Crest Animation

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

Background

In 2000, due to heavy box office losses, Richard Rich's Rich Animation Studios was sold to Indian company Crest Communications Ltd. to form RichCrest Animation with A. K. Madhavan. The company became focused on animated television shows; it worked on shows like Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks for PBS Kids and Pet Alien for Cartoon Network under the "Crest Communications" name. The company also started a deal in the mid 2000's with Lionsgate Films to release three animated features, starting with the September 2010 release Alpha and Omega. However, it only pulled in a mediocre $25 million domestic and $50 million worldwide, though it became Lionsgate's highest-grossing animated film until Aardman Animations' Shaun the Sheep Movie surpassed it in 2015 (it is still currently Lionsgate's highest-grossing animated film domestically).

In February 2007, RichCrest Animation was renamed Crest Animation. Around 2010-2013, Madhavan left to form Assemblage Entertainment, taking the infamous (then in development) Norm of the North with his company as it partnered with Mike Young's Splash Entertainment (who, ironically, co-produced Pet Alien with Crest). Crest Animation moved on to producing direct-to-video films like the first four sequels to Alpha and Omega as well as new (CGI) sequels to The Swan Princess, until its bankruptcy in 2013. The last Alpha and Omega sequels were produced by Splash Entertainment, while Crest Animation was reorganized and relaunched by Richard Rich as Streetlight Animation, who continued producing direct-to-video sequels to The Swan Princess.

Crest Communications

Logo (September 7, 2003-January 23, 2007)

Visuals: On a black background, a rectangle depicting grainy black and white footage (as if it was filmed on a vintage camera) shows a rectangle with "CREST" underneath and two irregular shapes below turning anti-clockwise to face the front while being formed. Once it is formed, the logo shows a swoosh resembling a "C". "COMMUNICATION LIMITED" fades in below, being laid flat.

Variant: Sometimes, the logo is shown via split screen with other production logos.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The ending theme.

Availability: Seen on Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks and season 1 of Pet Alien.

Crest Animation

Logo (September 17, 2010-August 4, 2015)

Visuals: On a black background, a blue streak of light swirls around the screen and makes a "C"-like figure going up beyond the screen. The name appears, slowly zooming in:

C R E S T
A N i M A T i O N

Variants: What happens next depends on the movie:

  • Alpha and Omega: Paddy flies over and lays on his back inside the "C"-like figure. Then he folds his wings, looks at us, and winks.
  • The Little Engine That Could: Hudson jumps onto the "C" in "CREST" and slips off, falling inside the C-like figure. Then it winks.
  • The Swan Princess Christmas: As the "C"-like figure forms, Jean-Bob is seen skating on his ice skates and jumps from it to the "C", on the words "CREST", and then poses on the "T".
  • Alpha and Omega 2: A Howl-iday Adventure / Alpha and Omega: The Legend of the Saw Tooth Cave / Alpha and Omega: Family Vacation: Stinky and Claudette run on top of the text and jump onto the C-like figure and slide up. Runt appears, but then stops and shakes his head.
  • The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale: When Scully chases Jean-Bob, he slips and falls as the "C"-like figure forms. Jean-Bob then drags him off.
  • Alpha and Omega 3: The Great Wolf Games: Runt is now on top of the text, while Brent and Agnes are on the bottom. Runt jumps onto the C-like figure and slides up, but suddenly lands on Agnes' quills.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The opening theme of the movie, accompanied by various sound effects depending on the variant.

Availability: Seen on The Little Engine That Could, The Swan Princess Christmas, The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale, and the first five Alpha and Omega movies.

RichCrest Animation
Crest Animation
Streetlight Animation