Saturn Films

Not to be confused with Saturn Productions and Saturn Video.

Credits

Descriptions by
EnormousRat and WetPaintLogo1993

Captures by
EnormousRat

Video captures courtesy of
EnormousRat and KiNoLogoIntroRelease

Background

This is Nicolas Cage's production company.

1st Logo (May 15, 2000)

• 

Visuals: On a space background, a golden ball zooms out, with a dimly lit ring rotating around its diameter. The ball then slowly brightens, forming a stylized Saturn, as "SATURN", also in gold, wipes in below.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A dramatic choir tune.

Availability: Seen only on Shadow of the Vampire.

2nd Logo (September 2, 2002-September 6, 2012)

• 
• 

Visuals: The camera zooms past a blue ring with grooves, with smoke slightly seen on it, which surrounds a blue glass sphere with a camera lens inside it, forming a blue stylized ringed planet. The shutter inside the lens closes down as the camera flies past it. As the ringed planet settles into position, three copies of the word "SATURN", set in a blue sans-serif font, turn around the sphere from the right (similar to the Universal logo). The innermost copy of the "SATURN" then settles in front of the planet, turning white as the other copies fly away, while the word "FILMS", set in a smaller sans-serif font, fades in below the "SATURN" as smoke bursts out from the planet. As a ripple appears around the ring, the logo shines, with the lens inside the sphere briefly seen.

Variants:

• On Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, a still print version was used.
• On The Life of David Gale, the logo is in black and white.
• On Next, after the logo forms, the logo goes into reverse with three still-shot effects, and during the still-shot everything flashes inverted gold.
• On The Dresden Files, the logo is shortened to the text turning into place.

Technique: CGI. It is possible, based on the Wayback Machine, that Imaginary Forces designed this, but the link is dead as nothing is directly confirmed.

Audio: A drum-led piece with an electronic whirring sound throughout with some whooshes and tinkling noises held out until the end. Composed by Randy Gerston. Otherwise, silence or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Made its debut on Sonny and later appeared on The Life of David Gale, Lord of War, The Wicker Man, Next, Bangkok Dangerous, and Drive Angry, among others. It was also seen on the television series The Dresden Files. It does not appear on the National Treasure films, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, A Thousand Words, or Rage.

3rd Logo (March 27, 2017-)

• 

Visuals: A black glass sphere zooms out from the camera, with a black band wrapping around it that rotates around. As the camera continues to zoom out, it reveals the black band is actually a shadow casted by a thick black ring, etched with grooves similar to a record, rotating around the main body. Bluish tones are also seen all over the planet as well. When the ring settles into its familiar place, "SATURN" pops in one by one, with sparkles coming off the tops of the letters, and a burst of smoke launches outward from the planet, causing the background to glow blue and the logo to shine. "FILMS" fades in as well as smoke briefly covers the screen. After the smoke fades away, everything but the text fades out, which first glows before it fades out.

Variant: On Arcadian, the logo is sped up.

Technique: CGI. This was done by Midnight Waffles, with Mitch Davis and Josiah Carlson working on this.

Audio: Same as before.

Availability: It debuted on Vengeance: A Love Story, and has appeared on the majority of their films since then, an exception being The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.