MTV Entertainment Studios

Background
MTV Entertainment Studios is the film and television production arm of Music Television (MTV). Founded in 1991 as MTV Productions and in 1996 as MTV Films, it has produced television shows and films based on MTV programs such as Beavis and Butt-Head Do America and the Jackass movies, as well as other adaptations and original projects such as Napoleon Dynamite. Its films are distributed by sister company Paramount Pictures. In 2020, MTV Films was fully integrated into MTV Studios, which became MTV Entertainment Studios in 2021, encompassing content for and based on all of MTV's brands.

1st Logo (June 2, 1991-January 1, 1995)
Nicknames: "The MTV Logo", "Liquid MTV"

Logo: On a swirling background with water droplets (from the intro of Liquid Television), we see the MTV logo in a  gradient with "TV" and "MUSIC TELEVISION" in white. The logo zooms in slowly and tilts to the right.

FX/SFX: The background animation, the animation of the MTV logo.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show.

Availability: Extinct. Seen on Liquid Television.

2nd Logo (October 25, 1993-June 23, 1995)
Nicknames: "The MTV Logo II", "Folding MTV"

Logo: It's a shortened version of the MTV "Mirror" bumper of the era, but with "PRODUCTIONS" appearing below.

FX/SFX: Same as the MTV "Mirror" bumper.

Music/Sounds: The ending theme of the show.

Availability: Extinct. Seen on The Jon Stewart Show.

Final Note: From 1995-2003, most MTV shows used either an in-credit notice or a shortened version of the 1996 MTV Films logo.

(2003-2019)
Nicknames: "The Crew", "Silhouettes"

Logo: We see a shot of some grass with the silhouettes of (presumably) a camera crew. Then the MTV logo appears, followed by the stenciled text "Production" and "Development" and a copyright stamp below it (all in white).

Variants:
 * There is a version that takes place on a beach, with waves crashing into the sand.
 * There is another version that takes place near a swimming pool.
 * There is a rare variant where the words "Production Development" and the copyright stamp appear at the same time.
 * Sometimes, the logo is still.
 * In 2010, the logo was updated to have the current MTV logo.
 * In 2011, the copyright stamp now mentions Viacom Media Networks instead of MTV Networks, due to a rebrand.
 * On Teen Wolf, the logo is shortened to a tenth of a second.

FX/SFX: The text appearing and the shadows moving.

Music/Sounds: An ambient piano theme with the sound of a sprinkler and crickets chirping, or the ending theme of the show.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On the beach version, the sound of seagulls and waves crashing is heard with the ambient.
 * On the swimming pool version, only the sound of water is heard without the ambient.
 * On The Substitute, the logo theme is sped-up and played in a different tone.

Availability: It was seen on all MTV-produced shows such as Teen Wolf and Jersey Shore among others until 2019.

Editor's Note: This logo is well-remembered by people who grew up watching Teen Wolf and Jersey Shore, as well as other MTV shows of the time.

(2003-2006)
Logo: It's just the text "MTV Music and Series Development" improvised in the end credits depending on the show. Sometimes, the MTV logo can also be seen above the text.

Variants:
 * On Viva La Bam, the logo is seen on a letterboxed brown background, and the text is stenciled, just like on the MTV Production Development logo.
 * Starting with Season 4, the background varies depending on the episode, and the logo is seen on the bottom.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on all 5 seasons of Viva La Bam and other MTV produced shows from the era.

Editor's Note: None.

1st Logo (2018-June 13, 2019)
Nicknames: "The Astronaut", "The MTV Astronaut", "The MTV Moonman"

Logo: Same as the 1996 MTV Films logo, but the reflected part is replaced with the 2010 MTV logo. A rectangle is seen next to it with the word "Courier" inside of it.

FX/SFX: Same as the 1996 MTV Films logo.

Music/Sounds: A descending synth sound, followed by a remade version of the 1981 "One Small Step" theme.

Availability: Only seen on Viacom's Vimeo account.

2nd Logo (June 13, 2019-March 4, 2021)
Nicknames: "The Astronaut II", "The MTV Astronaut II", "The MTV Moonman II", "The MTV Flag"

Logo:
 * Opening: We see the spaceman from the very first MTV ID from 1981 holding a flagpole, then it cuts to the MTV logo waving as the flag. The spaceman thrusts the flagpole to the ground, then the MTV logo flickers to white and "STUDIOS" appears spaced out below, which then moves up to the logo and boldens.
 * Closing: The second half of the opening, with "STUDIOS" spacing out at the bottom.

