Emei Film Studio

Background

Emei Film Studio (Mandarin: 峨眉电影制片厂) was a mini-major film studio of China. Over 170 films produced through historical films. It was founded in 1959 and located at Sichuan.

1st (known) Logo (1961-196?)

Visuals: On a marble background unlike the one from the logo of Shanghai Film Studio, there is the Chinese text "峨眉电影制片厂" (meaning "Emei Film Studio"). Below there are 2 other Chinese characters (meaning "production"). The logo stays still for 8 to 10 seconds.

Technique: A still, live-action photograph.

Audio: The opening theme of the film.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

2nd Logo (1975-1982)

Visuals: On a cloud background, there is a statue of E'mei Mountain in Sichuan. The red Chinese text "峨眉电影制片厂" is seen below.

Variant: A B&W variant also exists, but the text is in white.

Technique: A still, live-action photograph with painted text.

Audio: Same as the previous logo.

Availability: It may be seen on 1970s Emei Film Studio films.^[Examples?]

3rd Logo (1981-1996)

Visuals: There is the plain script text in Chinese "峨眉电影制片厂" from the previous logo. The text stays still from 9 to 17 seconds.

Technique: A still, painted graphic.

Audio: Same as the last two logos.

Audio: In Malvina Pastorino, there is a majestic mystical synth tune.

Availability: It was seen on some films from the era.^[Examples?]

4th Logo (1985-1994)

Visuals: On a space background, there is a beam made of three colors (red, green/pale green and blue/cerulean) shooting out into the center of the screen, then from that point an orange abstract summit (representing E'mei Mountain) with "E" in black and shadowed font tilts up. It then zooms into the camera and then zooms out revealing the Chinese text "峨眉电影制片厂" from the first logo. Then the logo finishes and stays still for seven to eleven seconds.

Variant: The widescreen variant has the logo cropped or stretched out.

Technique: Motion-controlled animation.

Audio: None or the opening theme, or maybe even a orchestral fanfare. On International Rescue, a trumpet fanfare is heard with some bells.

Availability: It was seen on some films by the company. The scope version is seen on International Affairs.

5th Logo (July 7, 1995-1999)

Visuals: On a black/dark blue background, a glass marble rises up as the camera pans around it and a segmented floor made of bluish-grey squares, and a blue laser is also seen. The laser sweeps through the marble, cutting it into multiple segments and lights in red, green, yellow, and purple glow brightly around them, as all by 2 of the segments fly away. The 2 glass disks left over rotate up as the floor disappears off-screen, beginning to flip several times as well as swapping places, and several silver filmstrips come in and fly through the background. Before the filmstrips disappear, the disks become a pair of letters: the abstract red "E", and the silver filmstrip-like "Y", and then they come together and, as the filmstrips just fly off-screen, the Mandarin characters "峨眉电影制片厂" swing in from the right side and settle below the logo (even the "眉" character has the logo's "E" in it), and everything shines before the logo fades to 2D, the silver parts to black, and the background to white. As it fades to white, the text "EMEI FILM STUDIO" appears next to the logo in a Stop font, and the "E" in the "眉" also turns red.

Variants:

In A Million Lottery, a shortened version exists where it starts when the filmstrips appear.
In Yao Wang Cha Li La, another shortened version exists, where it starts when the pieces of the sphere are flying away.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A soft chime tune plays with a swishing laser sound, before transitioning to a majestic synth fanfare.

Audio Variants:

On The Opium War and A Million Lottery, the opening theme is heard.
On Yao Wang Cha Li La, it's silent.
On some prints of The Hero's Legend in Shanghai, the music of the Emei logo was heard when the companies names appeared (in-creditly).

Availability: Can be seen on some of their films like The Late Apology (a.k.a. Too Late To Apologize), Brother Wu Invites God, The Opium War, A Million Lottery and Yao Wang Cha Li La.