Universal Pictures/1997-2012

The latest version of the logo circa 2009.

Following the dissolution of the MCA brand, Universal Pictures commissioned an **opening logo animation** for the then-new brand unification under Universal Studios, Inc. This logo appeared in front of every Universal picture 1997-Present replaced to reflect its later Comcast ownership and centennial anniversary. It is the first Universal Pictures logo to utilize computer-generated graphics, contrary to popular belief, the prior logo with motion-controlled models against a matte painting. For its run of 15 years, it is the 3rd longest-running logo of the studio, behind their 1963 (27 years) and 1946 (18 years) globes.

## Background

In November 1990, Japanese electronic manufacturer Matsushita purchased American media company MCA Inc. for an estimated $6.6 billion. Facing cultural difficulties with the management team across the Pacific Ocean, Matsushita sold an 80% stake in MCA to beverage supplier Seagram Company Ltd. in April of 1995, while retaining a minority 20% interest. To make the transaction of $5.7 billion, Seagram sold nearly all of its stake in American conglomerate DuPont for $8.8 billion.

In April 1996, businessman Frank J. Biondi, Jr. assumed Chairman and CEO of Universal Studios. On December 9, MCA, Inc. announced its name to be officially changed to Universal Studios, Inc. Biondi stated the change "reinforces Universal's association with the excitement of Hollywood and the best in entertainment." On December 21, the 1997 logo was first revealed in print as a full-page advertisement on Billboard magazine, followed by a small article detailing the brand re-organization. The article also mentions the then-new logo being set out to appear in videos and in front of *The Lost World: Jurassic Park* in the coming months.

The Universal Pictures animated logo from this period was created at Identica Partnership, a branding and design agency founded by English designer Michael Peters OBE. It reflected on the expansion of the Universal brand, covering film, music, television, and recently theme parks, and sought to bring a cohesive identity to all things considered "Universal." The globe was given a pixelated color palette of green to red land masses against a large blue mass of water, and the 3D "UNIVERSAL" text was made to stand out with pronounced gold lettering behind a smoother white layer of letters.

## Animation

The logo begins with light shining through an arc, with more lights beaming in the foreground. We see the beams rolling away from us as more begin peering out, revealing that this is a globe and the light was coming out of land masses. Pulling away, the light from Asia spreads to Africa and Europe and 3D lettering reading "UNIVERSAL" curls around the globe. The beams from the land masses dissipate, revealing the full globe evenly lit in front of a white light, possibly the Sun, as the Earth and letters are centered on a black star field, the Americas facing us on the rotating globe.

Early on in the logo's run, a small copyright notice would appear at the end in the bottom-right corner printed "© 1997 Universal City Studios, Inc." Starting in 1998, a more noticeable URL to "www.universalstudios.com" would appear below the globe in a light orange. This regulated the logo copyright notice to the feature's end credits reading "Animated Universal Studios Logo © 1997 Universal Studios." The last appearance of the URL byline was in 2010. In 2009 the final standard byline variant was introduced reading "A DIVISION OF NBC UNIVERSAL" in a skinnier font and a slightly darker orange.

In 2006, Identica did a special alternate version of the logo for Universal's foray into High Definition at the home. The light beams have a more narrow bandwidth and the lettering's reflections have more accurate ray-tracing. The globe texture is also at a higher resolution. Since Universal Studios used to exclusively support HD-DVD, titles on the format would have the logo pull further out, revealing it has been reflected on a metallic HD-DVD logo in a separate star field. Its sun is upper-left off-center, producing a simulated lens flare going diagonally across the logo. When Toshiba discontinued HD-DVD in February 2008, Universal recycled the logo for their switch to Blu-ray Disc, but omitted any mentions of the abandoned format and structured it like the traditional logo. The High Definition logo was never used in front of any feature-length films or standard-definition releases and served as a de facto logo for Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

## Music

Written by American film and television composer Jerry Goldsmith, and performed in the key of A#, the fanfare is based around a horn leitmotif loosely adapted from Jimmy McHugh's 1936 logo fanfare, sharing the first four notes. It occurs three times in the piece, with the third preceded by a powerful trumpet-led flourish, and each instance of the horn motif is followed by two orchestra hits, reminiscent of the Law & Order clang sound. It is arranged for a brass section of horns and trumpets, sections for strings, woodwinds, drums, and a harp.

