AVID:Tutorials

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

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Tutorials




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Our goal at AVID is to document as many company identities as possible, and how you can help, is by writing articles for the wiki.

This tutorial is designed to give users a rundown of how articles on AVID should be formatted, as well as comprehensive descriptions on page elements you may run into.

How do I...






New to MediaWiki?

No problem! If you need help learning the features of the MediaWiki editing system, please refer to MediaWiki Help. This will give you a quick guide on how to edit on the MediaWiki system. This manual may not be needed if users are already familiar with editing on Wikipedia, FANDOM, Miraheze, ShoutWiki, or other WikiForge/WikiTide wikis.

Article Elements

Articles on AVID use a standard format. In order, the article formatting elements used are:

  • Page Buttons - Use this template if there are additional pages connected to the company, such as Logo Variations or Trailers.
  • Credits - Credits should be added to all new pages. It informs the reader the users worked on the article they're reading. *
  • Infobox - A template that summarizes the company's background. Useful for articles of larger studios.
  • Background - A crash course on the company's history. This may prove more helpful than infoboxes, in certain scenarios. *
  • Table of Contents - Helps for easier navigation in an article. Three different types are presented.
  • Header - Shows the time period the logo was used between, as well as where it is placed chronologically. *
  • Gallery - Where images and videos of the logo are displayed. *
  • Description Sections - The most important part of any article, this format has mostly stayed the same for over 20 years. *
  • Final Note - If a company no longer exists, this short description essentially explains the fate of the company and how it went defunct.
  • External Links - Add supplementary material about the company's history.
  • Chronology - Links companies to its successors (and/or predecessors).
  • Navboxes - A small box at the bottom of the page which allows for easy navigation between pages.
  • Categories - Where articles with a common trait or topic are placed for sorting. *

Any elements tagged with "*" are required on all pages.


Page Buttons

(optional element)
Where a page also has a Logo Variations page or you intend to create them, you should add the {{PageButtons}} template to allow for easy navigation between these pages. The markup for this is as follows: {{PageButtons|title=company name|Logo Variations=1|Trailers=1}},

which results in:

You can add or remove any of the three additional parameters depending on your needs, for example:

{{PageButtons|title=company name|Logo Variations=1}},


{{PageButtons|title=company name|Trailers=1}},

If using this template, be sure to put it on all the pages you added buttons for to ensure coherent and smooth navigation between them.


Credits

See AVID:Adding Credits for guidelines on how to add credits. An example is provided below:


The following syntax was used:
{{PageCredits|description=The people who wrote the descriptions for the logos.|capture=The people whose image captures are included on the page.|video=The people whose videos are included in the page.|edits=The people who made small edits to the page over time.}}


Infobox

(optional element)

Infoboxes are used to give the reader bite-sized information about the company being described in the article. Remember, not all articles have infoboxes, as some companies do not have sufficient information to warrant it.

Example

Description Elements

Background

This is the background. The paragraph you type here will describe the history of the company whose logos you're describing. Talk about information such as who founded the company, when it was founded, the company that owns it, any subsidiaries they have, it's reputation, and more. It's a good section to write for those who may not know about the company's backstory. Remember, it is required to bold any company name the first time it is mentioned. Also, if the background needs to be split into multiple paragraphs, you are able to do so. If very little about the company is known, then a simple statement such as "(Company name) is a (country name) film production company" or something similar may suffice, provided there is actually very little information on the Internet.

Example

Background


Paramount Pictures is the second oldest-running movie studio in Hollywood (second only to Universal Pictures, which was founded eight days earlier). Paramount traces its history back to May 8, 1912, when it was originally founded as Famous Players Film Company by Hungarian-born Adolph Zukor. He had been an early investor in nickelodeons (film theaters that cost 5 cents for admission), and saw that movies appealed mainly to working-class immigrants. With partners Daniel Frohman and Charles Frohman, he planned to offer motion pictures that would appeal to the middle class by featuring leading theatrical players of the time (leading to the slogan "famous players in famous plays"). By 1913, Famous Players had completed five films and Zukor was on his way to success. That same year, fellow aspiring producer Jesse L. Lasky opened the Lasky Feature Play Company with money borrowed from his brother-in-law - the founder of Goldwyn Pictures (later part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios) Samuel Goldfish (later known as Samuel Goldwyn). The Lasky company hired Cecil B. DeMille, a stage director with virtually no film experience, as their first employee; DeMille would find a suitable location site in Hollywood for his first film The Squaw Man (1914).

In 1914, Famous Players was renamed Paramount Pictures Corporation. Lasky left Paramount in 1932, with Zukor blaming him for the studio's financial issues at the time. In 1948, Paramount was taken to the United States Supreme Court. This case, known as United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc., resulted in studios being forced to divest themselves of their theater holdings and, in addition to the concurrent rise of television, would mark the beginning of the end for the old "studio system". In 1959, Adolph Zukor stepped down from running the studio and assumed the role of chairman, which he held until 1964. On March 24, 1966, Paramount was acquired by Gulf+Western Industries, which later became Paramount Communications on June 5, 1989. As part of the acquisition by Gulf+Western, Lucille Ball's Desilu Productions and the Desilu lot were brought under Paramount's control and, in 1967, Desilu was renamed to Paramount Television.

