Warner Bros. Family Entertainment

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Warner Bros. Family Entertainment was the family production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment that was established in 1992 under Time Warner Entertainment a year after its overseas distribution deal with Buena Vista International, in which Warner distributed Disney and Touchstone films in overseas territories, expired. It handled kids & family-oriented movies and television shows, mostly animated, along with some live-action releases. However, after a string of box-office flops, the company made WBFE a direct-to-video/DVD and kids-oriented TV show-only label, and started using their normal unit for theatrical releases, starting with My Dog Skip. They still distributed films in international territories, mostly Germany; their last theatrical release was 2011's Laura's Star and the Dream Monsters. Afterwards, family-oriented productions were moved back to the normal Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Bros. Animation names (and later, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation), whereas direct-to-video productions moved to Warner Premiere (and later, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment).



1st Logo (September 14, 1992-August 11, 2001)

Visuals: A bannerless WB shield is shown, as usual, posed against the sky. Then Bugs Bunny (in the same tuxedo from the Happy Birthday Bugs logo) leans over the shield, puts a hoop-like, wordless banner around it, and spins it around as the byline A TIME WARNER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY" fades in under the logo. Then Bugs steps to the left from under the shield, does a Vanna White-like pose, and puts his hand on the banner as it stops to reveal the words "FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT". Bugs keeps his hand on it as he leans, brandishes a carrot and takes a bite on it as the banner shines.

Variants:

  • A more common version starts with the banner already on the shield which displays the inscribed words; after the byline fades in as usual, the logo continues per se with Bugs Bunny's usual pose and animation. The shield in this version is bigger with the byline smaller.
  • A medium-length version that was used for trailers and TV spots exists, in which the shield is smaller and the byline is bigger. In addition, the banner also does not shine.
  • An abridged version exists, which was used to open TV series in the '90s. In this version, there is only the finished product of the logo, with the only animation being Bugs Bunny chomping his carrot and the banner shining. Sometimes, the banner does not shine.
  • A version without Bugs Bunny also exists, which can be found at the end of the 1995 Looney Tunes short Carrotblanca, with the "That's all Folks!" script written on top of it. The shield opens with a nervous-looking Tweety inside of it, saying "That's all Folks!" and laughing (in his Peter Lorre/Usmarte impression), the shield closes, and then "A WARNER BROS. CARTOON" appears on the bottom-right corner. The shield, in this case, is noticeably hand-drawn.
  • A noticeably digitally remastered version with no shining ribbon exists, which was used from 1999 to 2001. Plus, the ribbon does not cast a shadow on the shield and the byline is also in a different typeface. This was basically an abridged version of the Wakko's Wish custom variation, but without Wakko at the right of the shield.
  • A videotaped variant of the logo exists, which was seen on The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show in the late '90s.
  • A full unmatted variant exists.
  • A French version of the byline also exists.

Technique: Traditional animation by Bill Waldman at Warner Bros. Classic Animation.

Audio: A symphonic, majestic arrangement of "Merrily We Roll Along" by Richard Stone plus the sound of Bugs chomping on his carrot. Originally, a fishing reel sound (with soft whooshing sounds) can be heard when Bugs spins the banner.

Audio Variants:

  • Sometimes, the carrot chomping sound effect is different.
  • In 1992, an abridged version of "Merrily We Roll Along" was used on some TV shows and specials.
  • Almost every other show with the abridged version has a rearrangement of the sting used to close out Warner Bros. cartoons of the 1990s composed by husband and wife Steven and Julie Bernstein. The piece consists of a timpani and harp crescendo, a four-note brass fanfare, a piano crescendo, and tuba hit with the normal carrot crunching sound effect still used.
    • Amazon prints of Waynehead use a low pitched version.
  • On the 1996 WB cartoon Road Rovers, an electric guitar riff that sounds very little like the Road Rovers theme song plays over this logo.
  • On the medium-length version, the fanfare is shortened and faster-paced.
  • On Black Beauty (1994), the logo is completely silent.
  • The show's end theme played over it on 1993-2000 episodes of The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show.
  • The Looney Tunes shorts featuring this logo use an arrangement of Max Steiner's fanfare for the 1937 Warner Bros. Pictures logo.
  • On The Adventures of Batman & Robin (a.k.a. season 2 of Batman: The Animated Series), the short music is rearranged.
  • A Finnish TV spot for the VHS release of The Pebble and the Penguin (1995) has Leo's 1995 roar from the 1986 MGM logo due to sloppy plastering. This likely happened because Warner Bros. holds the international distribution rights to this movie.

Availability: Seen on productions from this company up until 2001. During its final years, it would be used in tandem with the next logo.

