Disney Channel Original Movies

Credits

Descriptions by
lukesams, Originalsboy11 and BenIsRandom

Captures by
SubparMario63

Editions by
BenIsRandom and Originalsboy11

Background

Made-for-television films were produced for the Disney Channel as early as 1983, when the channel officially launched. However, up until August 23, 1997, they were released under the "Disney Channel Premiere Films" label. On October 25, 1997, Disney Channel started producing their own TV movies under the "Disney Channel Original Movies" banner. The first official Disney Channel Original Movie was Under Wraps. On June 24, 2016, Disney Channel premiered its 100th original film, Adventures in Babysitting (a remake of the 1987 film of the same name).

1st Logo (1999-2002)

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Visuals: In an outdoor environment at sunset with grass, shrubs and houses, there is a cream-colored '50s-esque car come driving down a road, before coming closer to us to show that it is actually levitating. All of a sudden, its front end and bumper slide out and the car opens up a la a Transformer to reveal green chairs, a projection screen that grows, a film projector, and bags of popcorn and drink cups that slide out from the inner sides of the car. The camera pans up to the projection screen as the car has fully transformed, as it shows a purple-colored film countdown with the 1997 Disney Channel logo in the center. As the countdown animates, "ORIGINAL" at the top and "MOVIE" at the bottom are wiped in.

Technique: CGI that resembles stop-motion; designed by Semuta Films and animated by Head Gear Animation.

Audio: A whimsical orchestral tune alongside sound effects correlating to the actions on-screen.

Audio Variant: An unused prototype version existed, using a rockabilly-esque tune throughout with different sound effects.

Availability: Can be found on VHS releases of Disney Channel movies of the time, such as Double Teamed, Miracle in Lane 2 and The Color of Friendship. Also used as an opening at the time.

2nd Logo (Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars closing variant) (March 26, 2010)

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Visuals: There is a close up of a filmstrip, with the Disney Channel Mickey Mouse head. It zooms out to reveal that it has a banner with the word "mOVIe" on it. When it's finished zooming out, pixie dust emerges out of it.

Trivia: This is basically the ending of the Disney Channel Movie intro during the period. Designed by Monkeyhead, and animated by Mac&Cheez.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The end theme of the movie.

Availability: This was only seen on Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, which is currently available for viewing on Tubi.

3rd Logo (June 1, 2012-January 17, 2014)

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  Main logo

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  Without text

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  Without banner

Visuals: On a light blue background with two spotlights on it, a light blue trail of pixie dust brings in the 2010 Disney Channel logo (which is the 2002 Disney Channel logo inside a tube) with a banner reading "OrIGInaL mOVIe" in it. The logo then shines.

Variants:

• There is a version used as a station ident, in which the "OrIGInaL mOVIe" banner is absent and the logo has more of a 2D look.
• Another version had the banner, but without the "OrIGInaL mOVIe" text. This was only seen on Teen Beach Movie.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The ending theme of the TV movie playing over it, or none.

Availability: First seen on Let It Shine, and went on to appear on other DCOMs during the period. It was last used on Cloud 9.

4th Logo (June 27, 2014-October 7, 2016)

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  Logo with banner

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  Logo without banner

Visuals: On a periwinkle background with a light, there are two trails of pixie dust flying by. We then see many other trails forming the 2014 Disney Channel logo and four curved sections. The top left sections are periwinkle and clear. The bottom right sections are clear and blue. As the logo itself forms, a fancy white banner with the words "ORIGINAL MOVIE" flips down to face the audience. The entire logo shines a bit.

Variant: This is used for a station ident, but with a different format. There is no banner beneath the logo, and the sections are placed differently. Also, the logo is a bit more 3-dimensional.

Technique: CGI from BDA Creative.

Audio: A synth tune, or no music at all.

Availability: Seen on How to Build a Better Boy and other movies such as Zapped! and Teen Beach 2. It was last seen on The Swap.