On March 11, 1994, Paramount Communications was merged with Viacom. On December 31, 2005, Viacom split into two companies: one retaining its original name (inheriting Paramount, MTV Networks and BET Networks) and the other being named CBS Corporation (inheriting Paramount's television production and distribution arms, currently known as CBS Studios, CBS Media Ventures and Paramount Global Content Distribution, respectively), with both companies owned by National Amusements. Television rights to Paramount's library are currently handled by Trifecta Entertainment & Media. Paramount relaunched its Paramount Television division (now known as "Paramount Television Studios") on March 4, 2013. On August 13, 2019, it was announced that Viacom and CBS would reunite and merge to form ViacomCBS; the merger was completed on December 4, 2019. On February 16, 2022, ViacomCBS was renamed Paramount Global (or simply Paramount for short), named after the studio.


Table of Contents

(optional element)
When an article has more than three separate sections, a Table of Contents is automatically included for easier navigation on the page. Typically, they look like this:



However, there are cases where visual previews of the logos may be desired. For that, the ImageTOC template is available, which supports up to a hundred different logos. An example of it is below:


The following syntax was used:
{{ImageTOC |Dot.png|1st Logo |Dot.png|2nd Logo |Dot.png|3rd Logo |Dot.png|4th Logo |Dot.png|5th Logo |Dot.png|6th Logo |Dot.png|7th Logo |Dot.png|8th Logo }}


Sometimes, when a company has gone through one or more name changes, the SeparateTOC template may be of use instead, which supports up to ten name changes. An example of it is below:


The following syntax was used:
{{SeparateTOC | Old Name| {{ImageTOC |Dot.png|1st Logo |Dot.png|2nd Logo |Dot.png|3rd Logo }} | New Name| {{ImageTOC |Dot.png|1st Logo |Dot.png|2nd Logo |Dot.png|3rd Logo }}}}


Header

At the top of a logo description, you will see this header. This is an example of what it looks like:

??? Logo/ID/Open/Trailer/Tag (????) (????-????)


The header provides some info about the logo's lifespan: The first set of question marks are used to identify if the logo is the 1st in the article, 2nd, 3rd, and so on. The second set is used to signify any official nicknames for the logo.

The third set is to signify what year the logo is introduced. Remember, if specific dates are available, use those. If the logo is still being used today, omit the fourth question mark set, otherwise insert the year/date the logo was last used. Additionally, the set has to cover the logo's official lifespan, meaning where the logo officially debuted and ended. The following will not factor into the logo's lifespan:

  • Trailers and TV spots
  • Premieres at film festivals and other similar events
  • Home media releases (for film and television only)
  • Unreleased media (e.g. beta builds of video games)
  • A news article, webpage, or video revealing the new logo

However, if the logo made its only appearance on any of the above options, then they can be counted into their lifespans. They are also permitted to be mentioned in the Availability section if necessary. Also, dates in which the logo was used or revived for a brief period of time should not be included unless if it has seen normal use since. If the dates are close to each other in terms of time, then they can be consolidated into one lifespan. A logo that briefly returned 10 years after the time it was retired will not include the newer date in the header.

There is a simplified way to do this; the {{Ordinal}} template. When adding logos, simply add the number you're up to into this template (1, 2, etc.) and it will automatically change to 1st, 2nd, etc. This template simplifies the process of re-adding the suffixes (st, nd, rd, th) to the numbers if a logo is removed or relocated on the page for some reason.

Examples

Header for only one logo:
Logo (November 28, 1915-February 4, 1918)


Header for the nth logo:
3rd Logo (March 27, 1923-January 20, 1924)


Header for logo with official nickname:
3rd Trailer (Cimarron) (May 20, 1988-2002)


Header for logo with an official revival:
2nd Logo (July 4, 1979-March 19, 1997, October 4, 2013-)


Incorrect example - Redundant numeral for the company's only logo:
1st (and only) Logo (1990's)


Incorrect example - Header for logo with unofficial nickname:
2nd Logo (X's Brother) (1972-1974)


Incorrect examples - Covers dates in which the logo made a brief appearance:
5th Logo (June 16, 2000-March 17, 2006, 2010, April 12, 2019)

2nd Logo (1994-2012, November 25-27, 2021)


Incorrect example - Separate lifespans are too close to each other in time:
5th Logo (September 18-December 4, 1999, September 16, 2000-May 15, 2004)



Gallery

This is where images and videos of the logos will be displayed, for readers to get an idea of what the logo looks like, as well as to view videos of the logo's full animation. For more specific info, see AVID:Adding Captures.

Put any images here, using the gallery template.

Put any YouTube videos here, using the YouTube template.




Description Sections

Visuals: The heart of it all. This is used to describe what happens in the visual identity. Start by stating what the background looks like, and then describe any animations that happen during the sequence. Be very descriptive on this part - try to describe some smaller details if possible. This section should be written in a neutral point-of-view (NPOV) and in third-person; avoid using first-person pronouns.

  • Colored text in descriptions are strongly discouraged, which also includes text visualizations. Doing this does not benefit the text at all, and especially not the reader, because it only sacrifices readability for the sake of unnecessary flair.
  • If the visual is a still image, describe it as best as possible, including the background and objects depicted in the image.
  • Take your time on these, and make sure you revise. Leaving certain details out may lead to discrepancies between the description and the actual visuals.
  • You can also list what specific font(s) a logo uses if you're able to identify it, which we recommend using MyFonts' WhatTheFont tool for. Simply upload the capture containing the font you want to identify, click on one of the highlighted texts containing the desired font, and review the results from there. Make sure to check for any design inconsistencies between the original logo's font and the results before adding.
  • If the visuals are the same as another but with a minor difference, do not simply redirect to that section and state the differing detail. You may copy and paste that logo's description over to the new one with the small detail re-worded. Identities sharing the same as another's with no indicators for the specific division should be taken out or replaced with a note mentioning this fact.
Examples

