Endemol

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum



Background

Endemol (formerly "Endemol Entertainment") was a Dutch production company founded in 1994 by Joop van den Ende and John de Mol through a merger of both their production companies: "Joop Van Den Ende TV-Producties" and "John De Mol Produkties", both of which continued to operate as subsidiaries of Endemol for a while. Their first big success was the reality series Big Brother, which first aired in the Netherlands in 1999.

The company was purchased by Telefónica in 2000, Mediaset on May 14, 2007 and sold to Apollo Global Management on April 3, 2012. It was also listed on the Euronext between November 2005 and August 2007. On May 15, 2014, Apollo and 21st Century Fox announced a joint venture to merge Endemol and Shine Group (now owned by Banijay). The Endemol brand was gradually phased out afterwards, although it is still used for Endemol Portugal, Endemol France and Endemol Production.



1st Logo (November 1, 1994-September 20, 2001)


Visuals: On a black background, the gold word "ENDEMOL" zooms out one letter at a time at a fast pace, with the word "ENTERTAINMENT" zooming out underneath. A warp effect then occurs while the letters continue to zoom out and start to spread to finish forming the words. There is also a blue blast effect, which reveals a white spiked-arched crown (one above and one below) that would later turn blue. The words "ENDEMOL" and "ENTERTAINMENT" later turn yellow.

Variants:

  • This logo would have an effect just like the Embassy Television and Embassy Communications logos: the animation would play over the ending of any television show, but the background would later turn black.
  • There is also a short variant.
  • The logo appears white and still on Bear With Me.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A loud whoosh as the letters are zooming out, followed by two drumbeats and another whoosh.

Audio Variants:

  • Sometimes, the end theme plays over or none.
  • Original NBC and CBS airings used a generic theme.

Availability:

  • It is seen on such shows like Chains of Love, RTL's Mini-Playback Show, and Lucky Letters.
  • The short variant is seen on S1 episodes of Fear Factor and Big Brother 1 & 2 on Paramount+.
  • It also appears at the end of Derby on True Movies, after the Atlantis logo.
  • It was also seen at the end of The Audrey Hepburn Story, Beastmaster, Avalanche, and some all Atlantis titles.
  • It was also seen at the end of The Ray Bradbury Theater (on a Russian airing, it was plastered with the Fireworks Entertainment logo).

2nd Logo (October 2001-February 9, 2018)

Visuals: A cloud of digital vapor appears on a black background, forming a slanted blue disc on its side, which spins up to face the screen. "endemol" in Officina Sans Bold traces in front of the disc and zooms onto it. A white eye then fades onto the disc.

Trivia: This logo represents the eye of the titular symbol from the Big Brother franchise.

Variants:

  • Shows produced by Endemol's divisions outside of the Netherlands have the country's name below.
    • Sometimes, the logo slides to the left, revealing the name of the respective country, which slides to the right when it's completed.
    • The France version has the animation slightly sped-up, and the country name zaps in under the company name at the end.
  • An alternate version exists where a vertical blue object appears by a slash effect (instead of the cloud vapor effect), flattening and transforming into a disc. It wobbles, flipping upwards and spinning rapidly, eventually unveiling a 2D eye and forming the same logo with no Endemol wordmark. When the eyes appear, it not only flickers a blue glow, but the company name (e.g. Zeppotron, Initial, True Entertainment and Endemol UK Productions) whooshes and flies underneath it at a fast pace.
  • An in-credit version exists.
  • A print version of the logo exists. For foreign distribution, the text "Worldwide Sales - Endemol International and Distribution" is shown above the logo. It was also seen in Germany, as well as on DS games; such versions exist for Italy, the UK and the USA. The print version also appeared in GMA 7 of Wipeout (as Wipeout Matira Matibay).
  • On some international shows, the logo is right or left with the TV station on right or left. On the Philippine adaptation of Big Brother (Pinoy Big Brother), the logo is right, on the left is the 2000 ABS-CBN logo.
  • A variant exists where the logo fades out after it's formed.
  • On Cash en Carlo, the logo is still with the 2001 FremantleMedia logo in the credits.
  • A stretched 16:9 variant exists.
  • A cropped letterbox variant exists.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Usually the end theme of the show can be heard, sometimes it can be silent. The logo's own music is a ringing sound when the disc appears, followed by a wobbly whoosh sound and then a streak-like sound when the disc spins.

