Istituto LUCE

Background
The Istituto Luce (L' Unione Cinematografica Educativa) is the oldest public institution devoted to film distribution for educational and informative of the world. Born in Italy in 1924, Istituto Luce quickly became a powerful propaganda tool of the fascist regime. The Institute, based in Rome, also participated in the production and distribution of films and documentaries for the cinema. In 1936, Istituto Luce ceased to report directly to the Head of the Government to move to the Ministry of Popular Culture. After the war, the Istituto Luce is engaged in production of several documentaries and films.

1st Logo (1924-1929)
Logo: In a black background a small light appears and then rises into a searchlight which illuminates the entire background, appearing to be an outlined map of Italy. The Fasces lictoriae fades in while the light continues to illuminate the background until it reveals the words "L.U.C.E", then it starts to zoom toward us and after it stops,the light starts to illuminate so much that the background becomes fully white while the Fasces lictoriae fades into black.

Technique: Traditional animation.

Music/Sounds: A triumphant fanfare.

Availability: Extinct; seen on early Istituto Luce's newsreel transmissions and films.

2nd Logo (1929-1931)


Logo: We see a live action eagle moving on the background. The text "ISTITVTO NAZIONALE LVCE" then zooms down.

Technique: Live-action and traditional animation.

Music/Sounds: A fanfare with trumpets and drums.

Availability: Extremely rare, seen on Istituto Luce's newsreel transmissions and films for this short period.

3rd Logo (1931-1939)


Logo: We slowly fade into a sky background with an eagle statue, while "ISTITVTO NAZIONALE LVCE" fades in. At the end the text fades out and "PRESENTA" wipes in.

Technique: Traditional animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct, seen on Istituto Luce's newsreel transmissions and films of this period.

4th Logo (1939-1943)


Logo: We see two Fasces lictoriaes on the sides of the screen. In the center of the screen there's a globe that rotates (a la Universal Pictures) with the words "LVCE" on an equal footing of the axes of the Fasces lictoriaes.

Technique: Live-action model work.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extinct, seen on Istituto Luce's last black and white newsreel transmissions and films.

5th Logo (1979-1997)
Logo: On a blue background, we see 17 bold azure lines appearing to down to up one at time. after them are all appeared they turn into light to up to down one at time revealing an stylized eagle head (the Istituto Luce logo), a shine creates the eye of the eagle and the azure and white shadows of the words "LUCE" appears one at time, first the azure one to left to right and then the white one to right to left and at the end the words "ISTITUTO LUCE - ITALNOLEGGIO CINEMATOGRAFICO" appears one at time.

Variants: On later versions of the logo, "ISTITUTO LUCE - ITALNOLEGGIO CINEMATOGRAFICO" had been replaced with simply "ISTITUTO LUCE".

Technique: Cel animation.

Music/Sounds: Relaxing synth piano-like tunes rising when the lines appear and then going down when they become light, a sound of a long synth organ-like chord, a dramatic trilling sound when the shine creates the eye, another rising synth piano-like tunes but with low pitch when the shadows of the words "LUCE" appears, an echoed electronic drop-like sound and a drum beat.

Availability: Uncommon.

6th Logo (1998-2002)
Logo: We see an oil paints or pastel animation of an eagle of various colors soaring from us, back to us, and then flying away to left. A gush of wind appear from left to right before "ISTITUTO LUCE" appears on the left to the screen, just before the eagle flies away to the left.

Technique: Likely oil paint animation.

Music/Sounds: A relaxing fanfare composed by Fabrizio Baldoni.

Availability: Can be found on Italian films during the time like Pane e Tulipani. It's also available on Fabrizio Baldoni's Youtube account.

7th Logo (2003-June 5, 2009)


Logo: On a blue foggy background we pass though a dark blue corridor with some windows with inside clips from old Istituto Luce's films. when we exit though the corridors, the camera flies up inquadrating the corridor that will reveal to be the Istituto Luce's logo. The logo's colors gets brighter while the words "LUCE" fades one at time and a light from the words goes to down to up.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: A triumphant electronic fanfare.

Availability: The logo was first seen in some DVDs, and then on the company's distributed films from 2003 until its fusion with Cinecittà Holding S.p.A. in 2009.

8th Logo (Summer 2009- )
Logo: Unknown.

Technique: 3D animation.

Music/Sounds: A long and reversed cymbal crash, that segues into a turning LED-like sound.

Availability: Current.