Animated logo example:
Visuals: Over a black background is a circle made of ribbon-like filmstrips which have two filmstrips flowing out the bottom side, which looks like it's in twos. Underneath the circle is a Greek drama mask. A wreath surrounds it. The circle has the phrase "ARS GRATIA ARTIS" (Latin for "Art for Art's Sake") inscribed at the top, and the bottom is a marquee that reads "A GOLDWYN PICTURE". On the left side is the word "TRADE", and on the right is the word "MARK", with all of the aforementioned text being in serif. Inside the circle is a live-action footage of a lion (name unknown, nicknamed "Leo" by Samuel Goldwyn). The lion moves his head from left to right throughout and does not roar due to movies being silent at the time of the logo's creation.
Visuals: A picture of the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank is seen with a color|gold tint, and ripples slowly before rotating to reveal itself as the WB shield over the quintessential cloud background, both of which are now redone in CGI. The shield continues to rotate as it zooms out to its usual position, with the company byline fading in underneath.
Visuals: On a black background, the words "WALT DiSNEY" (in the signature script) begin to sketch themselves on screen in pinkish-gold, with the text arced a bit. As the screen zooms out, The words "MASTERPIECE" and "COLLECTION" zoom out from the bottom of the screen, with the word "MASTERPIECE" going left and the word "COLLECTION" going right. They then settle under the "WALT DiSNEY" text, spaced a bit against each other. Then, Tinker Bell (from Disney's Peter Pan) appears from behind the word "MASTERPIECE", hovers in front for a bit as she waves her magic wand, and then a bright flash appears, and when it clears, the finished logo appears: the text is now in a purple arc (slightly shaped like the Sesame Street sign) with a black, white and gold border, with "WALT DiSNEY" on top and the words "MASTERPIECE COLLECTION" on the bottom, with a small gray oval with the silver Disney castle logo between the words "MASTERPIECE" and "COLLECTION". Tinker Bell flies off to the left of the screen, leaving a trail of pixie dust to slowly dissolve. The logo "shines".
Visuals: The ribboning and the marquee look the same as the first one but with a different lion. The logo begins with the lion (name unknown, possibly Slats) staring to one side, then immediately skips after a second to the lion staring at the other side, then it skips to the lion looking down, turning his head, and looking at the camera with a slight snarl. After that, he roars a bit. After a second, it skips to the lion looking directly at the camera.

Still logo example:
Visuals: A downward facing triangle with an inner fifteen-black triangle border is shown with a "T" with a pointed leg and arm is displayed on top of the stacked text

COPYRIGHT (YEAR) BY
TRIANGLE FILM CORPORATION
NEW YORK CITY

The logo is within a thin white border with two vertical columns with the inverted "T" symbol on top, a pattern of downward triangles and two bottom dots below the "T" and two outer white outlines spaced slightly away from the columns.
Visuals: Almost the same as the 6th logo, only this time, the text "WARNER BROS. TELEVISION" is removed from above the shield and now appears inside the banner, and the company byline appears in a different font. The overall appearance of the shield is a lot "shinier" and more golden.
Visuals:

  • Opening: On the film's title card, the logo (The white letter "B" in a fancy font with a drawing of a flying bee on the bottom right corner of the letter) on both top corners, and the company name on the top center, all inside a frame.
  • Closing: On a black background, the same logo from the opening is shown at the center, as well as the white serif text:
Distributed by
Paramount Pictures Corporation

below the logo. The logo is also inside of a frame.
Visuals: A picture of an owl standing on a tree branch overlaps a giant white serif "P" with the serif text "PALLAS PICTURES" above it. Inside the bottom page scroll, which is part of the logo's border, the company's copyright info is seen with two copies of the logo inside a circle with wings besides it.
Visuals: On a black background is a mountain above a few clouds surrounded by stars. Over the mountain is scripted text reading:

Paramount
Pictures

Multiple logos example:
Visuals:

  • Standard version: Over a white background, a dual set of blue lines appear piece by piece, stacking upwards and downwards one after another. Then, six long objects pop in at the top and bottom of the segmented lines, revealing the large, stacked words "CBS FOX". Then, each letter of the word "VIDEO" pops in one by one below "FOX".
  • Australian variant: On a blue-black gradient background, two segmented white curved squares and one segmented red square zoom in and out from the screen. The words "CBS FOX", letter by letter, zoom in to the left side of the screen as another segmented white parallelogram zooms in. As it curves, it fills the screen, and the segments of the CBS/Fox logo zoom out from the top and bottom of the screen, and "TM" zooms in next to it, while the word "VIDEO" zooms out from the bottom.
  • Educational variant: On a blue-red gradient background, a eight-pointed light blue star flashes, and the serif text "A CBS/FOX VIDEO LEARNING EXPERIENCE" fades in. The words stay for several seconds, and then zoom away inward. While this happens, sets of white lines stack upon each other and form the CBS/Fox logo. A white flash below this forms the word "VIDEO".

Visuals: Here are the main variants of this logo:

  • 1977-2009: On a black background, two flashes move horizontally throughout the screen, forming parallel orange outlines from opposite sides of the screen. Both outlines have several slits and curves. Then the flashes move vertically to connect the two lines together, and form an outlined "WGBH" inside of the new shape. Once finished, an orange flash appears behind the outline. As the flash becomes bright, the WGBH logo fades out, and the stacked text "Boston Presents" appears in an orange Helvetica font. This was used as a bumper at the beginning of shows.
  • 1993-2008: Similar to the other logo, but the WGBH logo is already formed. The flash occurs, but this time the logo does not fade out. Additionally, the word "BOSTON" fades in, spaced out below the logo in an orange Univers font.

