Vision Video Ltd.

Background
In July 1991, GE Capital bought out Virgin's stake in Virgin Video, and the company was renamed itself in July 1992 as Vision Video Ltd. In January 1993, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment acquired the company and its operations merged with its home entertainment arm PolyGram Video. Vision Video Ltd. was retained as a label of PolyGram Video that dealt with budget VHS releases, similar to their existing 4 Front Video.

On December 10, 1998, Polygram Filmed Entertainment was sold to Seagram & Sons (the former owner of Universal Pictures which is now part of NBCUniversal). In 1999, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired the pre-March 31, 1996 PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library, including the Virgin Vision/MCEG/Palace library and placed it under its Orion Pictures subsidiary. As for Vision Video Ltd. itself, the label continued to be used for budget releases after the rebranding of PolyGram Video UK as Universal Pictures UK, and soon expanded to budget DVDs as well until it was fully retired.

Currently, the film assets of the company are owned by MGM, while Universal Pictures UK owns the rest of the business.

(Fall 1992-2003)


Logo: On a orange background, which the camera quickly pans out to reveal that its part of a large scribble resembling a tornado on a dark blue space, lightning strikes a spot on it as a rough black pillar with a diagonally-cut top, starts to rise from the ground, electricity surrounding the pillar as well. The camera continues to rotate and tilt upwards as the pillar causes bolts of lightning to shoot out from it, summoning 2 more pillars that resemble itself to rise out and conduct more electricity. As the camera settles into place, more bolts from outside of the screen come in before one final bolt shoots across the screen, producing a white flash and transforming the 3 pillars into a 2D drawing, their shadows forming "VVL". Then three more small bolts come down to strike the white text "VISION VIDEO LTD.", which just faded in, to slightly cause them to shine, and the last bits of electricity die down.

Technique: The pillars rising, the electricity, and the background. All CGI effects.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic fanfare plays while the black pillars rise from the orange scribble, ending in a final chord when the lightning strikes. After that, an eerie synth piece is heard in the background. All composed using the Roland S-50.

Availability: Uncommon.
 * Appears on UK VHS releases from the company.
 * During the PolyGram/Universal era, this was used on several budget UK VHS releases such as the 1999 UK VHS release of Sherlock Holmes In The 22nd Century, and also later appeared on budget UK DVD releases as well.
 * This logo also appears on a 1998 UK promotional VHS release of Torvill & Dean: Behind the Ice Adventures as well.
 * One of the last releases to feature this logo was the 2003 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? DVD Game (although it doesn't appear anywhere on the packaging).

Legacy: The dramatic fanfare and hit can get to some people - but otherwise it's harmless.