Caravan Pictures

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Caravan Pictures was created in 1992 by Joe Roth and Roger Birnbaum as part of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group of The Walt Disney Company for producing films for film units Hollywood Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and Touchstone Pictures. Their first movie was The Three Musketeers, while their last film was Inspector Gadget. In 1994, Roth became the head chief of Walt Disney Pictures and left Birnbaum in charge, while in 1998, Birnbaum himself left the company and formed Spyglass Entertainment with Gary Barber. The company closed down in late July 1999 after the release of Inspector Gadget.

Logo (November 12, 1993-July 23, 1999)


Visuals: On a black background, a dark setting with blue hills and a road fades in. A man with a fedora walks down the road, carrying a bindle on his shoulder, and the setting brightens. A box zooms out around the area with the man, and "CARAVAN PICTURES" appears above and below the picture, respectively.

Trivia: The logo and company name is most likely a tribute to the 1941 film Sullivan's Travels, about a filmmaker who sets out to make more meaningful movies. He travels on foot in a similar shot. At the end of the film, he describes his life as a "cockeyed caravan". Joe Roth is reportedly a fan of Sullivan's Travels director Preston Sturges, and his former company, Morgan Creek Productions, is named after another Sturges film, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek.

Variant: On both John Kehe's and REZN8's demo reels, the logo animates at a smoother rate.

Technique: A mix of CGI and live-action, designed by John Kehe and animated at REZN8.

Audio: A piano/woodwind/string jingle. After it stops, there is a gradual increase of volume for the orchestrated part, ending with a triumphant finish sounded out by trumpets and brass. There are two versions of this theme, one more bombastic than the other, both of which were composed by Randy Edelman.

Availability: Can be found on films produced by the studio such as Angels in the Outfield, Heavyweights, While You Were Sleeping, Angie, Dead Presidents, I Love Trouble, Metro, Six Days Seven Nights, and Inspector Gadget.

Caravan Pictures
Spyglass Entertainment