Jerry Weintraub Productions

Background
Weintraub Entertainment Group was the independent production company of Jerry Weintraub, founded in 1986. The company was backed with a $461 million credit invested by Columbia Pictures and Cineplex Odeon among other firms. In 1987, WEG acquired the Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment library from Cannon Films due to the latter company's crippling debt. A lack of box-office hits caused WEG to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 1990. Weintraub disbanded from the company shortly thereafter and made a deal with Warner Bros. Pictures.

(August 19, 1988-April 13, 1990)
Nickname: "Copper W"

Logo: On a black background, we see a W made out of copper with lines zooming-out. When the zooming has finished, under it, the words "WEINTRAUB" in gold, and "ENTERTAINMENT GROUP" in white fade in. Later, the words "RELEASED THROUGH COLUMBIA PICTURES" fade-in.

Variants:
 * On films that WEG inherited from Cannon, the Columbia byline isn't shown and the logo plays at a faster speed.
 * At the end of The Gods Must Be Crazy II, a still version is seen. Here the stacked words are made bigger. Also, the Columbia text isn't seen below.

FX/SFX: The "W" zooming out and the letters fading.

Music/Sounds: Usually silent, or the opening theme of the film.

Availability: Rare. Seen on films such as My Stepmother Is An Alien, Listen to Me, Troop Beverly Hills, She's Out of Control, and Fresh Horses. The still version can be seen after the credits of The Gods Must Be Crazy II. This originally appeared on U.S. prints of The Big Blue, but the DVD release has the 2001 Samuel Goldwyn and 10th Gaumont logos instead. The bylineless version was spotted on the UK Warner Home Video VHS releases of films such as the 1950 movie The Elusive Pimpernel and the 1955 movie Confession (known in the U.S. as The Deadliest Sin).

Background
JW Productions is the second production company of producer Jerry Weintraub. The company has continued to produce projects like The Legend of Tarzan and Westworld, despite Weintraub's death in 2015.

(February 14, 1997- )


Logo: It begins with old black & white footage of a movie set, complete with cast and crew, camera and boom. The camera eases in slowly, then a black background with an etching of "JW" with the letters conjoined, and "PRODUCTIONS" fades in. Then Jerry Weintraub's signature, in red, fades in, in front of the "JW". As it does this, "PRODUCTIONS" turns white.

Variants:
 * On The Karate Kid, the movie set footage is sepia-toned.
 * On Westworld (2016 HBO TV series), and on the March 15, 2000 airing of Vegas Vacation on CBS due to split screen credits, the logo is still.

FX/SFX: Live-action footage, along with the fading in of the logo and Mr. Weintraub's signature.

Music/Sounds: It begins with some violins, then it goes into a lush horn piece. Throughout the logo and the music, it begins with people talking, then as the logo fades in, a bell rings, then a sound of a clapboard and then the director says "Action!" when the signature fades in. It was silent on the Ocean's films and on The Karate Kid, the closing theme of the film was used. CBS version has the then generic theme playing over ("The Address is CBS!!").

Availability: Seen on films produced by JW Productions. Notable films include Vegas Vacation, Soldier, The Avengers (1998 film), the Ocean's series, and The Karate Kid (2010 film).

Editor's Note: None.