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Clearwater Features
From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum
Background
Clearwater Features was a production company that was founded by David Mitton and Ken Turner in 1979, located in Battersea before moving to Shepperton Studios later on. They helped create the first 2 series of Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends, as well as TUGS for Television South, as well as several commercials. In 1990, however, the company had to close due to the high costs of TUGS and TVS' bankruptcy, and some members, David Mitton most notably, would go on to join Britt Allcroft Limited to help produce future Thomas and Friends episodes for the time.
Logo (October 9, 1984-December 17, 1986, April 4-June 27, 1989)
Visuals: Over a blue background, the logo starts with the text "A Clearwater Features Production" in a yellow Bevan font (the same used for the original end credits). Below the text, there is a white rectangle bordered by two lines on the top and bottom edges. It contains a yellow, Art Deco-inspired building with blue-tinted windows forming a band across the top of the building as well as the words "Clearwater Film Studios" across the top of the building in a Century Gothic font. At the entrance level, a pink Cadillac is parked outside alongside some shrubbery and a pair of palm trees covering the sun on the side. The whole thing appears to be made of pastel colors. It then cuts to the 1st Britt Allcroft Limited logo.
Trivia:
- The logo's name and design are inspired by Clearwater, Florida.
- On the TUGS episode, "Regatta", a barge can be seen in a few scenes that recreates the logo on it. A pair of palm trees also holster a sign saying "CLEARWATER WATER SUPPLY: BEST BOILED" on it.
Variants:
- In season 2 of Thomas The Tank Engine & Friends:
- The entire logo is redrawn to look more defined, making the pink Cadillac more filled-in, the two lines bordering it now gone, and the text also now reads "CLEARWATER".
- The entire picture also appears to be bigger.
- The text is also smaller and now reads "A Clearwater Features 1986 Ltd Production".
- On TUGS, there's only text that reads "Produced by TUGS(Ltd) for TVS & Clearwater Features (1986) Ltd." that scrolls up with the rest of the text over a sea at sunset.
Technique: None.
Audio: The ending theme of the show.
Availability: Seen on the original prints of the first-two seasons of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.
- It was seen on TV broadcasts of the first two seasons of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends during the 1980s and can also be found on Guild Home Video, Screen Legends, ABC Video, Pickwick Video, CEL Video and early Video Collection VHS releases of the show.
- All VHS and DVD releases (with the exception of both the Australian VHS and DVD releases of Truck Loads of Fun released in that country in 2001 and 2005, respectively, where it is kept intact on both "Trouble in the Shed" and "Off The Rails") after 1991 cut this logo out and replace it with the 2nd Britt Allcroft Limited logo and this is also not seen on US prints of the show.
- The final UK VHS release to feature this logo was The Best of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends released by Pickwick Video in 1991.
- The in-credit version only appears on TUGS.
