The company was formed after Meledandri left as president of [[20th Century Fox Animation]] and [[Blue Sky Studios]] in early 2007. While at those companies, he supervised or executive-produced movies including the first two ''Ice Age'' films, ''Robots'', and ''Horton Hears a Who!''. After he left, a deal was announced positioning Illumination as Universal's family entertainment arm that would produce one to two films a year starting in 2010. During the summer the following year, Illumination acquired the animation department of the French animation and visual effects studio Mac Guff, and formed Illumination Mac Guff (now Illumination Studios Paris).
The studio is responsible for the ''Despicable Me'', ''The Secret Life of Pets'' and ''Sing'' franchises, and the movies ''Hop'', ''The Lorax'', ''The Grinch'', and the upcoming ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' (in association with [[Nintendo|Nintendo Pictures]]). The Minionsminions from the first title are the studio's mascots.
===(July 9, 2010-)===
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Minions & More 1=
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Illumination (M&M Forces of Nature).jpeg|''Forces of Nature''
Illumination (M&M Santa's Little Helpers).jpeg|''Santa's Little Helpers''
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{{YouTube|id=IA7jN2s9gBo}}
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Minions & More 2=
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Illumination (M&M Mower Minions).jpeg|''Mower Minions''
Illumination (M&M Super Gidget).jpeg|''Super Gidget''
Illumination (M&M Gunter Babysits).jpeg|''Gunter Babysits''
</gallery>
{{YouTube|id=IA7jN2s9gBo|id2=eHvBKIsyzVI}}
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'''Logo:''' On a dark background with a reflective floor, a large stacked text reading "{{color|silver|'''ILLUMINATION''' ENTERTAINMENT}}" (or in later years, "{{color|silver|'''ILLUMINATION'''}}") appears(written in Futura Condensed). Minions appear below the text(usually Bob and/or Stuart) and get up to a comedic skit, which varies:
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Minions & More 1=
* ''Puppy'': Tom is seen flying towards the left on a dark background, using cardboard box flaps as wings. He then stops in front of a large bright white light on the left. Tom becomes fascinated by the light, then decides to go towards it, and the light electrocutes him. He then falls to the ground and the camera quickly zooms out, revealing the large light to be the text and revealing dozens of other Minions who have done the same thing as Tom, who painfully groans the company name.
*''Santa's Little Helpers'': We see the young Grinch, who is sad sitting on a snowy hill at night. We cut back to see the Minion trio, as it then cuts to them rolling up a large ball with colorful lightbulbs as they figure them out. Kevin then convinces Stuart who is on a snowy tree, to hold them. They all get on the trees as it fades to several shots of them getting the bulbs up. Then we cut back to the Grinch, as the minions go back to him while Kevin holds a button. The Grinch then presses it, as we see the text in a script made from the bulbs while they watch.
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Minions & More 2=
*''Mower Minions'': On a dark background, the minion trio are seen carrying some beach towels, ready to do some sunbathing. They lay down their towels, put on their sun shorts, sit on their beach towels, put on sunglasses and apply some sunblock. Bob pushes a button, which turns on a huge UV light behind the camera. The minion trio then start sunbathing. The camera cuts to the UV light which is shaped like the text.
*''Serenade'': On a hilltop at night, the minion trio carry some fireworks for a display, with Kevin carrying a few fireworks, Bob carrying a big firework and Stuart carrying a heap of fireworks. We then cut to the night sky, and see the minions' fireworks creating pictures of Bob, the Grinch, the Lorax and Snowball, with Bob calling out each character's name off-screen. The final picture is of the text, with the minions cheering and Stuart shouting out the company name.
*''Cro Minion'': The text appears at the top of the screen, with the "N" in the middle missing. theThe minion trio appear at the bottom of the screen, with a {{color|pink}}, "N"-shaped helium balloon to fill it in. Kevin raises the balloon, and it floats up to the text, carrying Bob with it. However, it goes over the text and off-screen. Luckily, Stuart has a bow and some arrows to pop the balloon, just in case. Kevin urges Stuart to do so, and he tries, but ends up striking Bob's bottom. He finds this entertaining, and does it several times before Kevin once again urges him to pop the balloon, and he does. Bob falls back down with an arrow-covered bottom, and painfully groans the company name, pronouncing it "Illumi-ation", just like the text says.
*''Wagon Ho'': The Lorax is seen between two truffula trees with a watering can, watering the one on the left. As he moves on to the other one, he encounters Bob, who asks him to water his bald head, and he does, causing Bob to grow a big head of truffula "hair". Bob admires his new look, thanks the Lorax, and runs off-screen. The Lorax looks on at Bob, before resuming his tree-watering duties. The camera cuts to a far shot, revealing him to be amongst a row of trees shaped like the text.
'''Other Variants:'''
* The still version and some trailers lack the minions. Also seen on videothe gamesgame based''Despicable onMe: IlluminationMinion filmsRush''.
* Starting with ''Sing'', the name is three-dimensional.
* Starting with the second trailer of ''Despicable Me 3'' and the film itself, "ENTERTAINMENT" is removed.
'''FX/SFX:''' The minions and the text effects, which varies by film or short, are animated by Illumination themselves through their animation studio in Paris, Illumination Mac Guff (now known as Illumination Studios Paris).
'''Music/Sounds:''' Just the minions (voiced by Pierre Coffin) making noises or saying/singing the company name starting with ''The Secret Life of Pets'' (on the ''Minions & More'' variants, this rarely happens). On the ''Despicable Me'' variant, a loud, bombastic three-note fanfare is heard as the logo appears, kinda sounding like the [[Viacom (1971-2006)|Viacom]] "Wigga-Wigga" logo, composed by Heitor Pereira.
'''Music/Sounds Variants:'''
*There used to be a version of the ''Despicable Me'' variant on the company's website that removes the footstep sound effects from the Minion, the fanfare sounds a little different and is louder and a little more bombastic, and the sounds when the Minion falls and crawls off-screen are different. Stuart's sounds are still the same, though.
*Sometimes, the opening theme plays over the logo, while the minions talk and the sound effects play.
*On the ''Norman Television'' variant (for ''Minions & More 1''), a rock tune is heard.
*On the ''Forces of Nature'' and, ''Santa's Little Helpers'' variants (also for ''Minions & More 1''), a calming guitar tune is heard. The same tune is heard on the ''Wagon Ho'' and ''Binky Nelson Unpacified'' variants (also for ''Minions and& More 2''), a calming guitar tune is heard.
'''Availability:''' Current and common. Seen on all of the company's films.
*The variant formerly seen on Illumination's website is extinct as the website rebranded around 2016.
*The prototype variant for ''The Secret Life of Pets'' is unused, and can be found on Facebook.
*Also seen on trailers, the game ''Despicable Me: Minion Rush'', and the web short film ''How to Draw a Minion'' (2020).
'''Legacy:''' This logo has gained notoriety for its constant use of Illumination's mascots, the Minionsminions, and opinions will vary wildly based on whether you find the Minionsminions charming or annoying. The ''Sing 2'' variant is generally considered the best even by those who dislike the other logos, however, and some think it should become the main logo on future films.
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