Mei Ah Entertainment

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Mei Ah (美亞), like its competitor Universe (寰宇), has a humble beginning as a distributor of VHS and LD, later VCD and DVD, witnessing the revolution of visual storage media in the past 30 years. Established in 1984 by Li Kuo-hsing (李國興), Mei Ah Group stepped into film production and distribution in 1990, and listed in the Hong Kong stock exchange in 1993. Joe Ma (馬偉豪) has been one of the active directors under the Mei Ah umbrella. Mei Ah also has a subsidiary Brilliant Idea Group (天下電影製作, later renamed as Big Pictures 天下影畫).


Mei Ah Video Production Ltd.

1st Logo (1984-1991)

Visuals: On a space background are three RGB bars flying and stopping at the center. The red bar is rounded at the top and the blue bar is rounded at the bottom flying and stopping on the center in a stacked form. The text "MEI AH", as well as a globe outside of the text appears, flipping and zooming out until both stop right at the bars. The Chinese letters in yellow zoom in via the "rollercoaster" effect below the stacked RGB bars. The words "MEI AH VIDEO PRODUCTION LTD." wipes in and a blue trail appears behind said text.

Variant: On LaserDisc prints, the Chinese words are the color gold, the company name says "MEI AH LASER DISC CO. LTD." and doesn't have a trail behind said name, and both the Chinese and English company name are in a 3D-like perspective form.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A triumphant fanfare (which is "Opening Fanfares 3" by Alfred Kluten, a production music off the album 81 Fanfares!), followed by whooshes and laser sounds.

Availability: It's seen on home videos and LaserDiscs on the time, one being a LaserDisc print of The Ancients and another being a Mei Ah Video print of Rock n Roll, among others.

2nd Logo (1991-2006)

Visuals: On a blue space background are three bars from before, but in 3D and with filmstrip-like holes, flipping and placing themselves. Then the Mei Ah globe (now in gold and without text) zooms out and flips. After a few seconds, the "MEI AH" text appears by a light. The Chinese letters and the text "MEI AH VIDEO PRODUCTION CO LTD." fades in and shine in rainbow colors, while stars appear on them. Finally, the company name turns white.

Variants:

  • On LaserDiscs, the English text now says "MEI AH LASER DISC CO. LTD.".
  • On films, the English text now says "MEI AH FILM PRODUCTION CO. LTD.", and said text, as well as the Chinese text, is in a silver color.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Another triumphant fanfare soundtrack named "Monuments" from an album named "TV - POWER PACK" by Delle Haensch and Klaus Netzle for Selected Sound (SEL). with the middle part removed.

Availability: Like the last logo, this is also seen in films produced and/or distributed by the company. The LaserDisc variant makes an appearance on the first Mei Ah DVD of The Mission (since it uses the exact same transfer made for the LaserDisc).

Mei Ah Film Production Co., Ltd.

1st Logo (April 1, 1999-2005)

Visuals: On a black background, the words "MEI AH", in a blue color, zoom out and spin. A rounded rectangle, lines and four dots zoom in behind the text, and a flash occurs, making the logo 3D. A light appears, moves to the right and the words "MEI AH FILM PRODUCTION CO., LTD.", with the Chinese translation over it, appears with a glow effect.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A synth drone, with robotic engine sounds and whooshes.

Availability: Seen on movies made by Mei Ah during the period, such as Swordsman II and PTU.

2nd Logo (August 19, 2004-)

Visuals: On a black background are three glowing lines zooming out, then the logo from before gets revealed, but more darker and smaller, and the Chinese company name is colored blue and on the top, while the English company name is on the bottom. Then the logo fades out and the glowing lines appear again and zoom in.

Variant: Another variant takes place in a white background. The logo is on the left, and the Chinese and English company name, alongside the byline "A MEMBER OF THE MEI AH ENTERTAINMENT GROUP", are on the right. The logo is also still. It is shown after the Mei Ah Entertainment logo.

Technique: CGI. None for the variant.

Audio: Same as before, but with the ending cut off. A few films, including the variant, had the opening theme playing.

Availability: Appears on current films, such as Hidden Heroes and Lan Kwai Fong 3.

Mei Ah Entertainment

1st Logo (2003-2005)

Visuals: On a gold background is the planet Earth, colored in gold, spinning. Suddenly, it spins fast and the screen zooms into it, transitions into the Mei Ah logo from before, without the "MEI AH" text inside it, on an orange-white computerized background with a light behind the logo. The scene zooms out and rotates, transitions into three golden rings spinning like a gyroscope (similar to the Corel MotionStudio 3D template which is used by My Way Film Company and Amaco Productions) and forming the Mei Ah logo on a rotating red misty background. The logo zooms to the left while silver Chinese text wipes in to the right. Just before the Chinese text is fully revealed, a light appears from the bottom to reveal the silver rectangle with "MEI AH ENTERTAINMENT" inside it. The background stops rotating after a few seconds.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A dramatic fanfare with whooshes.

Availability: Unknown. [Examples?]

2nd Logo (2005-2010)

Visuals: On a space background is a crystal version of the Earth spinning. It zooms in and disappears, and the Mei Ah logo is seen zooming out and spinning. The logo and the Chinese text appears and a light moves behind them. Then the rectangle with the company's name wipes in, with another light moving behind.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A calm fantasy-themed orchestral tune.

Availability: Seen on DVDs from the time period. [Examples?]

3rd Logo (2010-2013)

Visuals: There is the Mei Ah print logo along with the Chinese text. They move up as a rectangle moving down with the black words "MEI AH ENTERTAINMENT". After a few seconds, the Chinese text "榮耀發行" appears below.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on their films from the time such as Adventure of the King. Also seen on their prints of older films.

4th Logo (August 30, 2013-2017)

Visuals: On a dark blue background with some light specks at the top-left corner, the Mei Ah logo, without the rectangle and has "MEI AH ENTERTAINMENT" in white, wipes in and zooms out a bit.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on their films from the time, such as Lan Kwai Fong 3.

5th Logo (2017-)

Visuals: In front of a galaxy on a space background, three streaks of light, each of them colored red, blue and green, fly and collide to form the Mei Ah logo, now having a transparent hole on it. The company name, in English and Chinese, which is bordered in gold, appears below.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A reorchestrated version of "Monuments" by Delle Haensch and Klaus Netzle.

Availability: Seen on their recent films such as Europe Raiders.