Mk2 Films

Contents

1st Logo (1985-1986)	2nd Logo (1987-1995)	3rd Logo (1995-)

Background

MK2 is a French production company that was founded in 1969 by Marin Karmitz initially to produce short films. The company would later on branch out to distribution and production of feature-length films in the 1980s as well as set up cinema chains.

1st Logo (1985-1986)

Visuals: The sequence starts off with many blue lines connected, opening as the screen zooms out and rotate, later stop moving. We see various blue 3D lined shapes forming, which some zoom to the screen. The shapes morph to 2D shapes (which resemble ''MK'') as the text "MARIN KARMITZ" in white and 2 lines above and below zooms in and dives down, and the word ''Diffusion'' in white appears.

Technique: Scanimation.

Audio: Synth piano music with beeps. Sometimes is silent.

Audio Variant: On one print of an unknown movie, the theme to the third logo is heard due to sloppy plastering.

Availability: Seen on early Mk2 releases including Doctor Lavardin and Au revoir les enfants, among a few others.

2nd Logo (1987-1995)

Visuals: On a black background, a white line is drawn to the right then the others coming from up, down and to the left and then the number "10" is shown. When counting down to the number "2" as the three squares red, blue and purple pan up and the letters "K" and "M" coming from down and up. Then the white lines drawn out and the words "MARIN KARMITZ" fade in below.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: A poignant and mellow song with a female opera singer.

Availability: It can be seen on Madam Bovary, A Judgment in Stone, and a French release of Taxi Blues.

3rd Logo (1995-)

Visuals: On a black background, there is a very close shot of the letters "m", "k", and 2 sliding from the top left to the bottom right, bottom center to the top left, and right portion to left portion respectively. A few seconds later, the screen zooms out where the letters went from overlapping to being attached to one another.

Variants:

An early version includes "diffusion" sliding from the top portion to the center of the screen before settling underneath the three letters.
- A black and white version of said logo also exists.
On The Silence and some movies, "productions" is in place of "diffusion".
On some films such as And The Birds Rained Down, the text "MILE END" is next to the logo while separated by a thin vertical bar.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: The sequence starts with what sounds like a orchestral warm-up with several deep drum hits to accompany it. When the logo forms, a long, orchestral hit plays.

Audio Variant: On current prints of pre-1995 films, it uses the music from the second logo due to plastering error.

Availability: Appears on reprints of various older movies as well as newer films from the company such as Mountains May Depart, Arab Blues, and La loi du marché. The "Diffusion" variant can be seen on The True Story of Puss in Boots.