Seven Arts Pictures

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Seven Arts Pictures was a low-profile/B-movie distribution company established on July 19, 1990, as a joint venture between Carolco Pictures and New Line Cinema (now part of Warner Bros. Pictures), and was headed by Mario F. Kassar. Today, the entire Seven Arts library is owned by StudioCanal. This studio is not to be confused with UK's "Seven Arts Entertainment" and its division "Seven Arts International" and Ray Stark and Eliot Hyman's "Seven Arts Productions", who also merged with Warner Bros. Pictures in 1967 forming "Warner Bros.-Seven Arts".



1st Logo (September 14-28?, 1990)


Visuals: Over a black background, the logo starts with many stars forming a blue box with a stylized "7A" inside it, with "SEVEN" above and "ARTS" below. Then we see the byline "THROUGH NEW LINE CINEMA" (with its print logo) on the bottom right of the screen.

Variant: On the trailer for Repossessed, a 2D version appears in grey, with the byline in a whitish color.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Starts out with some tinkles when the stars are forming the logo, then 7 synth-horn notes and a descending, relaxing synth theme.

Audio Variant: Some prints of Repossessed have the Carolco jingle instead.

Availability: Its only known appearance was on Repossessed. It may have been seen on theatrical prints of King of New York, but home media releases have no logo.

2nd Logo (February 1-Late 1991?)


Visuals: On a black background, there is a shiny blue "7A" zooming out. The Seven Arts text is then seen at a certain point. The logo shines, and the New Line byline fades in.

Variant: There is a version without the byline.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A peaceful synth choir theme.

Audio Variant: A French VHS of The Dark Wind presumably overlaid the film's French audio track onto what was supposed to be a U.S. theatrical print (it went straight-to-video in America, after a planned theatrical release fell through). As a result, the Seven Arts jingle is replaced with that of UGC, the film's French distributor.

Availability: Seen on Rambling Rose and The Dark Wind. Also seen on the Canadian Cineplex Odeon VHS of Queens Logic, in addition to Tubi's print, after the FilmRise logo. The bylineless version is seen on Dice Rules. It may have been seen on some theatrical prints of Defenseless, Get Back (the Paul McCartney concert film), and Sweet Talker, but the home video releases show no evidence. However, it is surprisingly preserved on Tubi's print of Defenseless, after the FilmRise logo.

3rd Logo (March 13-June 12, 1992)


Visuals: Over an orange or purple cloudy background, a 3D cube rotates into view from the top left. When it's facing the screen, lasers etch the "7A" logo in the center, then the etching explodes, leaving behind the standard "7A" logo. The Seven Arts text appears, and the New Line byline fades in below.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: A synth trumpet leading into a synth orchestra fanfare when the logo explodes. Some laser zaps are heard when the lasers etch the logo.

Availability: Seen on Light Sleeper and Aces: Iron Eagle III.