  • This logo was first seen on Merrie Melodies starring Bugs Bunny & Friends on Fox Kids in 1992.
  • The version with the short version of "Merrily We Roll Along" was spotted on the second season of Batman: The Animated Series, in addition to 1995-97 Fox Kids reruns of the show (also intact on the 1997 VHS releases of the show), as well as syndicated reruns (in addition to home media prints) of The New Batman Adventures (season 3 of Batman: The Animated Series, also called "the revamp").
  • Seen on various WB family movies of the '90s such as the first three Free Willy films (current prints of the first film plaster it with the 1998 Warner Bros. Pictures logo, although this logo is left intact on the sequels; additionally, the 1997 DVD of Free Willy uses the standard variant, instead of the original version), Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Black Beauty, It Takes Two (although it is removed from current prints as Paramount Pictures via Rysher Entertainment now owns this film), Richie Rich, Space Jam, and Cats Don't Dance, among others.
  • It can also be found on direct-to-video films, such as Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero and the edited version of Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (it is also retained on the PG-13 version of the film).
  • The short version can be found at the beginning of WB Animation shows during the period, such as Animaniacs, Pinky & the Brain, Freakazoid! (it also remains intact on the former three shows' DVD releases and on streaming prints), Superman: The Animated Series, and the first season of Static Shock, as well as the ill-fated Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain.
  • The version with the rare fanfare was seen on Taz-Mania on AOL's In2TV, and is also preserved intact on the DVD releases thereof.
  • The 1999-2001 version can be found on Batman Beyond, Histeria!, Detention, The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries, and the first season of The Zeta Project.
  • The videotaped version was seen on the final years of The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show (after the end credits) on ABC.
  • This logo is also seen after the 1985 Warner Home Video logo on the Stars of Space Jam series of VHS releases.
  • The logo with the electric guitar riff tune is intact on Road Rovers on DVD.
  • The short 1993 version is also seen at the beginning of The New Batman/Superman Adventures from 1997 as well as The Adventures of Batman & Robin (a.k.a. the last eleven episodes of season 2 of Batman: The Animated Series) from 1994, and is also intact on the Blu-ray releases.
  • This logo is also seen on the Looney Tunes shorts Chariots of Fur, Another Froggy Evening, Superior Duck, Pullet Surprise, From Hare to Eternity, and Father of the Bird.
  • A physical, silver colored version of the print logo can also be found on Warner Bros. Editions of the Chevrolet Venture minivan from 2000-2003, affixed to the driver and passenger-side swing doors, and above the liftgate handle on the rear of the car, while a colored sticker version was affixed to the LCD display on the in-car VHS/DVD player.
  • This logo is also seen on international prints of the third Neverending Story movie (the UK VHS release omits it, however), pre-2000s prints of Thumbelina and A Troll in Central Park and pre-2001 international prints of The Pebble and the Penguin. The latter two films are now owned by 20th Century Fox/Disney.
  • This logo is also seen when Boomerang airs the Looney Tunes short A Pizza Tweety-Pie.
  • The Tweety "That's all, folks!" variant is shown whenever Boomerang airs the Carrotblanca short.
  • This logo is also intact on HBO Max's print of Superman: The Animated Series as well as the show's Blu-ray boxset.
  • This logo is also preserved on the 1998 U.S. demo VHS release of Dennis the Menace Strikes Again, with a chyroned text "Property of Warner Bros." below the shield.
    • However, the retail version uses the 75th Anniversary variant of the next logo.
  • It is also seen on the 1996 VHS release of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971), plastering the 1968 Paramount Pictures logo and any WB logos that may have previously plastered the former logo.
    • The same also applies to the 1999 VHS reprint, as well as the 1997 DVD release and the 1999 UK DVD release thereof.
  • The medium-length version can be found on the Animaniacs theatrical short "I'm Mad".

2nd Logo (March 20, 1998-September 24, 2009)

Visuals: A picture of the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank is seen with a gold tint, and ripples slowly (a la the DreamWorks Pictures logo) before rotating to reveal itself as the WB shield (but with the banner reading "FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT" instead of "WARNER BROS. PICTURES") over the cloud background, both of which are now redone in CGI. The shield continues to rotate as it zooms out to its usual position, with the company byline fading in underneath. Once the shield settles on its usual position, Bugs steps to the left from under the shield, and does the same pose and animation from the previous logo.

