Chrysalis Television

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Chrysalis had its roots in the television business, starting in the late 1970s, when it produced documentaries and tours of Chrysalis artists on television. It was expanded in 1985, when the company had set up its original IP Max Headroom. It was expanded into full-fledged TV production with the launch of sporting events in 1988, and then in 1993, set up the Chrysalis TV Group by Mick Pillsworth, with the launch of production subsidiaries affiliated with Chrysalis, like Cactus, Red Rooster, Watchmaker, Bentley, Lucky Dog, Tandem and Assembly. In 2003, it became All3Media and the production company subsidiary became North One Television on 9 January 2004[1].



1st Logo (Late 1970's-1985)

Visuals: On the bottom of the screen is the word "A Chrysalis PRODUCTION" in a plain font, with "Chrysalis" in a corporate font, and a butterfly is shown on the top left above the text. The Chrysalis logo flips in.

Variants:

  • On Ultravox: Monument, the background is gray and the text is black.
  • On Ultravox: The Collection, the background is black and the text is white.
  • On Max Headroom: 20 Minutes from the Future, the text reads "PRODUCED BY Chrysalis FOR CHANNEL FOUR" and it was superimposed into the credits.
  • On Blondie Eat To The Beat, the logo is on the center of the screen, colored orange and still.

Technique: Chroma-keyed animation.

Audio: The end theme of the show.

Availability: Seen on two Ultravox specials, which were released by Palace Video, Max Headroom: 20 Minutes from the Future, and Blondie: Eat to the Beat. These tapes have since gone out of print.

2nd Logo (1989-1992)

Visuals: Over a black-blue gradient background, the logo starts with the word "A" popping up, followed by the serif "Chrysalis" wordmark, and then, the butterfly logo wipes in, and the text "Television Production" types in below.

Variants:

  • A later version exists where the Chrysalis logo flips in, along with the word "A" above and "Television Production" below, and then the copyright info wipes in.
  • On the 4 Play segment Itch, the logo is still and "FOR CHANNEL FOUR" and the copyright date is shown below.
  • On the 1990-91 Arsenal Football Club reviews, the logo is on a black background, and the text reads "For Arsenal Football Club" underneath the logo.
  • On the 1991-92 Arsenal Football Club reviews, the text reads "for ARSENAL F.C." is shown below the logo.
  • On the ITV Sport Goal of the Day series, the gradient background is different, and the text reads either "for ITV Sport" or "for WORLD WIDE SOCCER" below the logo.
  • On the 1991 ITV coverage of the Pearl Assurance British Open Golf, the logo is in-credit and the text below is in a different font, reading "TELEVISION PRODUCTION FOR" and below it was the ITV Sport logo.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: The end theme of the show.

Availability:

  • Seen on World Sports Action Presents: The Official Football League Video tapes of the 1988/89 and 1989/90 football club recaps of Liverpool FC, Coventry City FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, among several other teams containing the words "Official Season Review".
  • Some VHS releases of these releases may have this logo intact at the end, but otherwise ends with just the end credits or one shot from the review.
  • It was also seen on Chrysalis Home Video's release of both the 1990/91 and 1991/92 Arsenal Football Club reviews, the 4 Play segment Itch, and the Goal of the Day series, but most of them are very hard to find outside of live TV recordings.

3rd Logo (23 July 1989)

Visuals: Same as the home video logo, only it was sped up and "t e l e v i s i o n" appears below the logo, instead of "Home Video". The logo also zooms out into a box, with the text "For CHANNEL FOUR" below and the copyright date.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on the Equinox documentary Bicycle: The Green Machine.

4th Logo (1990)

Visuals: Over a white background, the logo starts with the black text "Chrysalis" in a serif font. The "y" grows and turns into a blue plant, which forms a butterfly, which flies to the text on the top right.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: The end theme of the show.

Availability: Seen on the Prisoner reunion special The Great Escape.

5th Logo (17 February 1992-22 December 2001)

Visuals: On a white background consisting of a wallpaper of very transparent butterflies is the blue word "Chrysalis" in a corporate font. A butterfly forms from the "y" and then the text, reading either "television" or "tv" fades in below, with a line effect.

Variants:

  • Sometimes, it shares the screen with other logos (including the 1988 BBC and 1999 Channel 4 "Square" logos).
  • On sports programs starting in 1994, the word reads "sport".
  • For international distribution, the text reads "television international" below the Chrysalis logo.
  • Sometimes, a copyright date is shown below the logo.
  • In the logo's later years, the butterfly is realistic and the wallpaper of butterflies is more visible. Plus, rather than remain in the "y" for a brief moment, the butterfly immediately flies from it.
  • On programmes produced at the North division, the text "North" is shown below the logo.
  • A (.*) variant has the text "Ireland" underneath the Chrysalis logo.
  • On The Heroes: Football Italia VHS, the Chrysalis text stretches and slides down as the butterfly emerges from it.
  • On ITV's live coverage of the 1992 British Open, the background consists of various blue-shaded shapes on the same colored background.
  • On the Q.E.D. documentary "The Bike", the logo is superimposed into the end credits with the text "PRODUCTION FOR BBC TV" underneath.
  • On live TV airings of Gazzetta Football Italia, the logo stretches after the end credits finish rolling.
  • On Nigel Mansell's IndyCar, the logo is next to the Watershed Pictures Television and ESPN International over a stone marble background.
  • Sometimes, it was a still logo.
  • On the AC Milan & The Race for the Championship: Football Italia VHS, the underline slightly thickens.
  • On the 2000-01 Football Italia Live match between Roma v Parma, both the Chrysalis and Channel 4 logos are placed on a blue background.
  • On Midsomer Murders, no text is present underneath the Chrysalis name.
  • On early 2000's programmes co-produced with Channel 4, the logo is inside a box.
    • On Football Stories: Charlton Brothers, the logo is in a widescreen format.
  • On Noble and Silver: Get Off Me!, the logo takes up the left side of the screen whereas the E4 logo takes up the right.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A "bong" sound when the butterfly appears.

Audio Variant: Sometimes, it's the ending theme of the programme or none.

Availability:

  • Seen on several sports programmes and a few fictional and documentaries from this period, like sports programmes such as 2000-01 F1 coverage and Gazzetta Football Italia, Top Ten and Noble and Silver: Get Off Me!.
  • While several of these programmes are tought to find outside of old TV recordings, some like the former series has this logo intact on the 101 Goals: Football Italia, Gol! : Football Italia, and a few other VHS releases from Chrysalis Home Video.
  • It also appears on one print of Nigel Mansell's IndyCar, although PolyGram Video's release of said series only includes the Watershed Pictures logo.
  • This was also seen on pre-2014 prints of shows from their subsidiaries such as the first three series of Bentley Productions' Midsomer Murders, but is plastered by the 2013 All3Media logo on modern prints.

6th Logo (31 December 2001-11 January 2004)

Visuals: Over a white background, the logo starts with the blue word "Chrysalıs" fade in. An orange butterfly flies in, and then a dot appears on the "i". The orange word either "tv" or "Television" appears below.

Variants:

  • On programmes produced at divisions, the text reading either "Television North" or "Television Midlands" is shown below the logo.
  • On sports programmes, like F1 and WRC coverage, the text below reads "Sport" instead.
  • Sometimes, the logo is still.
  • Sometimes, it also shares the screen with other logos (including the 1999 Channel 4 "Square" logo).

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: None or the end theme of the show.

Availability: Seen on Dermot's Sporting Buddies, early seasons of Fifth Gear and at the end of F1 on ITV and WRC on Channel 4 coverage.

References

Chrysalis Television
All3Media
North One Television
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