It's a Laugh Productions

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

It's a Laugh Productions is a production company owned by Disney Channels Worldwide, a unit of The Walt Disney Company's Disney-ABC Television Group. The company produces live-action children's and adolescent sitcoms on Disney Channel and Disney XD (until 2017). The company was founded on November 3, 2003 by Don Mink and Amy Rabins, former executives of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, but they never used a logo until February 2006.

1st Logo (February 3, 2006-September 11, 2020)


Visuals: On a black background, the words "It's a" in a blue tilted rectangle clanks the word "productions" (both in a Lucida Handwriting-like font) on a vermilion rectangle (in a fashion like a director's clapperboard) to reveal the word "LAUGH" (in the Hobo Std font) on five circles (in the respective order of orange, pink, purple, blue, and green).

Variants:

  • Starting in 2009, the logo was given a high-definition remaster. The colors are brighter, "LAUGH" is wider, and "It's a" and "productions" are in a more proper Lucida Handwriting Italic font. Despite Disney Channel shows running at the time switching to this in 2009, Hannah Montana continued to use the SD variant until its season four premiere the following year.
  • On the Dog with a Blog episode "Stan Talks to Gran", the animation is ranged from 60FPs to 30FPs.
  • On season 2 of Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything, the logo shares the screen with the 37 Monkeys logo above.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: A "clack" sound for the rectangles, followed by a "boing!" when the circles appear. This was first used on Hannah Montana.

Audio Variants:

  • On some shows, the closing theme plays over.
  • On Girl Meets World, the second-half of the Michael Jacobs Productions theme plays over it.
  • On seasons 2-3 of Shake It Up!, Selena Gomez yells the show name (which was sampled from the show's theme song).
  • On the Dog with a Blog episode "Too Short", after the normal logo audio is heard, Stan (voiced by Stephen Full on the show) says "Oh, not the spring! I was afraid of that...".
  • On the Jonas episode "Pizza Girl" and at least one episode of Bizaardvark, the logo is silent.
  • On the second season of I Didn't Do It, the sounds play with the end theme of the show.
  • There are two versions: A mono version (used on Dog with a Blog and Sonny with a Chance) and a cleaner stereo version (used on most Disney Channel shows with this logo).

Availability:

  • It was first seen on the second season of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, and then on every live-action Disney Channel/Disney XD sitcom until 2020; with this logo's last appearance being the series finale of Coop and Cami Ask the World, entitled "Would You Wrather Have a Snow Day?".
  • Also seen on the first four seasons of Bunk'd and the first two seasons of both Raven's Home and Sydney to the Max.
  • It does not appear on Hannah Montana: The Movie (the company's only theatrical film to date), as that film used an in-credit notice instead.
  • This logo also appears on ABC Kids airings of season 1 of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody from 2006-2011.
  • With new shows and newer episodes of pre-2019 shows now announced to use the next logo, it is safe to say that this logo has officially been retired.

Legacy: Reception for this logo is rather divisive. On one hand, this logo is well remembered by those who grew up watching the company's shows on Disney Channel and Disney XD. On the other hand, this logo is rather infamous due to it being used on Disney Channel shows during a time when the network was very notorious for its sitcoms and/or handling of programs (the cartoons, in particular).

2nd Logo (June 17, 2019-)


Visuals: On a white background, the 3D words "IT'S A LAUGH" (in the Linotype Spitz typeface with the "G" edited slightly) appear shaking as it zooms out, while the "A" tilts clockwise and gains a small black shadow. The words stop shaking when the zooming stops. Below it, the word "PRODUCTIONS" in a smaller bold, black, and spaced out font is seen while all of this is happening.

Variant: There exists a slightly longer version where the entire logo is shown more shaking at first with drop shadows for about a second before going onto the usual animation.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A drumroll followed by a duck quacking.

Audio Variants:

  • Sometimes, the end theme of the show plays over, or none.
  • On season 4 of Raven's Home, the second-half of the Institute for Individual Education theme plays over it.
    • Seasons 5-6 of the aforementioned series has the logo's audio play over the Entertainment Force logo. Also, the drumroll is extended a bit to sync in with said logo's animation.

Availability:

  • First appeared on the Raven's Home episode "Friend-Ship", and used in tandem with the previous logo until mid-September 2020.
  • It has since become more widespread following said logo's retirement, later appearing on Bunk'd starting with season 5 and the final season of Sydney to the Max. It also appears on The Villains of Valley View.
  • The slightly longer version was first seen on The Villains of Valley View episode "Unleash the Chaos" and later appeared on the episodes "We Don't Care", "No Escape", "How the Villains Stole Christmas", "Villain Number One", and "Power Hungry".
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