Bona Film Group

Background

Beijing Polybona Film Distribution Co. Ltd. (simplified Chinese: 保利博纳电影发行有限公司; traditional Chinese: 保利博納電影發行公司), also known as Polybona Films or the Bona Film Group, is a Chinese production company and distributor of films from China and Hong Kong. It is run as a subsidiary of the China Poly Group, and is one of China's largest share-holding film distribution companies. It started up as Beijing Bona Cultural Exchange Co Ltd (北京博納文化交流有限公司) in 1999, and was the first domestic private firm to receive a film distribution license from the State Administration of Radio, Film & TV (國家廣播電影電視總局, SARFT) of China. In November 2003, it merged with the China Poly Group, a wealthy business conglomerate wing of the Chinese military, the People's Liberation Army, to form PolyBona Film Distribution. The company has distributed over 120 domestic and foreign films, including Confession of Pain, Protégé, The Myth, Initial D, and Dragon Tiger Gate, generating over RMB 1 billion (approximately US$130 million) in box office revenue, capturing over 20% of the overall market share for five years running. It has also co-produced over 20 feature films including The Warlords, Red Cliff, Flash Point, and After This Our Exile. It was named "the Chinese Miramax" by Screen International in 2005, and its CEO, Yu Dong, was described as one of "the future’s most influential filmmakers" by The Hollywood Reporter in November 2006. In early 2007, PolyBona became the first privately-owned film company in China in securing international private funds, having successfully closed investments from Sequoia Capital China and SIG Asia Investments. The same year, Variety recognized the successful growth of Polybona Films, and wrote highly about its transforming from Miramax to Paramount. In December 2010, Bona Film Group (博納影業集團) was the first Chinese film company to get listed on NASDAQ (BONA) with Polybona, Cinema Popular (人人電影) and Distribution Workshop (發行工作室) as subsidiaries. Fox's parent company, News Corporation, also has a 19.9% stake in Bona. In 2014, the company had a 10% share of the Chinese box office, earning CN¥3 billion from 12 films released. The same year, the company was the fourth-largest film distributor in China, with 5.99% of the market. As of April 2015, the company was worth US$542 million. In Q1 of 2015 it had a gross profit of US$45 million, a revenue of US$117.6 million and a box office gross of US$257 million. In November 2015, it was reported that Bona invested US$235 million in TSG Entertainment, resulting in a stake in six films distributed by 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), including The Martian (2015). In 2016 the company had a market share of 9%, with a gross of CN¥3.7 billion (US$532.2 million).

Polybona Films

1st Logo (2004-2005)

Visuals: The camera fades in to a beige-colored sandstone wall with many abstract shapes, spheres, lightballs and smoke-shaped objects. As the camera pans to the right, the entire scene fills with color before it morphs into computer-generated clouds. The camera stops panning and then zooms in as the background changes to a blue sky with ancient-looking clouds as the silver word "POLYBONA" floats. The characters "保利博纳" in a thick silver appearnce fly out from the camera and settle below the text as it floats up to make room for the "FILMS" text which spins in and as a purple arc draws through it, all while the background turns a gradient blue.

Technique: CGI animation.

Audio: A powerful orchestrated fanfare.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

2nd Logo (2005-2009)

Visuals: Same concept as the previous logo, but the wall is more detailed and the lightballs and shapes have a more bulgy appearance. The logo also starts with a beige light casted over a black background before the rest of the scene fades in. The scene then fills with color in a more gradual fashion as the camera continues to pan to the right. The camera continues to move even as the scene morphs into more detailed clouds than the last logo. As the last clouds disappear from the frame, the "POLYBONA" text drifts over a different cloud background for a couple seconds before the background turns black and the text turns white and becomes enclosed in a blue box. Inside the box is the "FILMS" text along with the purple arc, but it is now slightly more above the text. The Chinese characters "北京保利博纳电影发行有限公司" are also visible below.

Variants:

There's a still variant on a white background where the logo is brighter and next to it are 4 bold Chinese letters with a black line and below it has the words "POLYBONA FILMS".
Another still variant also exists on the same background where the logo is at the top and below has the English words "POLYBONA FILM DISTRIBUTION CO., LTD." above the text in Traditional Chinese.
A filmed version also exists.

Technique: CGI animation and chroma.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability: Seen on films such as Bodyguards and Assassins.

Bona Entertainment (first era)

Logo (2009?-2011?)

Visuals: On a blue background, the "BONA" text in the same font as the previous logos is seen, along with "Entertainment" in Arial and "Member of Bona International Film Group" below.

Technique: A still digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

Bona International Film Group

Logo (2010s?)

Visuals: Same concept as the first two logos, except the logo appears almost completely dimmed at first before gradually revealing the wall already in color. The wall then becomes clouds from behind as a magic-like light is seen extending and transforming the picture. As the camera zooms through and emerges from the clouds, various silver letters fly out and reside below "博纳国际影业集团" as the cloud background billows and animates like a passing wave.

Technique: CGI animation.

Audio: A more powerful rendition of the previous two logos' music.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

Bona Entertainment (second era)

Logo (2011?)

Visuals: On a dark blue background, there is the "BONA" text in a lighter blue and in a completely different font with a white horizontal spotlight running through it to the point where it covers the "A", which does not have a line through it. Below that are the characters "博納影業集團" in white.

Technique: A still digital graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

Bona Film Group

1st Logo (2011-2015)

Visuals: Starts normally except the shadows are improved, there are god rays, and there is now a traditional dragon model that takes up most of the picture. As the scene fills with color and the dragon becomes blue and white, it transforms to clouds and the camera zooms through them to reveal a darker blue sky with many clouds below and the "BONA FILM GROUP" text in front, with "FILM GROUP" smaller than "BONA" and with the characters "博納影業集團" below it. Once the camera comes to a stop, a spotlight reveals in the "BONA" text and the logo turns 2D.

Variants:

Sometimes, the Chinese characters are changed.
On Flying Swords of Dragon Gate 3D, the logo is in a blueish-greenish tint, and it is zoomed in.
Some films have the logo shortened.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The same fanfare from the Bona International Film Group logo. On some movies, the fanfare is shortened.

Availability: Seen on Bona Film Group movies from 2011-2015.

2nd Logo (2015-)

Visuals: Same as the first Bona Film Group logo, but the god rays are removed and the wall is a paler shade of beige. The clouds are also entirely different, with them being more fluffy, before the camera zooms through them to reveal an entirely different sky background with the large "BONA" text, the "FILM GROUP" text and the "博納影業集團" text below it in front. Once the camera stops, the spotlight appears in the text in a lighter blue.

Variants:

Some films have the logo shortened like the previous logo.
Like the previous logo, the Chinese characters are changed on some films.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Same as before.

Audio Variants:

Some films have the fanfare shortened just like the first logo.
On Bloodshot, it's the opening theme to the movie.

Availability: Seen on movies that the company produced from 2015 onwards such as League of Gods, Bloodshot and A Dog's Way Home.

Here is the logo history of the company (excluding the second Bona Film Group logo):