Incorrect example - Description is written in a conversational tone (first-person plural is used to address the logo):
Visuals: Over a sky background, we see the 1984 shield logo with the banner inscription "WARNER BROS. TELEVISION".

Incorrect example - The appearance of the actual logo is not described:
Visuals: On a black background is the Example Productions logo next to a white film camera.

Incorrect example - Usage of stylized fonts or colored text diminishes readability:
Visuals: On a black background is the yellow text:

Example Productions


Incorrect example - Describes the visuals that are the same as another logo with a minor difference by redirecting it:
Visuals: Same as the 1988 Carolco logo, except "HOME VIDEO" fades in below.


Trivia (optional): If there is some trivia about the logo, put them in this section. Examples include: the person/company that designed the logo, what software was used, some behind-the-scenes facts, official or notable nicknames the logo was given, etc.

  • Avoid putting information that is pop culture related/doesn't relate directly to the logo or its production. We recommend putting those in our dedicated pop culture logos page instead.
Examples

Single trivia examples:
Trivia: Although Disney switched its newer animated movies from traditional cel animation to digital ink-and-paint via CAPS (Computer Animation Production System) in 1990, the cel-animated version of this logo continued to be used until at least mid-2005, even though two digitally animated versions debuted in 1994 and 2002, respectively.
Trivia: 24 stars surround the mountain: one for each movie star that had a contract with the studio at the time.

Multiple trivia examples:
Trivia:

  • According to then-TriStar head Victor Kaufman, "one of the advisers in creating the company was Sydney Pollack, who was a famous director and actor, and he helped us put together the logo. The horse for the TriStar logo was the horse from The Electric Horseman, which he directed and made with Robert Redford. And the horse from The Electric Horseman was a dark horse, so he transposed the horse to look white, and put it on the screen, and created a Pegasus and created [...] the music and everything".
  • According to Elizabeth Kaye McCall's book The Tao of Horses, the Pegasus was played by "T-Bone", a white Arabian gelding who was trained by Hollywood horse trainer Corky Randall. The Pegasus sequence was filmed at night in an outdoor arena that Randall frequently used. T-Bone, powdered to look whiter, was to run in an especially made L-passage flanked by black curtains. When Randall called him, he galloped through it, and jumped over a fence to reach him, creating the desired effect.

Incorrect example - Trivia does not relate to the logo directly:
Trivia: At the time, ABC was the most watched television network in America due to the popularity of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.


Byline(s) (optional): If the logo uses multiple bylines during its period of use, add them here.

Example

Bylines:

  • June 8, 1984-September 14, 1990: "A WARNER COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY"
  • March 9, 1990-February 26, 1993: "A TIME WARNER COMPANY"
  • August 14, 1992-February 2, 2001: "A TIME WARNER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY"

Variant(s) (optional): If there are different variants of a logo (such as a prototype or an extended variation), add and describe them here. It's suggested to underline key portions of the variant being described, to make locating it easier.

  • Do not describe one-off variations here. In other words, the variant is specific to only one movie/show. These should go on a separate logo variations page.
  • If a variant is rare or unusual, be sure to avoid inserting POV terms such as "surprise", "strange", "odd", etc. If you think a rarity of a variant is notable, mention it in the Legacy section below, though it may need a form of community consensus.
Examples

If the logo has only one variant:
Variant: Similar to other logos from its time period, the logo may appear on the top or bottom of text cards.
Variant: There was an early version of this logo, which is slightly longer than the later version.

If the logo has multiple variants:

Variants:

  • A still variant of the standard logo exists, which appears on the original release of Sophie's Choice.
  • Some Australian releases with the Australian version of the logo do not have "TM".
  • A B&W variant of the standard logo also exists, which appears on the 1982 VHS release of The Diary of Anne Frank and the 1983 VHS releases of Modern Times and Intolerance.
  • Another Australian variant also exists, where the logo appears in the corner and Australian television and radio announcer Pete Smith (most famous for his announcing of the Australian version of Sale of the Century) introduces the film.

Variants:

  • A version exists on Battle Beyond the Stars with "NEW WORLD PICTURES PRESENTS" under a shut black aperture with a faintly visible blue outline, then it fades to "A ROGER CORMAN PRODUCTION". In this version, we zoom into the aperture as it gains red streaks on each blade and opens up at the end.
  • A superimposed variant has the symbol on top of the text "NEW WORLD PICTURES INC PRESENTS", all of which is in white.

Variants:

  • There is also a sepia-toned version.
  • There is a blue-toned variant on Souls for Sale.
  • A still image containing another version of this logo was spotted on a 2011 CBS Sunday morning news broadcast. Here, the logo is brighter due to film deterioration, and the lion's appearance is different as well. He also stares directly at the camera. Unfortunately, this version of the logo is currently lost, possibly from the vault fire that happened in 1965.

Variants:

  • Depending on the film, the colors are different.
  • An in-credit version exists.
    • A closing variant exists, where the print logo is at the bottom of the screen with "A Paramount Picture" overlapping over it. Below is the copyright notice reading "COPYRIGHTED [YEAR] BY FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY CORPORATION". At the center of the screen is "The End". At the top of the screen is a rectangular box with "A FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY PRODUCTION" inside.
    • A blue toned version of this also exists.