On movies with 5.1 surround sound mixes, the leitmotif is positional. It starts at the front left channel, then plays at the front right channel for the following two occurrences. The flourish towards the end is mixed at the center channel, and the harp and ending four bass drum hits are positioned left-most in the sound field. Through the years, the sound mix got more narrow towards the center, and you can hear the fanfare at its widest on *The Lost World: Jurassic Park*.

On the release of *A Simple Wish* the French horn part was louder when the word curled around the globe.

John Williams recorded an alternate arrangement of the fanfare to coincide with the 20th anniversary of *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial*. It borrowed the horn motif and end fanfare from the Goldsmith score and segued into the theme music of *E.T.* Visually, it was accompanied with the "UNIVERSAL" text fading out for E.T. and Elliot's silhouettes flying across the globe on their bike. Text below the globe reads "UNIVERSAL STUDIOS CELEBRATES E.T. THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY," with "E.T." in its logo font. Universal placed this variant on films during their E.T. 20th anniversary campaign, starting with the November 21, 2001 release of *Spy Game* to the March 22, 2002 reissue of *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial*. During this period, *A Beautiful Mind*, released on December 21, used the standard logo with an overture written for the film by James Horner. A Williams re-arrangement of the traditional Goldsmith theme was later featured on *The Scorpion King*, removing any reference to E.T.

The fanfare proved itself to be popular and very positive for Universal that they commissioned a new arrangement of it for their next logo. English musical comedian Bill Bailey worked the fanfare into a sketch, calling it "the music you can't fast-forward through." Bailey's orchestra played the fanfare as he imitated an irritated viewer being unable to skip it, then suggested a scenario where you could fast-forward through it. The orchestra proceeded to play it again, sounding like a video being digitally skimmed through.

## 2002, 2005-2012 logo

Universal Pictures is now re-mastered with improved animation, enhanced picture quality, as well as re-recorded music and entirely re-orchestrated with three different themes. It is arranged for a brass section of horns and trumpets, acoustic guitars, sections for strings, and drums. It also uses the same audio, but the second one is sometimes carrying over tubular bells, and the third one sometimes consists of a joyful-esque tune which is infamous for carrying over the same instruments as it usually does in previous versions, but is added with accordions and woodwinds. The 1997 fanfare is retained in 2005.

This logo is featured on Snow White and the Great Jewel Hunt, Baby Noah, Palippine, Barbie: Thumbelina, The Legend of the Unseen Lion, Broccoli Landscape Former, Rio: The Movie, The Ballad of Little Joe, and A Tale of Two Towns of Meatballs.

In 2005, the URL was changed to Helvetica Extended.

In late 2009, the URL was replaced with 'A DIVISION OF NBCUNIVERSAL' and was first seen in 2010.

## References

1. ↑ Universal Studios. CLG Wiki. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
2. ↑ Universal. Identica. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
3. ↑ Jerry Goldsmith Online Works - Fanfares. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
4. ↑ It's a Wrap: MCA Sold : Matsushita to Pay About $6.6 Billion. The Los Angeles Times. 26 November 1990. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
5. ↑ SEAGRAM HEADS FOR HOLLYWOOD; SEAGRAM WILL BUY 80% OF BIG STUDIO FROM MATSUSHITA. The New York Times. 7 April 1995. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
6. ↑ THE MCA SALE: THE DEAL; Seagram Puts the Finishing Touches on Its $5.7 Billion Acquisition of MCA. The New York Times. 10 April 1995. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
7. ↑ Frank J. Biondi, Jr | Seagate Retrieved 22 February 2018.
8. ↑ MCA changes name to Universal Studios Inc. Orlando Business Journal. 9 December 1996. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
9. ↑ Billboard. 21 December 1996. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
10. ↑ MCA Gives Universal Identity to Its Music, Video Divisions. Billboard. 21 December 1996. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
11. ↑ Toshiba drops HD DVD. The Guardian. 19 February 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
12. ↑ Bill Bailey - Universal Studio Theme - Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra. YouTube. 18 February 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2018.