American Zoetrope: Difference between revisions

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Founded in 1969 by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, '''American Zoetrope''' is an American film production company based in San Francisco, California. It was formerly known as '''Omni Zoetrope''' and '''Zoetrope Studios''' from 1980 until 1990. The company has produced notable films by Coppola, such as ''Apocalypse Now'', ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'', and ''Tetro'', as well as George Lucas's pre-''Star Wars'' films, including ''THX 1138'' and ''American Graffiti''. Additionally, American Zoetrope has distributed works by avant-garde directors like Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, Wim Wenders, and Godfrey Reggio. Being an early adopter of digital filmmaking, the company has been credited with some of the earliest uses of HDTV.
 
==American Zoetrope (first eraiteration)==
===1st Logo (March 11, 1971, May 12, 2001-2021)===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
azoetrope.jpg
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{{YouTube|id=IXQZE41jUBU}}
 
'''Logo:''' AgainstOn a black background, we see the text "AN" in a Futura font. and "american zoetrope" in a thin abstract font. Below that is alarge lowercase "a" colored {{color|red}}, white, and {{color|blue}}. To the right of it is a zoetrope (a cylinder with images displayed inside that, when the outside is spun, gives the pictures the appearance that they are being animated when viewed through the slits at the top) colored inwith the same waycolor scheme. Above this is the text "PRODUCTIONAN" isin belowa thatFutura font, and "american zoetrope" in thea samethin abstract font. asBelow is "ANPRODUCTION" also in a Futura font.
 
'''Variants:'''
*OnFor athis fewlogo's filmsreturn in 2001, an animated variant was created. Here, the "a" and zoetrope slide away from each other, while copies of them sliding across at different sizes can be seen off the sides. After the logo finishes, the words appear one by one.
*Sometimes,On "PRODUCTION"the is2021 replaceddirector's withcut of ''Dementia 13'', "PRESENTATION" replaces "PRODUCTION".
 
'''Technique:''' None, aside from the variant.
 
'''Music/Sounds:''' None, or the opening theme of the movie.
 
'''Availability:''' AlthoughOriginally usedappeared foron a''THX great1138''. 50In years2001, thisafter is30 rareyears sinceof itdormancy, isthe onlylogo seenmade ona fewsurprise films,return likeappearance for an example,on ''THX 1138CQ''. TheIt varianthas makessince surprise appearancesappeared on ''Pumpkin'', ''No Such Thing'', ''A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III'', and ''Paris Can Wait''. This also plasters the [[Paramount Pictures]] logo on current prints of ''Tucker: The Man and His Dream''., Aas versionwell thatas saysappearing "PRESENTATION"at insteadthe end of "PRODUCTION"current is used on the 2021 director's cutprints of ''DementiaThe 13Outsiders''.
 
===2nd Logo (1974)===
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{{YouTube|id=OodZLSv4n-s}}
 
'''Logo:''' On a black background, we see a spinning zoetrope inon the bottom right, "from" and "american zoetrope" in Clarendon font on the top, and "san francisco" also in Clarendon in the bottom left.
 
'''Technique:''' The zoetrope spinningLive-action.
 
'''Music/Sounds:''' The closing soundtrack of the featurette.
 
'''Availability:''' Only seen on the 1974 featurette ''Close-Up on The Conversation''.
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'''Variants:'''
* Most often, this logo just uses the text. This is occasionally seen as part of the end credits.
*A version with a plain white line, as well as a "IAW" mention, can be seen on ''The OutsidesOutsiders'' TV series.
 
'''Technique:''' Live-action.
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'''Availability:''' Seen on some American Zoetrope films from the time, such as ''One from the Heart'', ''The Outsiders'', ''Rumble Fish'', ''The Cotton Club'', ''Peggy Sue Got Married'' and ''Tucker: The Man and His Dream''.
 