Technique: This is a short section. State the animation technique and/or the type of effects being used in the logo. These are some of the usage examples:

  • Analog computer/Scanimate animation/switcher/effects: This logo was animated using effects from an analog device, such as Scanimate or switcher. This animation style can be characterized by the use of trail effects, shines, panning/zooming, etc.
  • (2D/3D) CGI/computer animation/effects: This logo was made using computer software, either in 2D or 3D. Some examples of 2D software include Adobe-Animate (formerly Flash) and Toon-Boom.
  • Live-action: This logo was produced entirely using live-action footage.
  • Motion/Camera-controlled animation: This logo was designed/animated using a computerized stop-motion camera. More often than not combined with cel animation.
  • Traditional/Cel animation: This logo was drawn traditionally using ink and/or animated frame-by-frame on cel sheets. Recent logos with this technique would colorize the drawings digitally, via digital ink-and-paint.

For a comprehensive guide on identifying more of these animation techniques, visit this page.

If two or more of these techniques are combined, you can put both in this manner: "A mix of (TECHNIQUE) and (TECHNIQUE)."
You may not redirect Techniques to another logo in this manner: "Same as Example Productions".
If the logo is still, do not put "None" as the technique, as that implies identities are made out of thin air. Instead, you may describe that the technique of a still logo includes digital graphics, superimposed, a cel sheet, printed image, etc.

Examples

Single animation technique example:

  • Technique: CGI complied at Eyeball Studios NYC, with design and animation by Benjamin Hill.
  • Technique: Ink and paint.
  • Technique: A still, printed image.
  • Technique: Live-action footage with an illustration composited over it. There are skips throughout the footage, likely due to deterioration or splicing.
  • Technique: Live-action footage with an illustration composited over it. The end cards and chapter cards are still illustrations.

Multiple animation technique examples:

  • Technique: A mix of 2D and CGI animation.
  • Technique: Live-action model work combined with wiping effects.

Incorrect example - Not specific enough:

  • Technique: 2D animation.

Incorrect example - Describing what moves in the logo:

  • Technique: The light beams, the ripples, the glowing, the flash.

Incorrect example - Unnecessarily praising the logo's animation:

  • Technique: Nice CGI animation.

Incorrect example - Unnecessarily criticizing the logo's animation:

  • Technique: Cheap CGI.

Incorrect example - Redirecting the Technique to another logo which encourages misuse:

  • Technique: Same as Example Productions.

Incorrect example - Implies the identity is made with nothing:

  • Technique: None.

Incorrect examples - No. Too lazy. You can do better.

  • Technique: Everything.
  • Technique: All the animation in the logo.

Audio: Describe the music theme played, whether as a genre (e.g., rock) or as specific instruments (e.g., guitar and drums), and/or the type of sounds are being used in the logo.

  • If possible, also mention how the theme or sound is made and who made it.
  • If a specific piece of music is used, identify it and consider inserting a link to an upload of the music on YouTube, Vimeo or a similar site if available, in cases where the music and/or artist is less well-known.
    • One way you can try identifying specific pieces of music is to use the Google app's Voice Search function (specifically "Search a song") and playing the logo's audio for Google to identify. You may also visit this page to identify other commonly used instruments and techniques used to compose the audio.
  • If a logo doesn't contain audio or is silent, put "None".
Examples

Logo only used one music track in its lifetime:
Audio: A powerful, re-orchestrated version of the previous logo's fanfare, accompanied by "a choir, new string parts, and drum cadence utilizing world percussion instruments", according to the Hollywood Reporter. Arranged by Brian Tyler, conducting the Hollywood Studio Symphony and Los Angeles Chorale, and recorded at the Barbra Streisand Scoring Stage at Sony Pictures Studios.

Logo used multiple music tracks in its lifetime:
Audio: Two different versions were used:

  • A rapid synthesized warbling (which sounds like helicopter rotor blades spinning), getting louder as the logo gets closer to the screen, followed by a sub-bass 110hz sine wave hum when the logo stops spinning.
  • Sometimes, a synthesized build-up is heard, accompanied by a soft crash as the logo stops zooming.

Incorrect example - Description is written in a conversational tone (first-person plural is used to address the audio):

  • Audio: We hear a series of synthesized shining sounds, followed by a nine-note brass tune, a couple of synth blares, and a four-note orchestral tune. This theme was composed by Jerry Goldsmith.

Incorrect example - Does not specifically describe the audio:

  • Audio: Rock music.

Incorrect example - Unnecessarily praising the logo's audio, or using adjectives to describe the audio (this can also violate the AVID:POV policy):

  • Audio: Either a wonderful piano/string tune (composed by Randy Edelman, who also composed the fanfare for Spyglass's predecessor, Caravan Pictures), silence, or the opening theme of the movie.
  • Audio: A guitar tune with cute-sounding drum beats.

Incorrect example - Redirects the audio to another logo that encourages misuse:

  • Audio: Same as Example Productions.

Audio Trivia (optional): If there is some interesting trivia about the logo theme or sounds, such as who composed it, add them in this section.

Example

Audio Trivia: The music, taken from the beginning of Franz von Suppé's "Leichte Kavallerie: Ouverture", was used at the beginning of some old Hong Kong movies.


Audio Variant(s) (optional): If there are one or more variants of the logo theme or sound, add them here. Again, underline key parts of the variant to make locating it easier.

Examples

Single variant example:
Audio Variant: On Warner Archive's Blu-ray release of The Drowning Pool, it has the second half of the 1999 fanfare playing due to a plastering error, using the 2001 prints.

Multiple variants example:
Audio Variants:

  • A sped-up version of the theme exists.
  • On current prints of Babylon 5, the 1994 theme is heard; pre-1995 episodes use the closing theme of the show.
  • On The Flight Attendant, the closing theme of the show is heard.
  • The logo is silent on Lovecraft Country.

Voiceover(s) (optional): Used whenever any logo has a voiceover.


