CIC Video

Background
CIC Video was a home video distributor owned by Cinema International Corporation (CIC), and its successor United International Pictures (UIP), and operated in some countries by local operators. Outside of the United States, it distributed films by Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures, CIC's partners. DreamWorks films were added to the company output in 1998, as the fledgling studio had a worldwide video distribution deal with Universal. In 1999, CIC Video was dissolved when Universal purchased PolyGram and reorganized its video division under the Universal name. Paramount Home Entertainment became CIC's successor after acquiring full ownership and merging it into Paramount's video division.

1st Logo (January 1981-1986)
Nicknames: "Cloudy Blue/Purple", "Boring CIC"

Logo: It is nothing more than an odd-looking "CIC" in a very fat font with the "S"-patterned chain link from the film logo on the "I" and the word "VIDEO" in Aero Extended font slowly fading in on a cloudy blue (or purple) background.

Variant: The prototype variant has no "chain".

FX/SFX: The fading in of the logo.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: It's on (at least) PAL tapes in the United Kingdom and Germany and PAL Laserdiscs in the United Kingdom, such as Airplane!, Beverly Hills Cop, Rough Cut, Raiders of The Lost Ark, and Airwolf. The prototype variant is usually found on tapes that have the print CIC Video logo without the chain on the packaging (usually the very first releases on the label), such as the UK pre-cert releases of Jaws, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and The Thing.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1986-1992; 1994)
Nickname: "CIC in Space"

Logo: Set against a black-blue gradient background, we see the three pieces of the chain (the outer two in light blue and the center one in white) fly from the edges of the screen, forming the chain. The "I" then flies in from the top of the screen, stopping were the chain is, and the two C's then draw themselves in, starting from the bottom up to the top. All three letters are made of metal. "VIDEO" then flies in below, stopping under the CIC logo.

Variants:
 * It's not very common in the UK and Germany, but on Aussie, Brazilian, and Argentine tapes, this variant is common: Just before the logo settles in place, a white flash is seen, and the logo is now set against a light blue background. Sometimes, only the still logo is seen, like on some Japanese tapes and LaserDiscs, as well as VHDs (basically the country's version of CED).
 * One variant has the CIC Video logo (blue background version) "morph" into the Paramount logo, which them morphs into the Universal logo. This was only seen on some Latin American videos as the beginning of a short promo to commemorative 1,000,000 copies of CIC Videotapes sold.
 * Some blue background variants have the logo zooming out to the top as a light blue marquee with white lines fades in below reading "GREAT FILMS", along with "from the Hollywood studios of PARAMOUNT & UNIVERSAL", which would lead into sneak previews of upcoming movies.

FX/SFX: The logo parts coming together.

Music/Sounds: An ascending synth-choir note, ending with 4 synth notes that rise in pitch (sounding like 'doo-doo-doo-doo') and a loud hit.

Availability: Uncommon, as this was only used internationally. Best place to check is in a place like Europe, Australia, or South America. Examples include the original UK issues of The Naked Gun and Back to the Future Part II. One tape that had the blue background variation was Police Squad: Volume One. Tapes in Asia and Africa may have this logo, too. This logo may also come after a home video logo from that country (such as AVH in Argentina, HVH in Greece, and ITI in Poland). The blue background variant with the marquee appears on some tapes from the era such as the original UK retail releases of Saturday Night Fever and Back to the Future. Other releases to have this include Back to the Future Part III, Ghost, Kindergarten Cop, Top Gun, Twins, The Naked Gun 2 1/2, Coming To America, The Godfather Part III, Beverly Hills Cop II, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Hunt for Red October and Stepping Out, among others. Weirdly enough, it was spotted at the end on a late 1990s TNT airing of American Graffiti with the movie's end theme playing over. It was also spotted at the beginning of the Brazilian VHS release of Dark Angel: The Ascent, a Full Moon film released by Paramount, with the 5th logo appearing afterwards.

Editor's Note: A logo with pretty decent animation for the time that has become a favorite of many.

