Apple Films

Background

Created in 1967 as part of The Beatles' Apple Corps, this company only released a few films. Apple Corps still exists, primarily to oversee control and licensing of Beatles-related assets and the Apple Records back catalog.

1st Logo (26 December 1967-April 1974)

Visuals: On a moving space background (which even shows a nebula), a hand drawn-looking red apple (unlike the Apple Corps Ltd. logo, which is green) moves in from the right while rotating and places itself on the left of the screen. It stays there while rotating for about five seconds until it starts peeling. The part being peeled forms a spiral which ends forming the words "films" in a handwritten font (it also has a filmstrip pattern applied to it). The peeled part of the apple shows the words "AN APPLE". Overall, we get the phrase "AN APPLE film".

Variant: A "still" version exists. The only movement we get is the space background briefly moving.

Technique: Traditional cel animation.

Audio: The logo starts with some electronic computer/space-like beeping sounds, then when the apple starts moving in, a rocking, state-of-the-art electric guitar & percussion-driven tune is heard. When the apple is peeling itself, there is a "WHOOSH"-like sound fading in until it completely muffles the guitar tune, and gets louder over the finished logo. Finally the electronic beeps are heard again.

Audio Variants:

On Son of Dracula and some other films, after the beeps are heard again after the whoosh, there is what seems to be the sound of a cuckoo clock.
At least once, the "cuckoo clock" sound was heard on the full version of the logo.
On the still version, we only hear the electronic and "cuckoo" sounds.

Availability: Can be seen on the DVD releases on their 1970s films: Born to Boogie, Concert for Bangladesh, and Son of Dracula.

Legacy: The surreal nature of the logo did give out scares within the logo community, even being featured in top Scary logo lists. This was a product of its time, since surrealism was common in the 1960s.

2nd Logo (11 August 1993-)

Visuals: On a black background, the Apple Corps green apple fades in and it slowly zooms in. After a few seconds, the apple fades out while zooming-in.

Variants:

On some films such as both re-issues of Yellow Submarine, either the text "Apple Films Ltd." or "An Apple Corps. Ltd. Film", or even "Apple Presents" appears below the apple.
- On the second case, the image of the apple is brighter.
On The Beatles: Get Back, it is in-credit and the text "Apple" is underneath the logo.

Technique: Camera controlled animation. Sometimes, it's a still logo.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on Magical Mystery Tour and other films from the era. Also seen at the end of the 1999 and 2012 re-issues of Yellow Submarine and The Beatles: Get Back on Disney+.