Availability: This section is important - gather all of the information about where this logo can be found. State any programs, movies, etc. the logo is found in and/or where it was last seen. Don't forget to italicize titles (or use "quotation marks" for episode names of television shows) from where the logo can be found.

  • As with the Variant section, POV should be avoided when describing appearances, which include using "tiers" such as "common" or "rare", describing a source as a "surprise appearance", etc. The rarity of a logo, if community consensus on its status is notable, should be mentioned in the Legacy section.
  • If there is little to no information to which films/shows the logo has appeared, you may want to use the "Unknown" label at the beginning of the section.
  • This section is optional for identities that fall under the "television idents", "cinema trailers", or "commercial tag" categories. If there is no extra information regarding its availability (e.g. revivals, home media releases, specific name or types of ads), then omit this section.
    • Do not state the lifespan of when the identities are seen, whenever in theaters or airing on television. The header already stated the obvious on when the identities were used for.
  • When describing where logos are found, include specific examples. Add a table where you can find everywhere you can find the logo.
    • Also specify if something that should have the logo doesn't for some reason.
  • Personal online uploads of logos are not credible sources. The point of Availability is to describe what primary sources the logo appeared on, such as movies or television shows. However, if the logo upload came from the company itself and/or the person/studio that created it, it is acceptable to include that in the section.
  • Don't just say "found on the company's releases at the time", name at least some of the releases the logo is known to be on.
  • Don't make predictions on any upcoming shows or films that you think new logos will appear on, as they may not even use them.
    • For similar reasons, do not attempt to predict when a logo will make its final appearance. This also includes saying "this logo's days are numbered".
  • If a logo had been spotted on a certain source in the past or now, avoid using the word "recent" to ensure the timeliness of the descriptions.
Examples

Single availability source example:
Availability: The standalone variant has so far resurfaced on The Mystery of the Leaping Fish. The in-credit variant was so far only seen on Hoodoo Ann.
Availability: As with the first Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logo, most films that have this logo either got destroyed in the 1965 MGM vault fire or were plastered by then-future Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logos, with the same going for the other logos from the company. The only known surviving movies containing this logo are The Ace of Hearts and The Penalty, the latter of which has the logo at the end and is plastered on some prints with the MGM "Lion Marquee" endcap. It was stated that the first appearance of the logo is Polly of the Circus. However, the surviving prints of the aforementioned film do not have this logo.
Availability: The only known surviving movies containing this logo are Wild Oranges and Souls for Sale.
Availability: Seen at the end of very early MGM-era films such as He Who Gets Slapped, Lady of the Night, and Cleopatra (1928), and also as an opening logo, like on Greed.
Availability: Can be seen on The Great American Tag Sale with Martha Stewart, 2022 American Rescue Dog Show, The Final Straw, Claim to Fame and Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.
Availability: Seen on Hypocrites, Sunshine Molly, and The Majesty of the Law.
Availability: It was seen at the end of films produced by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, Famous Players Film Company, Paramount Pictures, Pallas Pictures, General Film Company, and Edison Manufacturing Company from this period which includes The Boy Mayor, The Intrigue, The Italian, The Captive, Poor Little Peppina, Why Change Your Wife?, and When Knights Were Bold and at the beginning of films such as The Snowbird. Like many films from this period, they were either destroyed or in the public domain, removing this logo altogether. In addition, many only carried an in-credit notice rather than this logo. Despite its rarity, it is intact on the 2020 Blu-ray of The Intrigue: The Films of Julia Crawford Ivers box set.

Multiple availability sources example:
Availability: It can be seen on the earliest films under the Paramount Pictures name. Some films are still around, while others are destroyed.

  • Seen at the end of very early Paramount-era films such as The Squaw Man, The Virginian, The Bargain, The Italian, Carmen, and The Cheat.

Availability: It can be seen on the earliest films under the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer name. Some films were still around, while others are destroyed.

  • Due to the 1965 MGM vault fire, existing prints of most films from this era have the 3rd logo plastering this one, this is not easy to come across.
  • Currently, it is seen on He Who Gets Slapped, Confessions of a Queen, The Unholy Three (1925), The Circle, and Battling Butler.
  • It may have also been seen on some original prints of London After Midnight, Lady of the Night, and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, respectively.

Availability: Seen on films of the era, such as Freaks (1932), Grand Hotel (1932), Manhattan Melodrama (1934), The Thin Man films from 1934 to 1947, The Girl From Missouri (1934), Riptide (1934), A Night at the Opera (1935), Fury (1936), Libeled Lady (1936), Camille (1936), Romeo and Juliet (1936), The Good Earth (1937), Captains Courageous (1937), Topper (1937), A Day at the Races (1937), the Andy Hardy films from 1937 to 1946, The Wizard of Oz (1939), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), Ninotchka (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Ziegfeld Girl (1941), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Gaslight (1944), The Asphalt Jungle (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Pat and Mike (1952), as well as the 1930s The Captain and the Kids cartoons.

  • The color variant is quite rare, as colorized versions are hardly ever shown on TV or on video. It is, however, seen on the colorized version of Babes in Toyland (1934), as well as colorized version of The Thin Man (1934), David Copperfield (1935) (intact on the Russian channels for the former as well as 2000's local stations airings for the latter), Libeled Lady (1936), Camille (1936) and A Christmas Carol (1938) (intact on the Canadian YTV's airing). Also, this might be seen on some variant recreations of these colorized versions of said films.
  • This logo may plaster Slats on current prints of silent films such as The Navigator, Greed, Lady of the Night, Go West, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, Torrent, The Scarlet Letter (1926), Flesh and the Devil and The Unknown; his first appearance as the full-time MGM lion was in Our Dancing Daughters.
  • In later years, clips from this logo were reused for the 1993-1998 MGM/UA Home Video logo.
  • It was also seen on the reconstructed Turner Classic Movies version of London After Midnight.
  • The last few films to use this logo were The Affairs of Dobie Gillis, Big Leaguer, The Actress, and Main Street to Broadway.