==American Zoetrope (second eraiteration)==
===1st Logo (November 13, 1992-September 16, 2007)===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
American Zoetrope (1996, Closing).png
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{{YouTube|id=QxqUHmaP-4U}}
 
'''Logo:''' We see a boxed in print image of a radiobuilding towerwith an antenna on top emitting four lightning sparks. TheTo name (alignedthe left) saysof "AMERICANthe ZOETROPE"tower inis twothe lines, with "FROM" above and "SAN FRANCISCO" below thefollowing text.:
<center>
<small>F R O M</small><br><big>AMERICAN</big><br><big>ZOETROPE</big><br><small>SAN FRANCISCO</small>
</center>
 
'''Trivia:''' The building depicted here is the Columbus Tower/Sentinel Building in San Francisco, where the headquarters of American Zoetrope are located. Its usage in this logohere was repurposed from the print logo offor [[Commercial Pictures]], a production company owned by Francis Ford Coppola's children, Roman and Sofia.
 
'''Variants:'''
*AOn later''The version has4400'', the text onis to the right sideof the tower, separated by three lines. A web address is seen on the bottom right corner.
*On ''Titanic'' (1996 miniseries), "FROM" is removed and "in association with" is seen above the box.
*A {{color|red}}-colored version appears on ''Bram Stoker's Dracula''.
*ThereOn is''The Odyssey'', the logo has a {{color|green|greenish}} version seen on ''The Odyssey''tint.
 
'''Technique:''' None.
 
'''Music/Sounds:''' None or the closing theme of the movie/show.
 
'''Availability:''' Common. It debuted at the end of ''Bram Stoker's Dracula'' and has appeared on such films as ''Mary Shelly's Frankenstein'', ''Don Juan DeMarco'', ''Jack'', ''The Rainmaker'', ''Buddy'', and ''The Virgin Suicides''. TheIt closingalso versionappeared wason usedthe onminiseries ''Titanic'', ''The 4400Odyssey'', and ''TheMoby OdysseyDick'' episodes. Many films such as ''Lost in Translation'', ''Kinsey'', ''Marie Antoinette'', ''The Good Shepherd'', and ''Youth Without Youth'', and ''Tetro'' have no logo.
 
===2nd Logo (1999May 12, 2001-August 8, 2003)===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
americanzoetrope_01.jpg
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'''Technique:''' CGI.
 
'''Music/Sounds:''' The opening theme of the movie or none. On ''Assassination Tango'', a jazz tune with piano and drums plays which culminatessegues intoto a triumphanttruncated brass/stringversion fanfare (repurposed fromof the [[Commercial Pictures]] fanfare).
 
'''Availability:''' Rare. Only appeared on ''CQ'' (after the credits), ''Jeepers Creepers'', ''Assassination Tango'', and ''Jeepers Creepers II2''.
 
===3rd Logo (February 6, 2014-February 16, 2018)===
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'''Availability:''' Seen on ''Mozart in the Jungle''.
 
===External Links===
* [https://www.zoetrope.com/ Official website]
* {{Wikipedia link}}
 
[[Category:American film logos]]

Revision as of 18:00, 3 July 2023

Credits
Descriptions by
mr3urious

Captures by
Prodigy012 and PM pinter

Video captures courtesy of
Sagan Blob's Logos, LogicSmash, The MovieLogos Database and Logo Archive

Background

Founded in 1969 by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, American Zoetrope is an American film production company based in San Francisco, California. It was formerly known as Omni Zoetrope and Zoetrope Studios from 1980 until 1990. The company has produced notable films by Coppola, such as Apocalypse Now, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Tetro, as well as George Lucas's pre-Star Wars films, including THX 1138 and American Graffiti. Additionally, American Zoetrope has distributed works by avant-garde directors like Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, Wim Wenders, and Godfrey Reggio. Being an early adopter of digital filmmaking, the company has been credited with some of the earliest uses of HDTV.

American Zoetrope (first iteration)

1st Logo (March 11, 1971, May 12, 2001-2021)


Logo: On a black background, we see a large lowercase "a" colored red, white, and blue. To the right of it is a zoetrope (a cylinder with images displayed inside that, when the outside is spun, gives the pictures the appearance that they are being animated when viewed through the slits at the top) with the same color scheme. Above this is the text "AN" in a Futura font, and "american zoetrope" in a thin abstract font. Below is "PRODUCTION" also in a Futura font.

