Capella Films

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Capella Films was a company specializing in dealing for financing and producing films from their partners, such as Universal. They often bought either international rights, or selective territorial rights for the films. Capella International, which is related to the main division, specialized in distributing foreign films. Them, with a few partners, attempted to get a $1.3 billion bid for MGM/UA, which failed.[1] They shut down in May 2012, after they merged their operations with Media 8 Entertainment to form Bloom Media (now Fifth Season).



1st Logo (October 11, 1991-1993)


Visuals: On a white or gray marble background, there is a drawing of a chariot drawn by four horses, with a charioteer holding them back with a rope. Underneath it is a line, and the orange or golden text "CAPELLA" in a Roman-esque font.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Appeared on various international prints of movies such as My Life as a Dog, Nobody's Fool, and Bit Trip, most of which nowadays remove this logo or either use domestic prints with other distributors' tags on them. Can also be seen on the GoodTimes DVD of The Polar Bear King and foreign prints of The Real McCoy. It also appeared on the trailer for My Life.

2nd Logo (February 3, 1994-early 2000s?)


Visuals: On a black background, there is a dark blue sky with water reflecting below, and a silhouette of a chariot. As the chariot zooms in, rays of light zoom from behind the view to behind of the chariot to reveal it, albeit made of shining silver, and the word "CAPELLA" fades in as the chariot zooms into place and becomes the regular painting.

Variant: On German prints of The Peacemaker, the logo (after it's formed to place) is still.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Mostly silence, but on the international prints of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, a dramatic orchestral fanfare with drums is heard.

Availability:

  • Seen on German prints of The Peacemaker, and international prints of My Life, Exquisite Tenderness, and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
  • A few other examples are Music of the Heart and Drop Dead Gorgeous.
  • This was also seen on streaming prints of After the Rain and Pete's Meteor.
  • Unfortunately, it doesn't appear on international prints of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000), and the Austin Powers sequels: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Goldmember.
  • It is unknown if films it released such as Chamamé and Stronger than Blood have this logo, but a print logo appears on the packaging.

3rd Logo (September 25, 2003)


Visuals: There is a sunset-hued sky with water reflecting below. From a distance is the same chariot as before charging towards the camera with a trail of light below it. Once the chariot reaches a comfortable distance, it stops and the horses begin to stand on their hind legs with the sun shining behind them. The word "CAPELLA" slowly rises from below the screen and positions itself below the chariot.

Variant: There is another version with improved CGI.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A majestic, but complex orchestral fanfare, consisting of stock orchestral fanfares (from Peter Siedlaczek's Orchestral Colours sample CD by Best Service), that ascends as the chariot moves forward and climaxes when it stops. There is also a version with sound effects of horses galloping and whinnying.

Availability: This logo was only known to show up on Jester Till. Plasters the MGM logo on current international prints of Shattered (1991), and the older Capella logo on the German and UK Blu-Rays of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

Capella Films
Bloom Media

References

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