Bontonfilm A.S.

Background
Bontonfilm is a distribution company that releases films onto DVD in the Czech and Slovak Republic markets. The company was founded in 1990 to distribute music, but it later expanded on film production. In 1994, it acquired Lucernafilm Video which was the successor of Ústřední půjčovna filmů.

1st Logo (1991-1997)


Logo: On a black background, we see an explosive star, and a flying disc comes zooming in right past the camera. After it does two more times, the star explodes, and two flying discs zoom in as they are placed as the letter O's to form the word "BONTON".

Technique: Live-action controlled animation.

Music/Sounds: A synth horn fanfare with lasers while forming the company name ending with a marimba.

Availability: Common. Seen on films and videos distributed by the company.

2nd Logo (1997-2000)


Logo: It's the same as the first logo, but the discs are replaced by film reels. The film reels zoom in close and out, while "BONTON" in the same font with the additional word "FILM" underneath and a thin rectangle with three squares inside appear. The laser shoots on "FILM", revealing "Serif" inside in a serif font.

Variant: Sometimes, "FILM" is omitted (ala the first logo). It is used on VHS tapes of Pat & Mat (1979-1990 episodes).

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 1st logo.

Availability: Rare. Seen on films distributed by the company.

3rd Logo (2000-2017)
Logo: We begin as the logo fades in. We see a third person view of a golden man (similar to the man seen on the Academy Award statue) running on a moving filmstrip. There is a glow coming out of the holes on the filmstrip, which makes the background shady white. There is a trapezoid-like shape in the distance. The camera pans down towards into the slides to reveal the same scene playing. The camera pans onto the slide again revealing the same scene again, except this time, the camera zooms back and rotates. The background changes to black and the light rays disappear. As the camera zooms back, we now see the text "BONTON F I L M" stacked on top of each other in blue. Red, yellow, and blue light rays come in to the top left of the logo, forming an upside down "Y"-like shape as the man disappears and the logo finishes zooming out. Shady white filmstrip edges form and shine on the bottom left and top right of the logo. A bluish white glow forms around the text.

Variants:
 * Until 2009, "BONTON ENTERTAINMENT GROUP" was intact below "F I L M".
 * A wide-screen version exists.
 * On TV shows made by Ateliéry Bonton Zlín, the logo is the same, but "FILM" is replaced with "ATELIÉRY ZLÍN".
 * A short version without the multicolored lights and the byline is used as a closing logo.
 * An in credit-variant existed on Hurvinek's Years.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: An uplifting orchestral piece or none. The closing theme was used for in-credit variant if Ateliéry Bonton Zlín made e.g. Hurvinek's Years.

Availability: Common in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
 * Seen on many films distributed by the company.
 * The Ateliéry Zlín variant can be seen on Pat and Mat DVD releases (1979-1990 and 2002-2004). Also appeared on shows produced by Krátký Film Praha and redistributed by Ateliéry Bonton Zlín (especially films produced in Gottwaldov (e.g. Hermina Tyrlova's stop motion works) or in case short shows like Bob & Bobby, Hurvinek's Year [Hurvinkovy rok], among others). Don't except the opening logo to be appeared on Mach, Sebestova and the Magic Telephone due to the logo placed on the background.

Legacy: This logo is well-remembered in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

4th Logo (2017-)


Logo: A similar concept to the previous logo, except this time, the golden man runs in a darker scenery and we don't pan down. As the man starts glowing, he runs away and transforms into glowing particles, which create a redesigned Bontonfilm logo with four arched lines ascending in width from the first "N". Below is the byline "A REDBLOOM COMPANY" and the logo shines.

Technique: The man running on the dark background, and the particles forming the logo. A massive improvement from the previous logo.

Music/Sounds: A piano orchestration plays, then the final part of the 3rd logo with modifications throughout.

Availability: Current. Seen on films distributed by the company.