Canal+ Cinéma(s)

Credits

Descriptions by
Oranim

Video captures courtesy of
TOP GENERIQUES, Jinglesdelatele, Eddy Rigaud, Andre Luiz Sens, Les P'tits Créateurs

Background

Canal+ Cinéma(s) (formerly known as Canal+ Jaune then Canal+ Cinéma without an s) is a premium cinema channel part of Canal+'s offerings, launched in 1996, taking on its current name in 2003 which would then be further tweaked in 2023. It is the first cinema channel from Canal+, although the main channel broadcasts its own share of movies from time to time.

As Canal+ Jaune, much like its sister channel Canal+ Bleu, the channel served as an additional choice to viewers. While Bleu consisted of shows and documentaries, Jaune focused most of its air time on movies and shows related to cinema in general.
In 2003, as part of a rewamp across all of Canal+'s channels, Canal+ Jaune was renamed to Canal+ Cinéma, making it easier to identify the channel's programming amongst its sister channels.

While the channel has always been devoted to cinema, the launches of Canal+ Grand Ecran (for famous movies and cult classics) in 2022 and Canal+ Box-Office (to showcase movies 6 months after their theatrical debut) in 2023 as well as an overall rebrand to each channel's logo caused the channel to refresh once again. As such, highlighting its focus on the best of french and international movies, the channel was renamed to its current name on September 1st 2023 along with the introduction of a new branding, the first since 2009.

Canal+ Jaune

Logo (1996-2003)

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Visuals: Similar to the opening sequence of the 3rd Canal+ logo, with the border now colored yellow. The original border can also be briefly seen before the first cut.

Closedown Sequence: The closedown variant, which is similar to the 3rd, except that it has a yellow border around it and that in the transition from the horizontal black stripe to the gray bottom, a yellow screen becomes visible.

Variant: All intros before the program begins now use a yellow border. However, during the first seconds of the sequence, when the screen flashes and the Canal+ logo fades in, the border is in its original color.

Technique: Same as the 3rd Canal+ logo.

Audio: Same as the 3rd Canal+ logo.

Availability: Archival websites have both the opening and closedown sequence along with the intro for theater performances.

Canal+ Cinéma

1st Logo (2003-2005)

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  Waiting screen
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  Sign-on

Visuals: Red and green squares move from the sides, while blue and yellow squares move from the top and bottom. The moment all 4 squares converge together, the CANAL+ logo appears. Duplicates of the squares appear around the logo, before they all fade besides a blue square and a smaller yellow square. The word "cinéma" appears on the upper half of the blue square. Three squares move in from the left, right and bottom of the screen, converging with the two squares in the middle. The CANAL+ text flashes once, causing more squares to appear. The "cinéma" text does the same. Both texts then flash together, causing the background to become black. The squares fade out first, leaving the CANAL+ CINEMA text in white which fades out shortly after.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: 3 low-pitched xylophone notes, with a slightly high-pitched one right after. Trumpets are then heard, the overall composition being similar to that of an orchestra. 3 low-pitched piano notes are then heard at the very end.

Audio Trivia: The trumpets used for this sequence were also used for one of the "Cinéma" intros across Canal+'s channels at the time.

Availability: Archival websites only have the sequence described above, which was used as a sign-on.

2nd Logo (2005-2009)

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  2005 waiting screen
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  2005 sign-on

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  2008/2009 waiting screen
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  2008/2009 sign-on

Visuals: Similar to Canal +'s 4th logo, except with blue squares on a black background.

Sign-On Sequence: There is two sets of blue squares fly across the screen from the top and bottom, before two other sets of squares fly across from the left and right. They all quickly converge together, causing the Canal+ logo to appear, before flying away. Squares come in from the top and bottom again, causing the "Cinéma" text to appear in a flash, slightly blinking. Squares then come in from all sides before stopping in the middle and flying away. Two sets coming from the sides converge and stop in the middle twice before flying across the screen normally. More squares glide from the top and bottom, before three sets come in from the sides and the bottom. They converge and stop in the middle before flying away. Finally, two sets of squares fly from the sides as the background remains black. The CANAL+ CINEMA text then fades out.

Variant: As with all Canal+ channels, this branding was updated in around 2008/2009 when the channel began broadcasting in 16/9.

Sign-On Variant: The sign-on itself was slightly updated as well. On a black background, two large rectangles slowly fly across the screen from the sides. Another rectangle blinks thrice every time the two overlap each other. This is repeated three times before cutting to different arrangements of the rectangles as they try to move from their new position. In time with the music, however, we cut to more arrangements until a rectangle is settled in the middle of the screen, with the other two being able to move to the right again. After another cut, the two rectangles from the beginning fly once more across the screen, with the blinking rectangle following the first one. We then cut to a static arrangement of the rectangles with the Canal+ text blinking in the bottom of the screen, causing the "Cinéma" text to appear next to the +, which itself causes the text to blink once again. As the rectangles fade out, the word CANAL fades to grey, leaving +CINEMA in white. The entire text then fades out.

Technique: 2D animation.

Audio: Similar to Canal+'s 4th logo, with the use of a xylophone. The 2005 leitmotif is a dramatic remix of the regular one, using violins, while the 2008/2009 leitmotif uses 3 soft guitar notes to spell "CI-NE-MA" after the initial 3 notes.

Audio Variant: The 2008/2009 update would tweak the sign-on's theme with the use of additional violins and of the updated leitmotif at the end.

Availability: Archival websites mostly cover the 2008/2009 refresh. Only the sign-on sequence has been preserved for the original 2005 branding along with the intro to Mikrociné.

3rd Logo (2009-2023)

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Visuals: Similar to Canal+'s 5th logo, we see footage from 4 separate screens. Each of them show different arrangements of the same lights, which react to the soundtrack. At the end, the + symbol forms from the four sides of the screen, with the word "CINEMA" appearing on its right.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Each ident has its own soundtrack. All of them are based on recurring themes in movies. When the + sets into place, a whoosh leading to a finger snap is heard.

Audio Variants:

• A tense soundscape with the use of sounds from a phone left hanging after the end of a call.
• A rousing theme reminiscent of the beginning of a movie.
• A mysterious synth tune. There is a softer high-pitched version as well.
• A melancholic theme that uses violins.
• A soft, relaxing theme. An extended version exists as part of the channel's breakfiller early in the morning.

Availability: Several idents have been preserved on archival websites along with a few intros.

Canal+ Cinéma(s)

1st Logo (2023-)

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Visuals: We follow a set of moving lines, reminiscent of stage curtains, through lights of different colors shining on them. There is this set in different angles before white lines following their movement fly on the screen, causing the +CINEMA(S) text to appear letter by letter.

Technique: Live-action and CGI.

Audio: A whimsical tune with a female choir.

Audio Variants: Much like before, each ident has its own soundtrack, based on the same sounds. These include the following.

• A reversed synth theme with a high-pitched choir.
• A tense beat with both low-pitched and high-pitched choirs.
• A soft xylophone theme with a low-pitched choir.
• A slow, dreamy theme with a low-pitched choir.

Availability: Several idents as well as the launch promo are available on archival websites.

Trivia: The launch promo for Cinéma(s) explains the channel's name with "Avec un s, comme Cinéma" ("With an s, as in Cinéma"). This could be a reference to the Séances du Vendredi strand on the main Canal+ channel, where the announcer welcomed viewers by using this exact sentence.