Bylines:

  • March 20, 1998-2003: "A TIME WARNER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY" (in Garamond for the normal variant and in Bodoni Condensed for the 75 Years variant)
  • February 2001-2003: "An AOL Time Warner Company" (also in Garamond)
  • 2003-March 22, 2008: Bylineless
  • 2004-September 24, 2009: "A TimeWarner Company" (with "TimeWarner" in its corporate font and the rest of the text in FF Meta)

Variants:

  • As with the main Warner Bros. Pictures logo, a "75 Years" variant (see this page for more on the variant description from this era) was used. It is also a lot like the standard version, but the cloud background is darker and the text and the shield are in a brownish-gold color.
  • On the Time Warner Entertainment byline variant, the shield, cloud background, and the "FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT" banner are enhanced.
  • A scope variant exists.
  • On current prints of Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire, the logo is darker.
  • Starting in 2001, at the start of television series, there is an abridged version which shows the finished product of the logo with the only animation being the movement of the clouds and Bugs chomping on his carrot.
  • On the company's straight-to-DVD films after AOL Time Warner was reverted back to Time Warner, the logo went without a byline.
  • Another shortened version of this logo, this time starting with the shield zooming out, began usage from around 2001-2002 to 2008.
  • A version without Bugs Bunny also exists, but was mostly used as a corporate logo.
  • In 2005, there was a short-lived version where the banner reads "WARNER BROS. PICTURES" like the normal logo.

Technique: CGI with traditional animation from the previous logo. Like the 1998 Warner Bros. Pictures logo, this was done at Intralink Film Graphic Design.

Audio: The first half of the wind-blowing theme from the 1998 Warner Bros. Pictures logo, segueing into the Richard Stone arrangement of "Merrily We Roll Along" from the previous logo. The carrot chomping sound effect is left intact, albeit delayed.

Audio Variants:

  • The abridged version uses the Steven and Julie Bernstein composition from the previous logo.
  • On U.S. prints of A Rat's Tale and Quest for Camelot, as well as a DVD print of Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire, the logo is completely silent.
  • On Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars, the fanfare has noticeably more reverb to it.
  • Sometimes, when the long version is plastering the previous logo, there are no wind chimes at the start, before the previous logo's theme kicks in.
  • On the DVD and digital HD versions of The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie, the long version of this logo is seen, starting off silent, and then when the shield begins zooming out, the original opening music heard during the 1972 "Big W" logo plays underneath.

Availability: Seen on releases from this time-period until 2009.

  • The 75 Years variant only appeared on U.S. prints of A Rat's Tale, Quest for Camelot and Dennis the Menace Strikes Again, as well as the trailer for The King and I.
  • The long version doesn't pop up that often, as around this time many theatrical films under the Family Entertainment label opted for the traditional logo.
    • The Time Warner Entertainment byline can be found on The King and I, released on March 19, 1999, and was also used to plaster the 1968 Paramount logo (and other former post-1972 Warner logos, including the previous WBFE logo) on post-2001 DVD releases of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (although it was finally restored on the 2021 UHD release). After 1999, theatrical movies began using any of the current Warner-related logos.
      • It also makes appearances on the direct-to-video The Little Polar Bear movies such as A Visitor from the South Pole, which were produced in 2002 and released in Germany in 2004.
    • The AOL Time Warner byline can be found on the German animated movie The Little Polar Bear.
    • The TimeWarner byline is preserved on the German animated movie Laura's Star (the Warner Bros. Pictures logo appears at the end) and its German-only sequel Laura's Star and the Strange Dragon Nian (the last release overall to use this logo), alongside The Little Polar Bear 2.
      • It is also used to plaster the 1972 logo on the DVD releases of The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (with wind chimes), The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie and Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island, and the previous logo on the 2014 Blu-ray release of Black Beauty.
  • As with the previous logo, the short version is frequently seen at the beginning of various WB Animation shows until 2008, such as What's New, Scooby-Doo?, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!, Baby Looney Tunes, ¡Mucha Lucha!, Coconut Fred's Fruit Salad Island, Firehouse Tales, Xiaolin Showdown, Teen Titans, Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, The Batman, Loonatics Unleashed, Static Shock, Tom and Jerry Tales, and the first season of Johnny Test among others.
  • The short version starting with the shield zooming out can be found on various Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, and Tom and Jerry DTV movies, as well as Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman.
  • From 2008-2012, starting with Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King, the Warner Premiere logo replaced the Family Entertainment logo on the DTV movies, while Warner Bros. Animation has replaced the long-running WBFE logo with their own for the first time since 1991, although the direct-to-video movies Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes (released on August 24, 2010), Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz (released on August 23, 2011), Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (released on September 6, 2011) and Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse (released on October 2, 2012), along with Blu-ray reissues of WBFE's back-catalog have the 1993 print logo on their back covers.
  • This logo was also seen on the trailers and TV spots for My Dog Skip, as well as the trailer for the 1999 VHS release of The Wizard of Oz (although the actual films respectively use the standard Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer logos instead).
  • It does not appear on CBBC UK airings of What's New, Scooby Doo?, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!, Krypto the Superdog, The Batman, ¡Mucha Lucha!, and Baby Looney Tunes for unknown reasons.
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