Val Morgan

Logo descriptions by OZ_Paramount87, Largerchips Video captures courtesy of RecordCouncil

Background: Val Morgan is a cinema advertising network which operates in Australia and is owned by Hoyts. It has a virtual monopoly of the cinema advertising market, holding the advertising rights to every major cinema chain (Village, Event, Greater Union, Hoyts, Reading, Palace, etc.) and the majority of Australia's independent cinemas.

1st (known) Logo (mid to late 80s)

Nickames: "The Laser"

Logo: On a black background we see a metallic rectangle with blue and brown reflective colours moving slowly towards us. When it stops a laser beam shoots across the top left of the screen. The box then sparkles and shines. The two more laser beams (one coming from left to right and the other vise versa) shoot the box the create the words "VAL MORGAN" on the top and "CINEMA ADVERTISING" on the bottom. The logo then constantly shines as another laser beam shoots across the top left.

FX/SFX: The shining, the laser-beam, the neon feel to it.

Music/Sounds: A suspenseful string tune followed by laser noises for the beams. A low synth note for the shining of the logo. Then when the letters are formed a triumphant eight note synth-brass tune, sounding similar to Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer", plays.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (late 90s-mid 2000s)

Nicknames: "Always there", "Val Morgan VM" "The Planet"

Logo: We pan through a landscape filled with yellow bar lights and film canisters forming a purple road. Above we see golden filmstrip (looking a lot like the AMC mascot) riding a film canister. The camera cuts to close shot of a Saturn-like planet, however the planet is made up of the gold central light, dark lilac filmstrips and popcorn rings. The filmstrip surfs on the popcorn, knocking them out of orbit. About half-way round the filmstrip stops and notices the filmstrip planet (which actually has a giant face) staring at it. The filmstrip then continues surfing around the planet. When it finishes it's rotation the face moves to the right and a purple film strip with the words "VAL MORGAN" along with the company logo, consisting of three isosceles triangles (two rightside-up and one upside-down) to make "VM", to the left of it, wipes in.

Variants: There was a version which added "MOTIVATE" so that it read "MOTIVATE VAL MORGAN" In the year 1999 and 2000 the Sydney 2000 Olympic partner logo was added to recognise their involvement in the upcoming Sydney Olympics. FX/SFX: Everything in the logo all done in wonderful CGI.

Music/Sounds: A upbeat pop tune coupled by the filmstrip yelling "Wahoo!" at the start. When the logo name is revealed a female voice says "Always there".

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

3rd Logo (mid 2000s-2012)

Nickname: "The Floating Letters"

Logo: On a blue background we zoom back to see silver letters floating around. Four blue square then come from all areas of the screen to form a blue rectangle. The letters fade away as a white light appears and lights up the logo revealing "valmorgan" at the bottom of the rectangle. The words "cinema network" appear below on the left and right respectively, and move towards the logo until it lines up. Underneath all that "pre-show program" fades in.

FX/SFX: The glass letters, the lighting and the forming of the logo.

Music/Sounds: An upbeat and dreamy fifteen note echoing vibraphone piece.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (2012-2014)

Nicknames: "The Neon Lines"

Logo: On a dark blue gradient background, we see a small neon lines fly towards the left of screen and expand to an array of thin neon lines in a parabola-like formation, thinning out towards the right of the screen. The camera shot then rotates left and to another angle, to show the neon lines are actually form an sort of hourglass figure and another set of neon lines that are closest to the viewer. Above this last set of neon lines explain are the words "DEEP ENGAGEMENT", as the camera zooms back and left. A blurring effect happens and we see another shot of the neon hourglass structure as "PROVEN EFFECTIVENESS" appear as the camera follows a set of outwardly rotating neon lines that start to fizzle out. The camera then moves quickly and blurs slightly to the other side of the hourglass structure, where the words "CINEMA ADVERTISING DELIVERS RESULTS" as the hourglass forms back into the parabola-like shape at the start of the animation. The neon lines then close on each other, as, from the left of screen, a lens flare and fine dust form the ValMorgan logo, with the blue square (sans company name) and the words "valmorgan pre-show" while the URL www.valmorgan.com.au form in a spaced out, narrow font.