3rd Logo (1986-1992)
mFw0pSjTG54 Nickname: "The CIC Filmstrip", "Preview"

Logo:
 * Opening: We begin with the blue background variant of the previous logo. After it turns blue, it zooms out onto a scrolling chrome filmstrip and "dissolves" into its respective space. The filmstrip has three boxes in it. The left has the Paramount print logo (with the Gulf+Western byline) engraved in it, the middle box has the CIC Video logo in it, and the box on the right has the Universal print logo of the time (a wireframe globe inside a stylized U with "UNIVERSAL" below) in it. We then see the word "PREVIEW" in gold scrolling past. The screen is then taken up by a white flash. On Chilean tapes released by Video Chile, a voiceover is used.
 * Closing: We start off with the white flash disappearing, revealing the filmstrip with the "PREVIEW" text on it. It then flips over to reveal the 3 boxes in it. Suddenly, the CIC logo turns full color (that is, blue and white) and zooms up, taking up the entire screen.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds:


 * Opening: The music from the 2nd logo, then a deep bass sounder with a laser-like zap noise, and finally the 'doo-doo-doo-doo' noise and the loud hit.
 * Closing: The laser-like zap noise, with the deep bass sounder playing in the background, followed by an abridged version of the 'doo-doo-doo-doo' noise and loud hit.

Availability: Uncommon, as it is seen on rental tapes (mainly in the UK) from CIC Video, used in tangent with the second logo. It can also be found on plenty of South American tapes as well, particularly NTSC-formatted tapes from Blancic Video in Venezuela, Kyron Home Video in Colombia, and Video Chile in, well, Chile. It can be also seen on Aussie releases as well such as Stepping Out.

Editor's Note: A rather unique take on the normal logo.

4th Logo (1990's)
Logo: On a lavender background, we see a filmstrip passing by us at an angle with "CIC VIDEO" on it. Suddenly, one of the CIC Video logos rises from the filmstrip and faces the screen. The "chain" flies forth and brings us the Portuguese words "qualidade de quem é original" (loosely, "genuine and original quality"), then bounces around and lands in the I of CIC.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: Same as the previous logo.

Availability: Rare. This was seen on Brazilian NTSC-formatted tapes from the time.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (1991-1998)
FNoqKazmw6U W5MLrkAuqP4 0GYozgAzEBU Nicknames: "CIC & Friends", "CIC & Universal", "CIC & Paramount"

Logo: On a black-blue gradient background, lights draw in the metallic CIC logo, the chain appears in the "I", and the word "VIDEO" turns in place. Once it's done, one of the following happens:
 * On Paramount movies, the logo zooms out to the left, in a box, against the same type of background. Then, in another box to the right, Paramount's "CGI Mountain" logo animates.
 * On Universal movies, the logo would zoom out to the right, in a box n again the same type of background. Then, in another box to the left, Universal's logo animates.
 * In Australia, the logo would zoom up to the top, and two boxes would play the Paramount and Universal logos below it. Then, the CIC Video logo would zoom in again towards the viewer.

FX/SFX: All the animation in this logo.

Music/Sounds: A dreamy synth-orchestra tune.

Music/Sounds Variant: On some tapes including Star Trek: The Next Generation: Volume 22, the tune is higher in tone.

Availability: On many PAL tapes in the UK and Australia. Titles include The Nutty Professor, True Lies (Universal had the rights to the film internationally at the time), The Naked Gun 33 1/3, Forrest Gump, Clueless and Jurassic Park, among others. Don't expect this to appear on early DVDs (region 2 in the UK, region 4 in Australia) as they will most likely use the Paramount/Universal warnings/logos of the time. Strangely, this can also be found on Tom & Jerry: The Movie in Australia despite distributed by Turner Pictures (there is no change to the logo). CIC tapes released in the UK between 1993 and 1997 did not have any logo.

Editor's Note: Another logo that has become a favorite of many.

6th Logo (1997-1999)
4QNXLECCmgc Nickname: "Welcome"

Logo: On a blue-purple aurora background, we see the CIC logo of the time, but in light blue, which zooms in towards the viewer. Suddenly, the chain glows, causing a flash to appear, revealing the word "WELCOME" below the CIC logo. The logo then zooms in quickly, causing the screen to turn white.

FX/SFX: Nice CGI effects; very professional for 1997.

Music/Sounds: A peaceful chord-like tune, followed by a whoosh sound.

Availability: Seen on Paramount and Universal releases at the time, mainly in Australia and the UK. Examples include most Rugrats tapes and Mission: Impossible. A UK video release of Beavis and Butt-head Do America might have this logo as well.

Editor's Note: Yet another favorite of many, and a pretty decent way to end CIC's line of logos.