Silver Pictures
From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum
Descriptions by
WetPaintLogo1993, Logophile and Alvin&theChipmunks
Captures by
Eric S., Alvin&theChipmunks, Matthew Mayfield and Derrick Anderson
Editions by
Logophile, Stephen Cezar, Jeffrey Gray, V of Doom, SuperMax124, TheRealMarcel2000, and Tjdrum2000
Video captures courtesy of
EnormousRat and Matthew Mayfield
WetPaintLogo1993, Logophile and Alvin&theChipmunks
Captures by
Eric S., Alvin&theChipmunks, Matthew Mayfield and Derrick Anderson
Editions by
Logophile, Stephen Cezar, Jeffrey Gray, V of Doom, SuperMax124, TheRealMarcel2000, and Tjdrum2000
Video captures courtesy of
EnormousRat and Matthew Mayfield
Background
Silver Pictures is the production company of producer Joel Silver, founded on June 24, 1980. The company has made such films as the first two Die Hard movies, the Lethal Weapon movies and the first three Matrix films, among others; most of its output has been released by either Warner Bros. Pictures or Universal Pictures. It also operates a television division. Until the release of Ricochet, the company merely used in-credit notices; a proper logo was first used on its television division in 1990, a year before Ricochet was released.
1st Logo (October 4, 1991-November 5, 2003)
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Visuals: A 3D silver object emerges from a pool of liquid. It slowly morphs into the company's logo, an abstract, square chip, and zooms out onto a black background, where the white, spaced-out text "SILVER PICTURES" (set in Frutiger) fades in below it as the chip shines.
Trivia: The chip is based on a block pattern that Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the exteriors of the legendary Storer House in Los Angeles. Joel Silver, a Wright enthusiast, restored the Storer House in the 1980s.
Variants:
- On widescreen prints of Ricochet, a gray spotlight is seen shining on the bottom right corner of the screen, with the radius taking up almost half of the background.
- Pan-and-scan prints of the film would have a flash appear with the chip, giving it an appearance of a blue spotlight on the background for a brief second.
- A still variant appears on VH1's print of Cradle 2 the Grave.
Technique: CGI.
Audio: An orchestral fanfare composed by Michael Kamen (who also did the music for the 1991 Morgan Creek and 1994 New Line Cinema logos) that ends with nine orchestral hits.
Audio Variants:
- On Ricochet, the theme is more frenetic and reorchestrated by Alan Silvestri and performed by the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra.
- There is also an unused fanfare with harps and pounding timpani drums throughout used on the film's soundtrack, also composed by Alan Silvestri. This was intended to be the standard fanfare for the logo. It is included in the 1995 album Voyages: The Film Music Journeys of Alan Silvestri.
- On a French VHS of The Last Boy Scout, translated Le Dernier Samaritain, the theme begins at the tail end of the credits before the logo appears.
- On some movies, the closing theme is used.
Availability: It debuted at the end of Ricochet, and can be seen on films released by Silver Pictures from the period (usually after the end credits), such as Swordfish, the original Matrix trilogy, Cradle 2 the Grave, Demolition Man (edited out on AMC prints), The Last Boy Scout, Richie Rich, and Executive Decision. However, it doesn't appear on Lethal Weapon 3 and 4, Assassins or Dungeons and Dragons.
2nd Logo (October 21, 2005-)
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Visuals: The logo starts with silver angles appearing with a light and a small square. The camera then zooms out a little and goes down from the gap of a new, stylized CGI brick as it turns towards a black background with the text "SILVER PICTURES" (set in Gotham Bold) zooming down below it.
Variant: More often than not, the company name is omitted.
Technique: CGI by Prologue.
Audio: None or the opening theme of the movie.
Availability: It debuted on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and has appeared on every film since, the most recent being Road House (2024).
Unused Logos
1st Unused Logo (2003)
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Visuals: On a black background, some gears turn and are held up by strings as the camera zooms out and scrolls down. After a bit, it stops and eases back to reveal a bordered rectangle with an "S" and "SILVER PICTURES" stacked below the gears then fade away.
Technique: CGI.
Audio: A metallic beeping-like sound, followed by machinery turning on when the logo is revealed.
Availability: This was merely one of two experimental logos for the company and was never used on any films. It might be circulating online.
2nd Unused Logo (2003)
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Visuals: Over a black background, the logo starts with some gears in half a square with a metal prong protruding to the bottom. The camera eases back on top with the company name in gray on the top of the screen seen backward before going front as it eases back and rests in the middle. The square turns into the chip from the 1st logo as it shimmers.
Technique: CGI.
Audio: Machinery-like humming with the sound of gears.
Availability: Like the previous logo, this was merely an experimental logo and wasn't used on any films. Again, it might be circulating online.
