990s including the Larry Clark film Kids and the animated film Felidae.

2nd Logo (Early 1990s-2003) BMG Video (2002)

Logo: On a black background, several grey beams appear before a red light briefly emits. A faded "B" flies onto the screen, then a series of faded "M"s before zooming out to reveal the "G" already placed in it's position to form "BMG" in silver. The same triangle from before but without being segmented flies down above the "M". A line in the triangle's color fades in below "BMG", while the letters for "VIDEO" each turn from the left in the same color as "BMG" separated from each other.

FX/SFX: All CGI.

Music/Sounds: A quiet fanfare followed by high pitched metallic synth sounds the letters for "BMG" make when zooming, the fanfare then escalates loudly as this happens before it ends with a single drum note.

Availability: Uncommon. Likely to be found on some German DVD's distributed by BMG. Oddly though, it was sighted on a bootleg VCD copy of Westlife Karaoke from the Philippines and was seen on Australian Pingu tapes until sometime in 1997 or 1999. Also seen on original US releases of Magic Adventures of Mumfie: The Movie (now known as Mumfie's Quest: The Movie, which is now owned by Lionsgate)

BMG Video (2001)3rd Logo (2001-2004)

Logo: Same as the BMG Independents logo, except the "Independents" text is removed.

FX/SFX: CGI effects from late 90's.

Music/Sounds: A synth fanfare with several metallic notes.

Availability: Common. It's found on Brazilian DVD's distributed by BMG.

4th Logo BMG Video - CLG Wiki(2010s-)

Logo: We see the current BMG logo in red fade on black background.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Can be seen on newest German releases - for example, on Scorpions music videos.