Empire of Cinema

Video courtesy ofSonic S.

1st (known) Logo

(1983-1984)

Nicknames: "The Zoom-Out", "When You Have No Budget"

Logo: We cut from a PAL test pattern to a zoom-out of a light blue segmented, TV-screen on a light aquamarine background. In the screen is the company name written in Hebrew (אימפריה של קולנוע), in the same color as the background and also segmented. Below the screen is a blurb written in Hebrew meaning something along the lines of "International network of film and video, VHS and Beta from Sanyo". After a moment, we go to the warning screen, which consists of the warning text being handwritten in black marker. The person appears to be a woman with black hair and a pink shirt, which we can see her face during some shots, with her writing out the warning header in red on a white background, then the text in in black on a red background. After its finished, the text goes to an address and a phone number in red on a light red background, then we fade out.

FX/SFX: The image zooming-out, complete with the live action writing of the warning screen.

Music/Sounds: Just a portion of Vangelis' "Alpha" playing under the logo, which goes into the warning.

Availability: Scarce, may be found on old Hebrew VHS and Beta tapes of the time released by the company. Go to Israel and look for VHS tapes with a Empire of Cinema print.

Editor's Note: This is one of the more unique logos, due to the warning being handwritten in real time.

2nd (known) Logo

(1984-1986?)

Nickname: "Space: The Cinephile's Frontier"

Logo: On a space background, a spinning circular platform with two Beta tapes and a VHS tape positioned to form a triangle (albeit positioned differently) comes from the upper-left corner of the screen and spins/moves to the center of the screen as a filmstrip showing various film posters comes from the top of the screen towards the tapes, moving like a filmstrip does, in that it runs more and more posters towards the viewer. After a few seconds, a yellow square (with black and white sprocket holes on the sides like a filmstrip) containing the logo from before, albeit blue and white on a yellow background and with a red V-shaped line (with five white stars on it) above the text, comes from the left, flying and spinning in an awkward flight pattern and disappearing into the distance at the left of the filmstrip. A moment later, the logo zooms out from the right of the filmstrip continuing its spinning and flying until it reaches the center of the screen as the filmstrip moves out of the center. The logo then tilts downward at an angle after it stops. After a moment, the logo flips to reveal a warning screen on a red background, which eventually flips to reveal the company name and address on a blue background which also flips to the logo (but zoomed in slightly and without the filmstrip sides) which flips downward on an angle on the space background from before.

FX/SFX: The space background spinning, the platform with videotapes flying in and spinning, the filmstrip coming from the top towards the tapes and showing various film posters, the logo flying and spinning in and to the center of the screen and tilting at an angle, and the logo flipping to the warning screen, the company address and the logo tilting on an angle again.

Music/Sounds: As the videotape platform zooms in, we hear strange space-like synth droning sounds, followed by a drumroll as the filmstrip comes in leading to a triumphant fanfare as the logo spins in which ends as the logo reaches the center, which leads to a creepy-sounding synth ditty during the warning which fades to the synth droning from earlier just as the company address flips back to the logo and it ends. When the screens flip, a low synthesized whoosh sound like a jet engine is heard.

Availability: Rare, might be found on old Hebrew tapes of films released by the company.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd (known) Logo

(1986-1990's?)

Nickname: "The CGI Tube 1986"

Logo: On a dark blue background with a bright gradient on the bottom of the screen and dots near the top, various movie clips scroll past the screen at an angle as a set of dark blue bars slowly move in from the other side of the screen. When the bars take over the screen, the last clips fly in and silver Hebrew text slides into view. When the last clip flies by, the bars zoom out to reveal the same TV tube shape from the last 2 logos as well as the name, but with more Hebrew on it and the year 1986 in parentheses. The tube shape then rotates to face the front of the screen as 5 red lines then fly in and focus just above the first line, causing a red glow and the "V" to spring up from it. The stars then fade in over it and the text turns white, shining a second later. The logo then revolves around to a white backing, where a warning and contact information fade in over it. The logo then flips back into position, but now with Hebrew text in a yellow script in their place.

FX/SFX: The movie clips flying by, the bars moving in, the Hebrew text sliding in, the tube rotating and zooming out, the lines forming the "V", the transformation on the logo, the logo flipping around.

Music/Sounds: Starts off with a string-driven horn theme during the clips. When the logo zooms out, it switches to a triumphant brass fanfare, with a whoosh going along with the lines. It then continues through the warning screen, before ending off with a loud end.

Availability: Uncommon, due to its seemingly longer lifespan. Might be found on old Hebrew tapes of films released by the company.

Editor's Note: None.