Hallmark Home Entertainment
Sagan Blob and RSX-798
Background
Hallmark Home Entertainment was the home video division of Hallmark Entertainment, formed after Hallmark Cards bought RHI and from the ashes of Cabin Fever Entertainment. In 1998, the company began distributing their releases through Artisan Home Entertainment and Family Home Entertainment; Hallmark Home Entertainment was shut down in 2003, following Lionsgate's purchase of Artisan.
1st Logo (September 19, 1995-1997)
Visuals: Same as the 1st Hallmark Entertainment logo, with additional text "HOME" besides "ENTERTAINMENT". Plus, the text is in a different font.
Variants:
- On tapes with previews, the text "Coming Attractions" or "Feature Presentation" fade in below in an italicized serif font.
- A prototype version of the logo exists where the logo simply flips up on a brown fabric background. The prototype preview versions feature the text instead reading "PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS" or "FEATURE PRESENTATION" in a silver font that shines up.
- An even earlier version exists where it used the regular TV logo instead.
Technique: CGI. 2D animation for the early variants.
Audio: There are two versions of the theme; both sound like they are synth-orchestra pieces:
- A held-out note at the beginning, then a loud, held-out note sounding like a orchestral hit. Four more notes play near the end, the final one being held-out as well.
- A held-out note (that sounds more like two) at the beginning, then 4 or 5 (?) loud notes, the last one held out for the remaining duration of the logo.
- Sometimes, it is silent.
Audio Variant: On the bumpers, a male announcer says over the music:
- "(PREVIEWS OF) Coming Attractions": (And now,) Hallmark Entertainment is proud to present the following previews of coming attractions." This uses Version #1 of the music.
- "Feature Presentation": "And now, our feature presentation." This uses Version #2 of the music.
Availability: Seen on video releases from Hallmark Home Entertainment during the era, such as the company's tapes of the 1964 Flipper TV series (which were distributed through Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment). The standard black BG version's first appearance was on a series of six Samuel Goldwyn tapes (Cinderella, The Care Bears Movie, Guys and Dolls, A Night to Remember, Sayonara, and Turtle Diary). The prototype versions appear on the 1995-96 VHS tapes of The Perez Family, Hamlet, Once Bitten, and Deadlock 2, and demo tapes of The Madness of King George and The Summer House.
2nd Logo (1996-2003)
Visuals: On a black background, a grey-silver line comes in and zooms under the screen, as the camera follows it; it then fades to a silver ribbon twirling around and moving about. It then fades out as the 2nd Hallmark Entertainment logo animates, but "HOME" is added beside "ENTERTAINMENT".
Variants:
- A short variant simply uses the TV version with "HOME" next to "ENTERTAINMENT".
- On previews until 1998, the text would read as either "Coming Attractions" or "Feature Presentation" below the logo.
Technique: CGI.
Audio: None, or the short fanfare from the 2nd Hallmark Entertainment logo.
Availability: Seen on video releases by Hallmark Home Entertainment from the era, including most Crayola Home Entertainment tapes.
- The short version appears on VHS releases from Artisan Home Entertainment and Family Home Entertainment (and their label Family Home Entertainment Kids for kid-friendly releases), where this logo always precedes the others. However, what appears depends on the release.
- The long version appears on DVD releases, after the Artisan promo.