Variant: There is a long version where we see the spaceman look at a static screen opening up with vibrating and melting colors, with references to the animated shows Æon Flux and Beavis and Butt-Head seen inside. The spaceman then enters the screen and starts falling in it, feeling like sliding in paint. As he falls, he grabs part of the static in the shape of a flagpole, and falls out of the static. The same animation from the opening proceeds, only this time, as the spaceman thrusts the flagpole to the ground, the screen flashes to black with the MTV logo and "STUDIOS" appearing.
 * A scene of the long version, along with the moonman landing down and placing the flag, the MTV logo changing into the yellow "M" with blue edges and the red "TV" being sprayed to make the 2021 MTV logo, much like the MTV Entertainment Studios logo, then changing into M-Frames, is seen in Loyalkaspar's MTV rebrand case study.

FX/SFX: A creative mix of live-action and 2D-3D animation, designed by Antibody.

Music/Sounds: A dreamy five-note jingle based on MTV's very first ident from 1981.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * The long version has a synthesized fanfare.
 * On Emily in Paris, the jingle is sped-up.

Availability: Seen on the Facebook Watch iteration of The Real World, including the Mexico and Bangkok versions. It also appeared on the first season of Emily in Paris. The full version was uploaded to Vimeo by Patrick Clair.

Editor's Note: It's a pretty nice nod to the astronaut ident, which was the first ever MTV ident to be played on the channel.

(March 4, 2021-)
Nicknames: "The Astronaut III", "The MTV Astronaut III", "The MTV Moonman III", "The MTV Flag II"

Logo: Same as the 2nd MTV Studios logo, but with a brand new look of the MTV logo, with the letters being slightly redrawn. The logo also remains colored throughout instead of fading to a white print version at the end. "STUDIOS" is also replaced with "Entertainment S T U D I O S" both written in MTV's custom typeface (named Gravity Grotesk Condensed). The byline fades in below.

Bylines:
 * March 4, 2021-: "A ViacomCBS Company" set in ViacomCBS Raisonné.
 * 2022- (tentative): "A PARAMOUNT COMPANY" set in the Paramount Peak Sans typeface.

Variants:
 * A more common shorter version of the main logo exists, which starts when the flag is about to hit the ground.
 * There is a shorter closing variant, where the whole logo is fading in. The byline is also higher up and is right underneath the word "S T U D I O S".
 * A still variant exists.

FX/SFX: Same as before.

Music/Sounds: A short version of Dire Straits' song "Money for Nothing" with a sound bite of the "I want my MTV" chorus, sung by Sting.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * The shortened variant of the logo has a shorter version of the main theme, minus the chorus.
 * Sometimes, the closing theme is heard, or no theme at all.

Availability: Current.
 * Currently seen on new seasons of returning shows airing on the Paramount Media Networks which are South Park, Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Yo! MTV Raps, Wild 'n Out, the Love & Hip Hop franchise, Crank Yankers, Basketball Wives, Punk'd, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team, RuPaul's Drag Race, the Teen Mom franchise, Bar Rescue, Families of the Mafia, Emily from Paris, Black Ink Crew and its Chicago-based and Compton-based spin offs, The Hills: New Beginnings, True Life Crime, Ex on the Beach USA, Reno 911!, CMT Crossroads, Yellowstone, Ridiculousness and its spin-off Deliciousness, MTV Unplugged, The Challenge, Siesta Key, Are You the One?, The Other Two, Catfish: The TV Show, South Side, Beavis and Butt-Head, Younger, Behind the Music and Double Shot at Love.
 * It also appears in the credits of recent episodes of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
 * It also appears on new and upcoming shows such as Fairview, Mayor of Kingstown, All Star Shore, The Real World Homecoming, The Challenge: All Stars, Teen Mom Reunion, Messyness, From Cradle to Stage, Buckhead Shore, Queen of the Universe, Hell of A Week, 1883, Uncoupled, Adorableness and The Challenge: USA, among others.
 * This logo also appears on movies, streaming movies and specials starting in 2021 beginning with Pink Skies Ahead.
 * Don't expect to see this in South Park: Post COVID: The Return of COVID as it only appears in its predecessor. Oddly enough, this plays twice in Beavis and Butt-Head do the Universe, with the common short version playing first and then the long version. However, Canadian prints of the movie only have the long version.

Editor's Note: This is an even greater version of the 2nd MTV Studios logo, and it looks amazing. The byline however will perhaps not last long with the Paramount Global rebranding.