5th Logo (June 24, 2016)

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Visuals: The sequence starts with a close-up of a laboratory-like environment with what appears to be some neon lights. There is a gear with the logo for Halloweentown on it spin around as a light lights up as it rises. The gear then reveals the logo for Descendants. The screen then cuts to another close-up, this time showing two gears with the logos of Teen Beach Movie, The Cheetah Girls, Camp Rock, High School Musical and Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie on them. The screen then cuts to yet another close-up with some more neon lights with a gear with the logos of Good Luck Charlie: It's Christmas!, the reboot of Adventures in Babysitting, and Zenon on them. The screen then cuts to the number "100" made out of neon lights (with 6 outlines surrounding it and with the second "0" having Mickey Mouse ears) with "CELEBRATING" on top of the "10". Below that is the current Disney Channel logo with a black rounded rectangle that reads "ORIGINAL MOVIES" next to it. It is not lit up at first, but once the camera (which is at an angle) turns to face the logo head-on, everything lights up. A few blue and purple spotlights shine on the logo as there are some pixie dust fly by.

Trivia: This was used on the 2016 remake of Adventures in Babysitting, which was the 100th original movie to be made by Disney Channel.

Technique: CGI from BDA Creative.

Audio: The sequence starts off with a deep whoosh, then we hear an orchestral tune that builds up, which ends with an orchestral version of the 2002 Disney Channel jingle. Composed by David Norland.

Audio Trivia: This music was taken from the Disney Channel Movie intros from 2014-2017 and 2019-2021.

Availability: Seen only on the 2016 remake of Adventures in Babysitting.

6th Logo (July 21, 2017-December 3, 2021)

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Visuals: On a pink background, with a stylized Mickey Mouse head engrained, a yellow outline of the same head is seen to the right of the screen. Little emojis are seen on the bottom of the screen, floating from right to the left side of the screen. Parts of a yellow tab with it appears by sliding from the left, coming from the yellow outline. While this is happening, the background becomes light blue. When the tab is done forming, a white circle with the stylized head in the center of it appears, and it causes the tab to become larger and contain the 2014 Disney Channel logo. The tab goes away, leaving the logo and causing the background to become gray and two searchlights appear to the left and the right of the logo and start animating. When the tab goes away, a yellow banner, whose design is similar to the one seen in the 4th logo slides down below the Disney Channel logo and the words "ORIGINAL MOVIE" are written on it.

Variant: When it debuted on Descendants 2, the logo was shortened down to where the yellow tab transforms the small Mickey Mouse head inside of it to the 2014 Disney Channel logo.

Technique: 2D CGI by MakinÉ Studios.

Audio: The ending theme of the movie.

Availability: Seen on Descendants 2, Zombies, the 2018 remake of Freaky Friday, and the 2019 live-action Kim Possible movie. This logo made surprise re-appearances on Upside-Down Magic in 2020 and Christmas... Again?! in 2021.

7th Logo (August 2, 2019-)

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Visuals: On a black and blue background, there is a yellow circle zoom towards the camera. As it does so, many multicolored lines fly out towards the camera as well, ushering in the current Disney Channel logo, which zooms in as it is forming, as well as lots of multicolored stars, circles, and patterns. Three big gold stars (drawn in the style of the stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame) also appear, and four gold searchlights appear from the bottom of the screen. Now colored blue with white and light blue filling, the logo stops, and a banner (carrying the same design as the 4th and 6th logos) with the words "ORIGINAL MOVIE" on it drops down below.

Technique: 2D CGI by MakinÉ Studios, like the previous logo.

Audio: None or the ending theme of the movie.

Availability:

• Seen on Descendants 3 and other current DCOMs.
• This did not appear on Upside-Down Magic and Christmas...Again?! as the previous logo was used instead.
• While this logo is seen on Zombies 3 on Disney+, it is not seen on Disney Channel airings as the logo is edited out.