Pastel Video

Background
Pastel Video was a Japanese home video distributor that was formed in 1984 as Paramount Video Co., Ltd. (unrelated to Paramount Pictures) to release movie titles on videocassette. It was renamed in 1988. The company also operated a video sublabel AVA-Nippon.

1st Logo (1984-1986)
Visuals: On a blue background, there is a yellow image swirls in, revealing it was the abstract letters "P" and "V" connected together in a futuristic font. The Japanese text "パラマウントビデオ" (which was "Paramount Video" in Japanese) rises in below the logo.

Technique: The swirling of the logo, the rising.

Audio: A whoosh, followed by a choir.

Availability: It can be seen on Paramount's Japanese titles like Monty Python and Now.

2nd Logo (1986-1988, 1991-1992)
Visuals: On a black background, there is a box, one part is red, and the other part is blue. Then it spins around, and turns into the "PV" logo from the first logo, which then spins around. The logo rotates, and zooms out, as the text "パラマウントビデオ" wipes in from the right side of the logo.

Variant: When the logo came back in 1991, the text on the right side was changed to "パステルビデオ".

Technique: The rotating of the logo, the wiping of the text.

Audio: An ominous electronic synth theme, ending in a flute note.

Availability: Seen on later Paramount Video and some Pastel Video releases.

3rd Logo (1988-1991)
Visuals: Over a black background is the 3D rainbow words "PASTEL VIDEO" moves toward the screen, with each letter spinning from the right. The camera pans, and we see two copies of the futuristic "P", colored light blueand pink slide in, before going to the pink one, and the text zooms out, and rotates to the center.

Technique: Just like the last logo, it's CGI.

Audio: A xylophone synth theme with whooshes and a choir, ending in two xylophone notes.

Availability: Seen on most Pastel Video releases.

1st Logo (1984-1988)
Visuals: On the same blue background as the opening logo, the text "PARAMOUNT VIDEO CO., LTD " fades in and out.

Technique: Fading effects.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen at the end of Japanese Paramount Video releases.

2nd Logo (1988-1992)
Visuals: On a black background, the white text "Presented by PASTEL VIDEO" fades in and out.

Technique: Same as the previous logo.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen at the end of Pastel Video releases.