CinéGroupe

Background
CinéGroupe is a Canadian animation studio founded in 1974 by Jacques Pettigrew and Michel Lemire. The company did not use a logo until 1987. CinéGroupe’s creative team was responsible for the production of over 1,000 half-hours of animation and live action family entertainment programs and has received over 40 international awards including a Daytime Emmy and several Geminis. CinéGroupe is based in Quebec.

1st Logo (March 12, 1987-December 26, 1997)


Nicknames: "The Bird", "Cheapo Bird", "Polka-dots and Purple Clouds", "Aesthetic Bird"

Logo: On a background consisting of a cloudy purplish sky and multi-colored dots covering the ground, we zoom out from 2 silver reels, with purple film rolling in them, like a projector. As we zoom out, we see a one-legged blue bird with a reel in his mouth, being projected on a floating screen. The bird comes out of the screen in a cheap 3D effect. The canisters flip around with a flash of light, while the bird flies to the left of new text:

CINÉ GROUPE

The text is in a Gotitch font with the U/P and the N/E connected.

When the logo's perspective is on the progress onto the right, the logo freezes.

FX/SFX: The projector, and the bird emerging and flying.

Music/Sounds: A somewhat relaxing synth tune, mostly consisting of warbling. There's also a low-tone version and a high-tone version.

Availability: Might be seen on British VHS releases of Sharky & George. It was also seen on The Little Flying Bears and Just For Kids Video releases of Ovide and the Gang. Don't expect to appear on Princess Sissi, due to the program being a co-production with Saban International, ARD, France 3 and RAI.

Legacy: This is a soothing logo.

2nd Logo (July 18, 1998-October 22, 2000)


Nicknames: "The CGI Bird", "The Badlands Bird", "The Sunset Bird", "Cheapo Bird 2.0"

Logo: On a black background, we see the bird from the previous logo, with a white dot in the near center of the viewer's right. The bird pulls on the dot which causes an orange cloudy cloth-like background to spring up like a piece of cloth (which looks like a sunset, or the background of the "Badlands" star system in Star Trek). The bird then leans upwards and opens it's beak to catch a film canister. The text "CINÉGROUPE", in the same style as before but in a slightly different font, "bounces" into place next to the bird. The bird slightly leans over the logo, and blinks with the film in its beak.

Variants:


 * Sometimes, there's an English version which has "CINE GROUP" instead of "CINÉGROUPE". Here, the U and P are not connected.
 * In the logo's early life, the bird lands to the dot before pulling it.

FX/SFX: Very fast CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: An electric guitar tune with a "ding" when the bird blinks.

Availability: Seen on some shows during this period, such as Bad Dog, the first season of The Kids From Room 402, and the infamous Mega Babies.

Legacy: The design is essentially an upgraded version of the 1st logo.

3rd Logo (September 26, 2000-October 5, 2002)
Nicknames: "Rolling Filmstrips", "The Letter", "Giant C", "The Electricity", "The Simple Bird"

Logo: On a dark bluish-black background, we see various filmstrips with the new logo on them. Letters are swirling around. We then see a big "C" come from the left, swiveling to the center. It zooms forward as the filmstrips disappear, leaving it on a black background with a spotlight lighting up a portion of the ground. The "C" moves up into the spotlight as various letters become "CinéGroupe" underneath it. The "C" now has a simplified version of the bird minus wings and film canister, in the center. The words then flash in the center as blue electricity moves to the left and right, turning the words blue.

Variants:
 * The short version starts with the big "C" coming into view.
 * A shorter version exists, just showing the word turning blue.
 * A prototype variant exists where the same animation happens in the beginning, ending with a different finished product. The background has more light (which resembles a dark, cloudy night sky), and the words are a much darker blue color, which doesn't produce electricity.

FX/SFX: The filmstrips rolling, "C" and letters swiveling, and letters crackling and turning blue. Very impressive CGI.

Music/Sounds: A majestic synth theme with a swoosh for the C swiveling, and electricity sounds for when the letters turn blue.

Music/Sounds Variant: The shorter version has a 3-note version of the music, and the electricity sounds.

Availability: Rare. It was seen on Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, The Kids from Room 402, the first season of What's with Andy?, and other shows. Should be preserved on DVDs of shows during this period. At the start of home video releases of Sagwa, it appears after the PBS Kids Dot logo and before the Sesame Workshop logo.

Legacy: The long version is well-animated, but the finished product has a dull and boring appearance to it, especially due to how simple the portion of the logo used is in the short variant.

4th Logo (April 16, 2002-March 25, 2008)
Nicknames: "The Simple Bird 2.0", "The Abstract Bird"

Logo: On a black background, we see a teal blue sphere quickly fly past the camera, and the rest of the CinéGroupe logo "wavers" into existence. The word "CINÉ" is now a shade of teal blue, with a block for the little thing on the E, while "GROUPE" is white and the bird is now even more simple, without legs and the "C" surrounding it. The logo tilts up as the sphere makes contact with the rest of the logo and creates a lens flare, and the sphere becomes the "eye" of the bird.

Variants:
 * The logo simply shines on most shows.
 * On Bratz: The Video - Starrin' & Stylin', the logo is still and in-credit.

FX/SFX: The sliding of the logo and words.

Music/Sounds: A waving electronic tune (the variant uses a zip-esque note instead).

Availability: Seen on shows such as Tripping the Rift and later seasons of What's with Andy?. It also appears at the beginning of Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat video tapes from the period and on Pinocchio 3000.