Screen Gems
From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum
Descriptions by
Ryan Mead, Jason A. Matthews, James Fabiano, Jess Williams, PluMGMK and indycar
Captures by
Eric S., V of Doom, kidinbed, EnormousRat and LogosForTheWin
Editions by
V of Doom, Bob Fish, kidinbed, indycar and DanteWilliams
Video captures courtesy of
CJOVideo and PluMGMK
Ryan Mead, Jason A. Matthews, James Fabiano, Jess Williams, PluMGMK and indycar
Captures by
Eric S., V of Doom, kidinbed, EnormousRat and LogosForTheWin
Editions by
V of Doom, Bob Fish, kidinbed, indycar and DanteWilliams
Video captures courtesy of
CJOVideo and PluMGMK
Background
The "Screen Gems" name was resurrected by Sony Pictures Entertainment on December 8, 1998, as a film division to distribute specific genre and mid-budget film releases, such as horror, thriller, science fiction, as well as films geared towards African-American and youth audiences. The studio also distributed some independent films earlier on. The studio was founded in 1998, but didn't have an on-screen logo until the following year.
1st Logo (June 4, 1999-)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Visuals: On a black background, a flash of light with a lens flare forms a light blue sphere. A series of tops (similar to the 1973 ITC Entertainment logo) spin around it and form the two lines of the "S" (the same as the 1965 Screen Gems Television logo, only the "S" is also in a sky blue color). Under the "S", the text "SCREEN GEMS" flips into place and flashes, and underneath that, the Sony byline fades in. The entire animation also has light trail and distortion effects.
Bylines:
- June 4-July 9, 1999: Bylineless (This was only used on trailers.)
- June 4, 1999-October 18, 2013: "A SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY", in the same width as the "SCREEN GEMS" text. This was used on the majority of their films.
- July 2, 2014-: "a Sony Company"
Variants:
- In 2004, a registered trademark symbol was added next to the name.
- There's a red version of the logo used on some films, mostly horror/thrillers such as Underworld, The Cave, Untraceable, the third, fourth and fifth Resident Evil movies, Lakeview Terrace, Straw Dogs, and Vacancy. It also occasionally appeared on non-horror/thriller movies such as Dear John and First Sunday.
- On some early films released by the company, the "S" is bigger than usual. Also, the beginning of the logo is slightly different.
- On Deliver Us from Evil, No Good Deed, Searching, and Brightburn, the 2014 Sony logo transitions to this logo.
- Starting with The Machine, the 2021 Sony transition is used.
Closing Variant: Similar to the 1993 Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures closing logos, the print "Spiral S" is on the right with "SCREEN GEMS" (in a slightly different font) stacked on top of one another on the left and the byline "A Sony Pictures Entertainment Company". Beginning in 2014, the byline was changed to "a Sony Company".
Technique: CGI done by Bryan Thombs and Miles Vignol at Helium Productions.
Audio: It starts out with a rising orchestra similar to the end of the 1993 Columbia Pictures logo, then to a five-note tune with a choir singing along coinciding with the animation and the forming of the words "SCREEN GEMS". This was composed by James R. O'Brien. In other cases, it uses the opening theme or it's silent.
Audio Variant: On Hostel, the audio from the third Lionsgate Films logo plays.
Availability:
- First appeared on Limbo (the studio's first film), and can be seen on many genre and mid-budget films produced and distributed by the studio from the era, and also appeared on The Machine.
- It still pops up in trailers even with the next logo currently being used.
2nd Logo (July 22, 2011-)
.jpg){kind=logo}
.png)
Visuals: The logo starts out high in the sky. The camera turns and ascends through layers of clouds. Eventually the clouds clear and a CGI blue letter "S" is seen. The camera continues to turn and zoom out, slowly revealing the name "SCREEN GEMS" (again in the same different font as before) which fades in with the smaller byline underneath it, in the same vein as the previous logo. The camera continues to ascend and zoom out, revealing the same trademark "Spiral S". It seems to be made out of glass, refracting the blue of the sky (rather than being blue itself). As the camera comes to a stop, the blazing sun is positioned exactly behind the bottom half of the "Spiral S", with the clouds forming a plane under the logo. The finished product looks similar to the 2006 version of the 1993 Columbia logo, the studio's corporate sister, complete with rainbow-like circles around the sun.
Trivia: This logo was based on artwork by Buffy Cutler in association with Picturemill, who was commissioned to create a new Screen Gems logo for Friends with Benefits. Some of the other candidates he produced are here, and appear to have been inspired by the 1965 Screen Gems logo.
Bylines:
- July 22, 2011-April 20, 2012: "A SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY"
- February 14, 2014- : "a Sony Company"
Variants:
- Starting with Think Like a Man Too, the 2014 Sony logo now transitions to this logo.
- Starting in 2022, the 2021 Sony logo now transitions to this logo.
- On some films, the logo fades out or cuts to black earlier.
Closing Variants:
- July 22, 2011: A print version of the on-screen logo's finished product.
- April 20, 2012-2017: Same as the previous logo.
- 2017-: Similar to the Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures' closing logos since 2017. The print logo is on the center, with "SCREEN GEMS", in the same font as the 1965 logo, below it. Underneath or above it is the text "A SCREEN GEMS RELEASE" or "RELEASED BY" and the Sony byline.
Technique: CGI by Picturemill.
Audio: At first, wind can be heard blowing very faintly, then the opening theme of the film starts when the "S" first appears on the screen.
Audio Variants:
- Starting in 2014 with Think Like a Man Too, the opening theme starts on the Sony logo.
- None on Picturemill's website.
Availability:
- It was initially used in tandem with the previous logo from 1999, appearing on comedy films such as Friends with Benefits (as a variant), Think Like a Man, About Last Night, Think Like a Man Too, and The Wedding Ringer.
- Starting with The Perfect Guy, it now appears on all of their newer films, regardless of genre.
- The version with the 2021 Sony transition debuted on The Invitation.