Variants:

  • For this logo's return in 2001, an animated variant was created. Here, the "a" and zoetrope slide away from each other, while copies of them sliding across at different sizes can be seen off the sides. After the logo finishes, the words appear one by one.
  • On the 2021 director's cut of Dementia 13, "PRESENTATION" replaces "PRODUCTION".

Technique: None, aside from the variant.

Music/Sounds: None or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Originally appeared on THX 1138. In 2001, after 30 years of dormancy, the logo made a surprise return appearance on CQ. It has since appeared on Pumpkin, No Such Thing, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, and Paris Can Wait. This also plasters the Paramount Pictures logo on current prints of Tucker: The Man and His Dream, as well as appearing at the end of current prints of The Outsiders.

2nd Logo (1974)


Logo: On a black background, we see a spinning zoetrope on the bottom right, "from" and "american zoetrope" in Clarendon font on the top, and "san francisco" also in Clarendon in the bottom left.

Technique: Live-action.

Music/Sounds: The closing soundtrack of the featurette.

Availability: Only seen on the 1974 featurette Close-Up on The Conversation.

Zoetrope Studios

(February 12, 1982-July 22, 1990)


Logo: On a red background, we see a red spotlight powering up. Then the words "ZOETROPE STUDIOS", with the second "S" as a backwards "Z" and the "Z" and "S" connected by a line, fade in. There is a rainbow line underneath the text. The text and the spotlight's base then fade out, leaving only the light and the background to fade out afterwards.

Trivia: The logo was designed by Saul Bass.

Variants:

  • Most often, this logo just uses the text. This is occasionally seen as part of the end credits.
  • A version with a plain white line, as well as a "IAW" mention, can be seen on The Outsiders TV series.

Technique: Live-action.

Music/Sounds: None, or the opening of the movie.

Availability: Seen on some American Zoetrope films from the time, such as One from the Heart, The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, The Cotton Club, Peggy Sue Got Married and Tucker: The Man and His Dream.

American Zoetrope (second iteration)

1st Logo (November 13, 1992-September 16, 2007)


Logo: We see a boxed in print image of a building with an antenna on top emitting four lightning sparks. To the left of the tower is the following text:

F R O M
AMERICAN
ZOETROPE
SAN FRANCISCO

Trivia: The building depicted here is the Columbus Tower/Sentinel Building in San Francisco, where the headquarters of American Zoetrope are located. Its usage here was repurposed from the logo for Commercial Pictures, a production company owned by Francis Ford Coppola's children, Roman and Sofia.

Variants:

  • On The 4400, the text is to the right of the tower, separated by three lines. A web address is seen on the bottom right corner.
  • On Titanic (1996 miniseries), "FROM" is removed and "in association with" is seen above the box.
  • A red-colored version appears on Bram Stoker's Dracula.
  • On The Odyssey, the logo has a greenish tint.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None or the closing theme of the movie/show.

Availability: Common. It debuted at the end of Bram Stoker's Dracula and has appeared on such films as Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Don Juan DeMarco, Jack, The Rainmaker, Buddy, and The Virgin Suicides. It also appeared on the miniseries Titanic, The Odyssey, and Moby Dick. Many films such as Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, The Good Shepherd and Youth Without Youth have no logo.

2nd Logo (May 12, 2001-August 8, 2003)


Logo: We see a white silhouette of a performer with a top hat and cane doing a soft-shoe dance. After a while, the image duplicates on opposite sides. We zoom out, revealing the footage to be inside a spinning zoetrope. The words "AMERICAN ZOETROPE" with "PICTURES" below spins in from the right.

Variant: On Jeepers Creepers and its sequel, the logo is in sepia tone.

Technique: CGI.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the movie or none. On Assassination Tango, a jazz tune with piano and drums plays which segues to a truncated version of the Commercial Pictures fanfare.

Availability: Rare. Only appeared on CQ (after the credits), Jeepers Creepers, Assassination Tango, and Jeepers Creepers 2.

3rd Logo (February 6, 2014-February 16, 2018)

Logo: Basically the same radio-tower concept as in the 4th logo, moved into a vertical box. The name is written in two lines inside the lower white part of the box.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Mozart in the Jungle.

External Links

Retrieved from "https://www.avid.wiki/American_Zoetrope?oldid=150708"
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