Availability:

  • Appeared on 2007-2020 episodes of first-run syndication programs such as Live! with Kelly and Ryan, and Tamron Hall among others.
  • The long version is available on Sam Winan's website, on the television section.
  • It was featured at the end of episodes of At the Movies during the Ben Lyons/Ben Mankewicz and Michael Phillips/A.O. Scott eras.
  • Also seen on North American Wii, PS3 and PC versions of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? for the 2007 version (the DS version uses a still version instead), while the 2013 version was seen in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 2012 Edition on the Xbox 360 (Kinect). Furthermore, the 2007 on-air print version was spotted in the North American version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Special Editions on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
  • The unused version was unused and may not be the extended version that was used.
  • Reruns of the Meredith Vieira version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on GSN plaster the Buena Vista Television logos with this logo. As of 2020, this is the only known instance of this logo plastering over another one.
  • It doesn't appear on any other series in the Disney-ABC library, as this logo is seen only on first-run syndicated series.
  • Although the company is still in operation, this logo has been retired, with Disney Media Distribution's logo overshadowing this logo during the 2020-2021 television season.
  • This logo was retained on 2020-2022 episodes of Right This Minute, which was the final program that was still using it. Right This Minute ended on April 29, 2022, officially ending the usage of the logo.

Incorrect example - Uses a personal YouTube channel as a source:
Availability: As one of the longest-used end tags, it's fairly easy to find on YouTube when searching for commercials between 1992 and 2004. The company's channel doesn't have a ton of uploads with it, however many Chicago-based commercial uploaders (like gtp2day) certainly do. Otherwise, it's extinct.

Incorrect examples - Does not mention any specific sources:

  • Availability: Seen on films released by the company from this period.
  • Availability: Can be seen on programs from this period.
  • Availability: Seen on tests from 1983 to 1988.

Incorrect example - Uses uninformative phrases:
Availability: Don't expect to see this on Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure and Daphne & Velma, despite the co-founders for the company both being involved.

Incorrect example - Predicts when a logo will debut:
Availability: Assumed to fully premiere on the 2023 Kids' Choice Awards, due to the usage of this new splat logo design being used in promotional material for it.

Incorrect example - Predicts when a logo will retire:
Availability: Even though this logo may retire as the next logo comes into the scene, this will still be ultra common.

Incorrect example - Adds a "Tier":
Availability: Rare. Found on [x], [y], and [z].

Incorrect example - Uses POV phrases:
Availability: This logo made a surprise appearance on the 2000 Canadian Alliance Atlantis VHS of Terminator 2: Judgement Day and also on the 2000 Canadian Alliance Atlantis VHS of Basic Instinct (strangely, with the IVE Warning screen at the end of the latter tape).


Legacy (optional): Write about how the logo has affected the logo community and/or broader popular culture and how much of an impact it's left on them (i.e. if the logo is well-liked or disliked by the community, such as for the visuals, music, or it appearing on a specific program). If not that important, omit this section.

  • Be sure the section is relevant to the logo itself. Avoid citing the reputation of a company, show, person, etc., as a logo's influence, as they may not have anything to do with its impact. Instead, mention it in the Background section.
  • Do not add comments that are opinionated and are only based on your sole judgement, as it violates the AVID:POV policy. All statements added to Legacy need some form of community consensus. If you think the reception of a logo is notable, consensus should be required as well. You are also required to cite sources about a reception of a logo to provide points as well.
  • Legacy is also not a place to be talking about how similar it looks or sounds to a specific logo, or how that logo was the first/last appearance of a specific element. Those are more trivial statements and thus should be in Trivia.
  • Legacy also doesn't allow what the community speculates for a logo, as it has nothing to do with its reception.
Examples

Correct examples:

  • Legacy: Considered a rightfully iconic logo. However, it has gained some infamy among some for its continual plastering of Disney's previous logos. Outside the logo community, it's regarded by some as a metaphor for the company's sheer size and force over the industry (for better or worse). Nonetheless, it's still a favorite of many.
  • Legacy: It's not seen as popular due to its wide prevalence on television, in part due to its plastering older logos.
  • Legacy: Considered a beautiful homage to the 1936 logo thanks to its CGI and fanfare. It has been in use for around 30 years, mirroring the longevity of the 3rd logo.

Incorrect examples - Opinionated comments:

  • Legacy: The sudden appearance of the animation can catch you off guard, but it's harmless.
  • Legacy: The end result just screams placeholder and considering its longevity, that makes sense.
  • Legacy: Everything about this logo is very cheap, particularly the animation, which wasn't that bad back then, but was still cheap back in the day.

Incorrect examples - Irrelevant trivia about the logo:

  • Legacy: The extended fanfare will be then used for the company's future logos.
  • Legacy: This logo debuted on TV before the movie logo followed suit.
  • Legacy: This marks the first use of the studio's famous mountain.
  • Legacy: This marks the first appearance of the famed lion, filmstrip, and "ARS GRATIA ARTIS (ART FOR ART'S SAKE)" tagline, all of which would become synonymous with MGM.

Incorrect example - Using a related entity's reputation for the logo's legacy:

  • Legacy: The many controversies of Harvey Weinstein and his company have permanently destroyed this logo's reputation.

Final Note

(optional element)
This can be used on defunct company pages. Here, describe the fate of the company and/or how it became defunct, whether if it merged with another company or if it filed for bankruptcy.

