Decode Entertainment

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum



Background

Decode Entertainment was a Canadian television production company. It was founded in 1997 by Steven DeNure, Neil Court, and John Delmage. In 2006, the company merged with Halifax Film to form DHX Media (now WildBrain). The name "Decode" is an acronym of the combination of the founders' last names.



1st Logo (September 13, 1997-September 22, 2000)

Visuals: On a white grainy background, the word "DECODE" in a violet American Typewriter font appears letter-by-letter, while its light swirls. After, the text "Entertainment Inc." in a violet Comic Sans-like font, fades in while shooting out light rays.

Variant: On most shows, there's a short version with just the finished product.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: None or the ending theme.

Availability:

  • Seen on the first 38 episodes of Rainbow Fish on HBO Family, as well as the first season of Freaky Stories.
  • Also appeared on The New Ghostwriter Mysteries, Brats of the Lost Nebula, Watership Down and Weird-Oh's.

2nd Logo (October 4, 1999-April 21, 2009)

Visuals: On a blue background filled with TV static, a bunch of symbols change at lightning quick speed. They are:

  • A crudely drawn "1"
  • A "6" in the Army font
  • A blocky "T"
  • A "3" in Calibri Bold
  • An "E" in Times New Roman Italic
  • An asterisk
  • A peace sign
  • A chromosome
  • The Scorpio symbol
  • An "i"
  • An italic "C"
  • A "R"
  • A tall, very thin "A"
  • A "d" in Comic Sans
  • An information symbol

They form the word "DECODE" in Mekanik Std Regular. As this happens, a yellow smiling robot head with one eye and a crooked antenna, sorting transmission symbols, appears on the lower left corner of the screen, before blinking once.

Variants:

  • Depending on the show, the logo either cuts or fades to black at the end (on rare occasions, the logo would cut the robot head blinking).
  • On many shows, a copyright stamp appears next to the robot.
  • An in-credit variant exists on some shows, where the robot head is shown on a white square above the word "DECODE" (the word itself is in white this time). Seen on the British dub of Franny's Feet and also on Planet Sketch and The Adrenaline Project (albeit with a byline underneath).
  • On Bromwell High, the logo is slightly longer.
  • On some shows, like The Hoobs, the logo is shown via split screen with other production logos.
  • On The Save-Ums!, the robot head is shown in the end credits (which is not tilted to its side this time) as it's blinking.

Technique: 2D computer animation. A digital graphic for the in-credit variant.

Audio: A TV static sound or the closing theme.

Audio Variants:

  • On early episodes of Chop Socky Chooks, none.
  • On Angela Anaconda, there is the title character (voiced by Sue Rose) laughing psychotically.

Availability:

  • While their output isn't reran on TV that often (at least in the U.S.), it was seen on a lot of different shows produced by Decode, such as seasons one and two of Franny's Feet (WNET prints only use this on season one), King, Angela Anaconda, The Naughty Naughty Pets, The Zack Files, Naturally Sadie, Dudson, Olliver's Adventures, Our Hero, Bromwell High, and The Save-Ums! (last reran on Family Jr. on February 14, 2022).
  • Also appeared on season one episodes of Planet Sketch and Delilah and Julius, the first nine episodes of Chop Socky Chooks, Radio Free Roscoe, and later episodes of Weird-Oh's and Watership Down, just to name a few.

3rd Logo (August 31, 2007-October 15, 2011)

Visuals: On a blue background, the robot head (now with a slightly modified design) is walking on the letters in "Entertainment". The text says "DECODE Entertainment Inc." It bounces on over the "t" and once it gets to an "i", its antenna gets stuck, which sends it jumping. It floats over the "n" and lands on the "e", then does a flip as the antenna gets caught on the "t". The robot head is catapulted and the text is revealed with the DHX Media byline, with another robot head under it, watching the other robot head float in the air. The "DECODE" text is in yellow, and the robot head looks at us once the other one is off screen.

Variants:

  • On most shows, the first portion of the logo is cut off.
  • A much shorter version of the logo appears on Poppetstown with the first 2 parts cut off.
  • On WNET prints of Franny's Feet, we only see the last part of the logo, but on seasons 2-3, we don't even get to see the catapult scene.
  • On shows by Halifax Film (which are The Mighty Jungle, Bo on the Go!, Animal Mechanicals and Pirates: Adventures in Art), the logo appears as an in-credit logo.
    • On 2010s American reruns of the aforementioned The Mighty Jungle the logo is sped-up. However, all other prints would have this shortened but in normal speed.
  • On Waybuloo, the print logo (which is stacked for the company name and the byline) appears as an in-credit logo, which is next to The Foundation and CBeebies logos. The variant for this logo can be rarely seen.
  • A common variant features the copyright stamp, seen on Clang Invasion, Urban Vermin, The Latest Buzz, Naturally Sadie and season 3 of Franny's Feet.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Usually the ending theme played over, but on Chop Socky Chooks and the trailer for How to Be Indie, the logo is silent.

Availability:

  • It debuted on season 2 of Delilah & Julius.
  • Seen on the first season of Super Why! on PBS Kids (the second and third seasons replace this with the DHX Media logo). Also seen on shows by Halifax Film after the merger, such as The Mighty Jungle, Bo on the Go!, Animal Mechanicals and Pirates: Adventures in Art.
  • The longer version was seen only on the aforementioned Pirates: Adventures in Art and, so far, on the aforementioned trailer for How to Be Indie.
  • Also seen on The Latest Buzz, Clang Invasion, and the second season of Planet Sketch, as well as the final seventeen episodes of Chop Socky Chooks.
  • It plasters the previous logo on current prints of Naturally Sadie Season 3.
  • This doesn't appear on The Adrenaline Project, as the in-credit version of the second logo is used instead.
  • Nowadays, all of the shows described above (save for Super Why!, which used to be one of the most rerun shows on PBS Kids) are barely ever reran, as this logo (and other DHX/WildBrain divisions' logos) is plastered by the DHX Media/WildBrain logo.
Decode Entertainment
DHX Media