Beacon Pictures
Logo descriptions by Tlogos and WizardDuck Logo captures by V of Doom and EnormousRat Editions by Tlogos, WizardDuck, V of Doom, and Shadeed A. Kelly Video capture courtesy of Kris Starring and Paperking99
Background
Beacon Pictures (originally known as "Beacon Communications, LLC") is an American movie production company that was established in 1990 by Armyan Bernstein to produce movies for important Hollywood studios.
1st Logo (August 14, 1991-August 18, 1995, March 9, 2009-May 16, 2016)
Nicknames: "Beacon Tower", "Dismembered City"
Logo: On a black background, we see several 1940's-like buildings, all arranged haphazardly and titled at various angles. A much taller building emerges from the center, as the rest of them align to become upright. The tallest one's top flashes and a beacon's light emerges from it, as a box draws itself around the buildings. "BEACON" zooms out and flashes under the box, then dims.
FX/SFX: The tilting buildings and beacon lighting, all in animation that's pretty cool for the time.
Music/Sounds: A rising synth note not unlike THX's Deep Note, followed by a "shining" sound effect when the beacon lights, then a piano chord, then a choir. Sometimes, the opening theme of the movie is heard or even silence.
Availability: Rare. It's known to exist on Princess Caraboo, The Road to Wellville and The Baby-Sitter's Club, among others. Strangely, a short version of this logo can be seen on the TV series Castle.
2nd Logo (July 25, 1997- )
Nicknames: "Beacon Tower II"
Logo: On a black background, the same buildings from before can be seen, but expanded out into a full city, as well as some mountain peeks to the right of it. The top of the tallest building flashes and a large spotlight emerges, which then fades to a simple beam. A box then wipes in downwards around the city, and "BEACON" in the same font, but spaced out to fit the logo, zooms out as a ghostly white color first before fading to a solid color. It then flashes.
Variants:
- A rare extended variant, which is seen with the 2nd Roadshow Television logo and on Playing God, has a much longer animation. It starts off with a close up of a filmreel's edge, which scrolls to the right. It then pans away from the square, revealing it to be a tall white skyscraper, and the camera zooms out to reveal a large city skyline. The building then illuminates its beacon, revealing mountains, and a box fades in around it, with "BEACON" in a white box and a Ascent Entertainment Group byline below it.
- On Bring It On, the logo explodes when it finishes animating to reveal a cheer squad performing.
- On Air Force One, a byline is underneath the logo saying "A Beacon Communications Group Company". Surprisingly other prints of the said film have a byline saying "An Ascent Entertainment Group Company".
- On Uncle P., the logo becomes a colorful drawing and "Family Films" appears in a cursive font below "BEACON".
FX/SFX: The building flashes. The word "B E A C O N" zooming out.
Music/Sounds: A five-note piano chord, along with a "shining" sound effect as the beacon lights up. Sometimes, either silent or the movie theme plays over this logo.
Availability: Pretty common. Appears on many movies including Air Force One, the Bring It On films, Raising Helen, Firewall, A Lot Like Love, and The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, among others. A Flash version of this was also used on their website circa 2004.
Closing Variants
1st Logo (1990s-2000s)
Logo: Same as the 2nd logo, but the "BEACON" text is in a white box.
FX/SFX: None.
Music/Sounds: The closing theme of the movie.
Availability: Seen at the end of End of Days and For the Love of Game.
2nd Logo (2000s- )
Logo: We see a white rectangular box with "B E A C O N" written inside near the top. The solid beam comes from the O's center to the bottom left corner of the box.
Variant: On The Emperor's Club, the logo was inverted.
Music/Sounds: Same as the 1st closing logo.
Availability: Uncommon, seen on Ladder 49. Many films have the still version of the regular opening logos.