FX/SFX: A lot of action for a twenty-two second logo. The main aspect of this logo are the neon light effects and the space-age feel in the logo. Possibly had 3D cinema showings in mind.

Music/Sounds: A very space-age soundtrack with calming string instruments, along with sci-fi sounding instruments which finish with a harmonious choir.

Availability: Extinct. Was seen before every film in almost every Australian cinema.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (2014-2019)

Nicknames: "The Eye" "The Human Elements of Cinema"

Logo: on a black.background, we see a series of small, circular objects, all in varying shades of blue, move towards a bright light on the horizon. They flash and create a human eye. Some more of those objects come in from the left of the eye, head to the right and then sweep past the screen, creating the words"DEEPER ENGAGEMENT", as the eye fades out. Then, we see more of the objects, this time creating someone's mouth, which opens, as more objects sweep past from the left, creating the words"HIGHLY EFFECTIVE" as the mouth fades out again. More of the objects make the eye again, and we zoom through the pupil, revealing the words"CINEMA ADVERTISING DELIVERS RESULTS". Then, more objects sweep the text away, revealing the same logo as before, made of glass, slowly fading to 2D. The logo then cuts to the first ad to be shown.

FX/SFX: Another twenty-two second logo with lots of action, mainly the circular objects and the eye/mouth. .

Music/Sounds: A very choir heavy tune, with a subwoofer drop when "DEEPER ENGAGEMENT" appears, as well as the sound of exhaling when the mouth opens, ending in a Minor-note choir. .

Availability: Seen before every film in almost every Australian cinema.

Editor's Note: None

6th Logo (2019-Present)

Nicknames: "The Bubbles and Balls" "Making Messages Memorable"

Logo: A Water drop of some sort, drops onto a black surface, as it hits the surface it explodes into many water drop like objects, we cut to a close up of the objects, we see it with many neon lines resembling possibly a flower, as gold tower like objects rise up in the right of the frame, we cut to a birds eye view of the tower like objects which now look more like cogs, nuts and bolts, fall into what is now a screen in a cinema, some of these objects in the middle of the frame form an O as the camera pans around what is undoubtedly a cinema screen, the O turns into blue bubble like balls and the screen resembles an eye, The bubbles and balls quickly zoom at us and we cut to a close up of the bubbles and towers zooming towards the audience, the towers transform into bubbles and balls quickly, we cut to a view of the cinema screen obstructed by two seats in a cinema, as the bubbles and balls are rising up to the ceiling of the cinema, we then cut to a perfect view of the screen as the bubbles and balls move away from the screen which has a ripple effect on it, the words valmorgan in lowercase are formed on the screen by blue spark trails, the words "Making Messages Memorable since 1894" fade in, The camera zooms out behind a seat as the bubbles and balls float to the ceiling, we fade to black with only the white text "valmorgan" with "Making Messages Memorable since 1894" remains in white, we cut to black.

FX/SFX: a nineteen second logo with lots happening, starts out simple and then quickly becomes something amazing, all done in amazing CGI, most impressively the neon trails, bubbles, balls and golden towers, really, really good CGI.

Music/Sounds: we start with a sound reminiscent of a soaring jet or welding iron, then a bass drop, a synth background drone, with many whooshes, then a slight mechanical grinding sound, then as the towers turn to bubbles lots of bubbling and metal tinging and chiming, a rising but peaceful synth track, pounding drums as the valmorgan logo appears, the synth track holds its final note.

Availability: In every cinema that Val Morgan advertises on in Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates, can be seen on the advertising boards in a cinema foyer, is not seen in some regional Australian independent cinemas, cannot be seen at Reading Cinemas in Australia though.

Editors Note: None