Audio Variants:

  • The international variant has a whoosh sound when the logo slides.
  • On the Argentine version of Fear Factor, slashes and sharp whooshes are heard over the ending fire sounds.

Availability: Appears on shows from the company.

3rd Logo (Late 2001-Early 2008)


Visuals: On a black background, the same Endemol logo from before zooms out through an iris-out effect, during which the eye looks around a while, with a sliding reflection also seen in its pupil. As light shines through the disc and the company name lands on it, the eye blinks and a laser circles the disc producing a cloud of realistic vapor, and "endemol" bounces a bit before landing back on the disc.

Variants:

  • The Italian version already has the disc with constant lighting in place, as vapor appears around it and the company name lands on it, then "italia" fades in next to it.
  • On Big Brother Germany, the logo is in-credit.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Usually the end theme of the show or none, but like the previous logo, it sometimes comes with its own music, which consists of two whooshes when the logo is zooming out, and a clang when it's done zooming out.

Audio Variant: The Italian version uses the audio from the last logo.

Availability: Appears on shows from the company.

4th Logo (February 12, 2008-August 2020)


Visuals: On a black background, the Endemol logo appears slowly rotating, surrounded by reflections and shadows of itself. There is a light blink over the shield.

Variants:

  • In its early years, the light blink was absent on the final product, even the overall effects were different (including the part where the reflections and shadows are disappearing).
  • Starting in 2011, the logo was put on a dark blue background. It was used in tandem with the original black background version.
  • Sometimes, the logo is sped-up.
  • Sometimes, the logo has a copyright notice underneath it.
  • On shows produced by 51 Minds, the logo would appear already formed right after the former's logo.
  • On the 3rd season of 1 vs. 100 on GSN, the logo appears in-credit.
  • On Wipeout: The Game, the logo shakes a bit as it first appears, then animates normally.
  • A variant exists from 2016 that has the Endemol Shine Group logo underneath, serving as a byline. It slides in like how that logo regularly does.
  • Another variant is seen on the Vietnamese version of 1 vs. 100; the logo is smaller and on the right of some Vietnamese text.

Technique: CGI by MELON iSolutions.

Audio: Originally, it used the previous logo's theme, but it later used a soft guitar/choir sounder, which was composed by Michael J. McEvoy at DMI Productions. However, different whooshes are heard in the logo's early years.

Availability:

  • Seen on Wipeout on ABC, Hell on Wheels on AMC, and the Big Brother franchise on CBS and on its international versions.
  • It was also seen in-credit on the third season of 1 vs. 100 on GSN.
  • It also appears on some licensed international shows and games, like on all of the Wipeout games for the Wii.
  • The sped-up variant is seen on Steve Harvey in syndication.
  • The version with the dark blue background is also seen on Steve Harvey.
  • This logo was gradually retired after the Endemol Shine merger in 2014, however it was still in use in Portugal until 2020.

5th Logo (2014-2016)


Visuals: On a white background, there is a reverse shatter effect that forms a 3D version of the Endemol logo, with the text "beyond" to the right of it.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A Transformers-like robotic sound. Done at DMI Productions.

Availability: Seen on remixes on YouTube, such as Fear Factor remixes.

6th Logo (August 21, 2020-)


Visuals: On a white background, the Endemol disc slides next to the word "portugal", then the Endemol name slides inside the disc when the eye opens. The Banijay byline fades in and the Endemol logo shines.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A two-note piano theme with a harp.

Availability: Seen on Portugal-exclusive shows by Endemol Portugal, such as Dança Comigo (the Portuguese adaptation of Dancing with the Stars).

Joop Van Den Ende TV-Producties
John De Mol Produkties
Endemol
Endemol Shine Group
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