Wilshire Court Productions

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

Wilshire Court Productions was a made-for-TV movie production division of Paramount Television (now "CBS Studios") established in 1989 in partnership with the USA Networks that produced TV movies (mostly horror movies) for USA and its sister channel Sci-Fi Channel (now "Syfy") launched in 1992, and later for all the Paramount Global networks. The name of the company comes from Wilshire Court, a side street in Los Angeles.

Logo (May 31, 1989-August 24, 2003)


Visuals: On a black background, two white and green inverted trapezoids formed by five lines that decrease in size slide in from the left and right sides of the screen respectively and stop in the middle, slightly intersecting each other, while the silver text "WILSHIRE COURT P R O D U C T I O N S" zooms beneath the trapezoids.

Variants:

  • In another version, the trapezoids are touched-up and shiny.
  • In later years, the registered trademark symbol fades in next to or zooms out with the "PRODUCTIONS" text.
  • On the first two seasons of Sightings, the logo is set on top of the screen with a copyright stamp for Paramount Pictures (later for Wilshire Court Productions) below. Sometimes, this has no animation.

Technique: Computer effects.

Audio: An orchestral string tune mixed with a peaceful piano theme. This was ultimately used only on two 1990 TV movies, Wheels of Terror and Nightmare on the 13th Floor. In most cases, it's the ending theme of the film or it's silent (usually happening when Wilshire Court films reran on Lifetime and LMN).

Audio Variant: The Sightings variant has the tail end of the Sather Gate Productions music.

Availability:

  • Last retained on old VHS releases of TV movies released by the company and films from USA Network such as The Haunting of Sarah Hardy, Wheels of Terror, Trilogy of Terror II (in which the Kino Lorber DVD/Blu-Ray release of it retains it), Nightmare on the 13th Floor, Through the Eyes of a Killer, Blackmail, Meteorites!, and the two Bloodhounds movies to name a few.
  • Several of these movies still broadcast on Horror Channel UK from time to time.
  • In most cases, this is followed by the Paramount Television logo of the era (on VHS releases and networks like Lifetime/LMN) or, on original USA Network airings of films from 1995-1999, the USA Pictures logo from the era.
  • It can be also seen on season 1-2 episodes of Sightings.
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