Lumiere Pictures

Background

Lumiere Pictures was a British/French film and television company formed in 1992 as a merger between two French companies: Jean Cazes' Initial Groupe (est. 1984) and Investissements en Droits Audiovisuelles (est. 1987). Lumiere owned a substantial library of films from the Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment/Weintraub library, representing a third of all films made in the UK from the beginning of silent pictures. In 1996, it was acquired by UGC, which was acquired in turn by Canal+ that same year. Cazes then spun-off Lumiere's Los Angeles branch into a new company, Lumiere International. The Lumiere Pictures library is now owned by StudioCanal. In Brazil, the company was brought in 1989 by Bruno Wainer and his French filmmaker friend Marc Beauchamps. There, they had a strong presence, distributing and co-producing famous Brazilian films such as City of God and many others, also having Miramax and Wild Bunch distribute said film internationally. They've been inactive since 2005, when Bruno Wainer left and founded Downtown Filmes.

1st (known) Logo (1992-1996)

Visuals: On a blue background, the word "LUMIERE" is seen in the middle of the screen, all in silver and shown in a isometric view, with the "I" being shown as a corner. Surrounding it is a golden structure with an column top until the "I", and a banner with the word "PICTURES" on it. Rays also are seen on top and bottom. The logo shines throughout.

Technique: Analog computer animation.

Audio: None.

Availability:

This logo was used on VHS releases in the USA.
It also appears on the Republic Pictures Home Video releases of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, and the 1996 Director's Cut VHS release (and LaserDisc release) of Highlander (1986).

2nd (known) Logo (1992-2004)

Visuals: Zooming through brown thunderstorm clouds, a yellow spotlight emerges in the middle of the screen. When the screen passes through the clouds, the light rises from the ground, fanning out to 4 smaller lights emerging through the corners. The camera rotates around the box, and it stops at one of the corners as the top light fans out, and some letters poke out for a bit. The corners and top light ut close before the walls around the exposed explode out, shining the entire screen in yellow light, with the faint indication of the letters "LUM ERE" on the former walls. The lights pivot to coat the entire screen in them, with the Lumiere logo exposed, but all in wine red, 2D, and doesn't have a banner with "PICTURES" under it.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The sounds of thunder going off before transitioning into a cool jazz tune, which ends with a 2-beat choir theme when the logo reveals itself.

Audio Variants:

On the 1997 DVD release of Highlander (1986), it uses the 1995 Republic Pictures theme. This is likely due to a strange plaster attempt.
There exists a version of the music with more SFX of the light shining and the walls exploding.

Availability:

It can be seen on the 1997 DVD release of Highlander (1986), the 1997 film Touch, and the Platinum Disc Corporation release of Somebody to Love.
It is also seen on some R2/4 and StudioCanal BD releases of The Deer Hunter and Leaving Las Vegas.
This logo is common in Brazil and can be seen on some Brazilian releases, as O Trapalhão e a Luz Azul, Olga, Os Normais - O Filme and Cidade de Deus.