Cinram International

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

Background

Cinram International was a Toronto, Canada-based manufacturer of pre-recorded Blu-ray discs, DVDs, CD-Audio, CD-ROMs, VHS tapes and audio cassettes. It was an affiliate of Arizona-based private investment firm Najafi Companies. The company's fortunes began to decline with the rise of online streaming services. In 2010, Cinram lost its major contract for distributing Warner Bros. movies, and its stock began to fall. In 2012, the company sought bankruptcy protection from its creditors in the United States, and was later bought by Najafi Companies. In 2014, the company ended its manufacturing operations in Toronto; that year, it bought JVC America from JVC Kenwood. In 2015, it shut its Tuscaloosa, Alabama manufacturing plant. On November 3, 2015, Paris-based Technicolor SA announced the acquisition of Cinram that same month.

1st Logo (as Cinram DVD Center Pop) (October 1, 1997-2004)


Visuals: On a black background, there is a silhouette of a hand holding a DVD disc, which flashes and then spins. At the same time, the stacked words “cinram DVD CENTER POP”, with “cinram“ and “POP” in their corporate fonts, and “DVD CENTER” sandwiched between a pair of lines, flash in at the same time as the hand and disc. Underneath the logo is the URL "www.popstudios.com" in a Helvetica Neue font. After a few seconds, a light swipes the URL. After that, the logo fades out with the URL fading out a second later.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A synth swipe, then a synth choir, combined with a synth slash.

Availability:

  • It first appeared at the end of a few Live/Artisan Entertainment DVDs such as the 1998-99 DVD releases of L.A. Story, Suicide Kings and The Stand.
  • It also appears at the end of Pioneer Entertainment DVDs such as the 1997-98 DVD releases of Tenchi the Movie: Tenchi Muyo in Love and Tenchi the Movie 2: Daughter of Darkness and the 2001 Special Edition DVD release of Akira.
  • It also appears at the end of Viz Video DVDs such as early Pokemon DVDs.
  • It even appears on the Trimark Home Video DVD releases of Chairman of the Board and Natural Born Killers: Director's Cut.
  • It can be found on early Bandai Entertainment DVDs such as Saber Marionette J, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz: Special Edition, Blue Submarine No. 6, and The Big O.


2nd Logo (as Cinram Digital Media Services) (August 3, 2004-October 19, 2010)


Visuals: On a smoky background, there are five circles (two blue, two light green, and one red) and the letters of “cinram” in its corporate font flying past each other and then zooming out. The then-current Cinram logo then flies to the middle of the background with the words “digital”, ”media”, and ”services” wiping in under the logo. The smoke in the background continues to move as the logo fades out.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A few whooshes followed by a quiet synth theme.

Availability: A bit more common than the previous logo.

  • It appears on a few New Line Home Entertainment DVDs such as The Notebook, The Upside of Anger, Nature of the Beast, The Man, Cyber Wars, Laws of Attraction, Fracture and The Nativity Story.
  • It also appears on MGM DVDs from 2004 to 2005, such as Weekend at Bernie's, Undertow, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Night of the Comet, C.H.O.M.P.S., The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Gotham (1988), and The Emperor's New Clothes.
  • It can also be found on a few Lionsgate Home Entertainment DVDs such as Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, ALF Animated Adventures: 200,000 Years in Driving School, Peppa Pig: Muddy Puddles and Other Stories, One Touch of Venus, Santa's Slay, Unhitched, and the 20th Anniversary Edition DVD release of The Monster Squad.
  • It makes an appearance on the Magnolia Home Entertainment DVD and Blu-ray releases of Food, Inc., Bronson, Two Lovers, World's Greatest Dad, The Warlords, and The Burning Plain.
  • It appears on a 2004 HBO Home Video DVD of Hostile Waters.
  • It appears on the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment DVD release of Bratz: Genie Magic.