AIMS Multimedia
Background
AIMS Multiedia (formerly AIMS Media) was an educational film company, which was also once the distributor of some films on Laserdisc and VHS. In 1992, the company renamed itself to reflect its expansion to other mediums, like video games. It was acquired by Discovery Education in 2004.
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AIMS Media
1st Logo (1970-1982)
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Visuals: On a black background, the white text "aims" is seen in a lowercase Arial font in the center of the screen. The "i" is dotted with a large red apple shape, and the entire thing is surrounded by a white oval shape, ending with an arrowhead on the right side. Above the logo is "Distributed By" and below it is "Instructional Media Services, Inc." ("Instructional Media, Inc." starting in 1980) in a different font, along with "Hollywood/Glendale, California" as well.
Variants:
- The font differs over the years.
- On rare occasions, the ",Inc." is absent.
- On Safety Demonstration on the Wood Lathe, the background is a grey color, revealing drop shadows behind the text. The text is also closer to each other.
- On Planets of the Sun, the text is italicized and "HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA" is in all capitals. The logo is also superimposed onto the zooming space background.
Technique: A still graphic.
Audio: None or the end of the program.
Availability: It can be seen on any filmreels from the time, like Narcotics: The Importance of User Recognition, The Correctional Officer: If You're Taken Hostage, and the ones listed in the Variants section, among others.
2nd Logo (1982-1993)
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Visuals: On a starry space background, a white arrowhead appears and curves a U-turn as it draws a curve along the bottom, causing the text "AIMS" (now in a Microgramma font) to appear one-by-one via flashing when the arrow passes under them. It then U-turns back around to the top, and then suddenly stops as a large red apple flashes in to dot the "I" in the text, forming roughly a similar result to before. The logo then moves up slightly to reveal the text "AIMS MEDIA presents" in a stacked formation.
Variants:
- There exists a videotaped version of the logo.
- At the end of programs, the logo is smaller and still. Above it is the text "Distributed By", and below it is "AIMS Media". Below that is their home address, which differs throughout the years but is always based in California. Much like before, the logo may have different fonts and may be superimposed.
Technique: Analog 2D animation.
Audio: A long synth whoosh plays as 4 synthesizer notes play for each of the letters appearing. A loud "ding" plays when the apple appears, and it finishes with a more standard synth theme.
Audio Variants:
- At the beginning of some programs, the beginning of the logo would play normally, but then the music would be replaced with the opening theme of the program after the apple flashes in.
- Rarely, the logo is silent.
- In its early years, the music was somewhat shorter.
- The closing variant has either the end theme of the program or none.
- On The Heimlich Maneuver: How To Save A Choking Victim, the music is completely different, sounding more futuristic with basslines.
Availability: Seen on some films and video releases like Learning About Dinosaurs. Also seen on The McGruff Files: People, Different but Alike and McGruff on Self-Protection: Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect.
AIMS Multimedia
Logo (1992-2004)
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Visuals: On a cloudy sky background, an oval shape flies in from the left of the screen as it rotates to fact it. It heavily resembles the familiar AIMS oval, but the text "MULTIMEDIA" is seen on the bottom of it. Then, one-by-one, the large stone text "AIMS" zooms out into the oval in-sync with the music. Finally, a large flash appears over the gap in the oval, revealing a large, shiny apple dotting the "I". The end result looks similar to the AIMS Media logo, and is slightly tilted to the left.
Variants:
- At the end of the programs, the print logo, which heavily resembles the AIMS logo, is seen with "Distributed By" on top and their phone number and URL below. All of this takes place on a smoky background.
- On video games from them, the logo is on a black background and is formed in a similar fashion to the 2nd AIMS Media logo, but with more modern and flashy lights, and having "MULTIMEDIA" flash in below in white. The apple shines.
Technique: CGI.
Audio: A soft woodwind piece plays as its amplified by 2 French horn notes. Following this, 4 timpani beats play as the letters settle, before finishing it off with a triumphant fanfare when the apple appears. The video game logo has a more "tribal-like beat" tune with a repeating synth bell.
Availability: It can be seen on old educational videos; it could be found on VHS tapes of the programs, as well as certain titles from the company available on Discovery Education.
- Examples would be the Spacefiles series and The Teen Files from 1998-2000, as well as The Sneeze: How Germs Are Spread.
- The video game variant is said to appear on McGruff Files: Dangerous Strangers and Reading with Petter Cottontail: The Story of Mrs. Quack, both for PC.