Examples

Final Note

From 2017 onwards, HIT Entertainment programming now has the Mattel Creations (and later the Mattel Television) logo instead of the HIT logo. However, the 2007 HIT logo is still used on DVD releases and trade ads.

Final Note: Between 1920 and 1921, films from Universal would either have an in-credit notice, or none at all. It won't be until 1922 that Universal have an on-screen logo again.


External Links

(optional element)
If there is a site you believe will further inform our readers on the history and/or branding of the company, you can create an external links section. Examples of what you might list here include:

  • A relevant Wikipedia article
  • An IMDB filmography for the company
  • The company's official website
  • A site or article discussing the branding of the company, e.g. a page on TVARK or a similar branding compilation site/forum, an article about how the logo was made.

If you have level 2 headings on your page, this should be a level 2 heading to ensure the table of contents is formatted properly. Otherwise, a level 3 heading is acceptable.

Example

External Links

External links


Chronology

(optional element)
The chronology template is used for linking defunct companies to their successors (i.e. Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, & Louis B. Mayer Pictures link to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios), or for linking major rebrands (i.e. MGM/CBS Home Video links to MGM/UA Home Entertainment and CBS/Fox Video). Two examples are provided below:

Predecessor company
Other predecessor company (for mergers)
'Company'
Other company (for mergers.)
Successor company
Other successor company (for split)
Older Name
'Old Name'
New Name

Navboxes

(optional element)
You can add a Navbox to the bottom of your page for easy navigation between related pages. You can add more than one Navbox if you choose, though typically an article would have a section Navbox, e.g. TV, Film, Home Entertainment and a company navbox, e.g. Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony, Disney, Comcast, Amazon, Paramount Global. For a full list of currently available Navbox templates, see Category:Navboxes. Two examples are below:


Categories

Once you've finished your page, you should add it to our category system. You can add a page to a category by adding [[Category:Your Category Here]]. You can see this in action at the bottom of this page, where you will note that this page is in the "Tutorials" Category.

Alternatively, you can turn on HotCat, which can be found on the Gadgets section of your Preferences. This will enable buttons to remove, change or add categories on the category bar.

Which categories do I use?

After adding the section categories, be sure to add the country categories according to the company's country of origin, and if available, the company category. For example, the categories for Solax Studios are as follows:

[[Category:American film logos]] [[Category:Film logos]] [[Category:United States]] [[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] [[Category:Amazon Inc.]]


Description Tips

With that, we conclude the article elements section. However, we would like to provide some other tips to remember when writing an article:

  • When creating a new page, you can load a standard template to simplify the editing process. When creating a new page, a box will appear above the editor asking you to choose a boilerplate. Ensure that you have selected the appropriate page template, then click Load. This will load in a blank description template that you can use to build your page. We currently have boilerplates for Standard Pages and Logo Variations.
  • When writing two or more logo descriptions, make sure you add a line break in between each one so each description will have enough breathing room.
  • When listing name changes for a company, use a level two heading for each name.
  • If your page mentions a company which has its own article on this wiki, please add a link to said article by wrapping the name in square brackets - for example: [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios]] produces Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. This allows users to browse through the wiki more effectively and helps tie our site together.
  • Use formal lanugage instead of informal/colloquial language (e.g., use "atmosphere" or "feel" in place of "vibe(s)").
Other Tips & Tricks

Page Templates

Main article: AVID:Page Templates

Adding Citations

If there is a statement written in an article that some are likely to challenge, why not back it up with a reputable source? That is where the References feature comes in. To add references, simply type the following code:
<ref>[URL]</ref>
[1]
The code is to be written directly after the statement in the article in which you want to add a citation. The reference will automatically be listed at the bottom of the page, like so:

  1. [URL]


You can also add text sources if you really wanna go there. Write the reference in the following format:
<ref>Author, ''Title'', (Publisher, YEAR), Pg#-Pg#</ref>
[1]

  1. Author, Title, (Publisher, YEAR), Pg#-Pg#

Moving Pages

If your page title has a typo in it or the subject of your page has changed their name, you may wish to move your page to a new title. To do this, simply go to the "More" menu at the top of the page and select the move button. You will be prompted to provide your changed title. If you are simply moving your page to a new namespace, click on the dropdown that says (Main) and select the namespace you want.

Once you have made the desired change, click the button to confirm your change and the page will be moved. Your original title will be preserved as a redirect, so you won't need to update any wikilinks to your page. If your move was to correct a typo in the title, please blank the resulting redirect page and mark the page for speedy deletion using {{SpeedyDelete|Typo}}. An admin will then delete your page promptly.


Creating Redirects

If the subject of your page is known by another title or an abbreviation, you might like to create a redirect so that any user who searches or links using this alternate name will easily find your page. To make one, simply create a new page with the desired alternate name and put the following on the page:

#REDIRECT [[Your Title Here]].

The markup should produce something like this:

packed
packed

Once you save your redirect page, any user who follows a link to this alternate title will be sent directly to your page.


If your page has Level 2 headings, you might want to use this markup to create a redirect to a certain section of a page:

#REDIRECT [[Your Title Here#Section Name Here]].

The markup should produce something like this:

packed
packed

Alternatively you can use Special:CreateRedirect to make a redirect in a more user-friendly manner. This page also allows you to create multiple redirects at once.

Conclusion

We've reached the end of this comprehensive tutorial guide! We hope this has quelled a few questions regarding how to write articles on the wiki.

Provided are three different demo pages containing examples of proper formatting. They are simply shorter excerpts of an AVID page, but demonstrate good examples of following the Tutorial Guide.

That's about it. Have fun!

The Team

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