Legal Video

Background

Legal Video S.A. was a home video distributor that was founded on August 2, 1985 by Hector Emilio Olivera and Fernando Ayala, who also founded Videoman Internacional a month earlier, to release home video titles, and the company was responsible for the titles that Aries Cinematografia handled in theaters. In 1986, Legal Video decided to expand by setting up a children's arm called "Video Niño" to handle children's titles, and it was expanded to distribute titles by CBS/Fox Video. In 1987, due to Aries' financial problems, both Legal Video and Videoman Internacional became part of a new company, Gativideo; the Legal Video brand became the main brand and the Videoman brand was used for MGM/UA titles, and it was dissolved in 1989 in favor of the Gativideo brand.

Contents

1st Logo (Fall 1985-Spring 1986)	2nd Logo (1986-1987)	3rd Logo (1987-1989)

1st Logo (Fall 1985-Spring 1986)

Visuals: On a pink background, the Legal Video logo is seen wiping in. It consists of a white box with an abstract "LV" cut-out on top, and "LEGAL VIDEO S.A." in a futuristic, striped, cut-out font on the left. A cut-out box is seen to the right, featuring the "S.A." part of the text.

Technique: 2D computer effects.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on earlier Legal Video releases from the era.

2nd Logo (1986-1987)

Normal version
Video Niño variant

Visuals: On a black background, a heavily pixelated Chinese dragon in teal/green/yellow/orange scrolls downwards. As it scrolls, the Legal Video logo from before, but now in white, flips in to the left while zooming in.. After the dragon leaves the screen, the logo forms streaks that extend downwards to the bottom right corner of the screen.

Variant: On children's releases, a lime green circle with the text "VIDEO NIÑO" (or "Video Child" in English) fades in. At the top of this circle are icons representing two smiling faces.

Technique: A mix of computer effects, Scanimation, and model work for the logo.

Audio: A futuristic synth theme with zaps and xylophone notes, possibly a stock piece or copyrighted music.

Availability: It can be seen on several tapes during the time from CBS/FOX Video, among others. Titles that had this included a Secret Squirrel tape, Futureworld, the 1st Argentine edition of Predator, and Yogi's First Christmas, which has the children's version.

3rd Logo (1987-1989)

Visuals: On a black background, there is a pair of woman's eyes. After at least four seconds a yellow grid moving upwards and a light-bulb with a faint flame both fade in. As the logo progresses sparks move through the light-bulb then numerous animated flames appear to form a silhouette of a conveyor belt carrying some boxes and vanish after a yellow flash with a white solid 8-point star in the middle appears. The Legal Video text from before in white flips up zooms out and settles beneath the eyes and the grid/light-bulb fade out. The prototypical Gativideo logo in yellow fades in on top and stays on for ten seconds before finally fading to black.

Technique: Flat CGI animation, with traditional cel animation for the flames and Scanimation for the text.

Audio: An excerpt of "Generando" by Pastoral, combined with a thunderclap and an explosion sound.

Availability: It appeared on Spanish prints of My Science Project with the Touchstone Home Video logo of the era following suit. This also appeared on some Walt Disney Home Video releases such as Rock n' Roll Mom.

Legal Video

Gativideo

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