Thorn EMI Video (Australia)

Background

Thorn EMI set up an Australian division by 1982; it was one of the Magnificent Seven home video distributors.

1st Logo (1982-1983?)

Logo: On a blue BG, we see the thorn from the Thorn EMI logo slowly flipping toward us. A white box fades in around it, followed by a second frame with "THORN EMI VIDEO" below.

Closing Variant: At the end of tapes, the animation plays the exact same way, except the whole thing is smaller so it can fit at the top of the screen. An address fades in below.

FX/SFX: 2D Animation.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over:

A soothing orchestral theme with an announcer saying "Welcome to the world of Thorn EMI Home Video entertainment. Thorn EMI Video has an exciting catalog of home video programs, from movie blockbusters and action classics, to great children's films and top TV shows, all duplicated from the finest quality 2-inch master tapes for your enjoyment.". The tune is from the Bruton Music library titled "Imposing Theme (Link)" composed by Richard Hill.
The closing variant uses a different tune with the announcer saying "You have just enjoyed a Thorn EMI Video program. For more details of all the great home video entertainment available from Thorn EMI Video, pick up a free catalog at your local video outlet, or write to Thorn EMI Video Australia, post office box 402, Haymarket, 2000, New South Wales.". The tune is also from the Bruton Music library titled "The Universe (Link)" composed by Richard Hill.

Availability: Extremely rare; seen on early Australian releases.

Legacy: Just a boring logo with simple animation.

2nd Logo (1983?-1984)

Logo: On a teal background (could just be the same color as before), and after a copyright warning scroll, a large glowing Thorn EMI logo scrolls up and zooms out with a flash. The inner border with "THORN EMI" below flips up to face us, which is followed by a large vertical beam of light turning outward to the left, forming the outer frame with "VIDEO" below.

Closing Variant: At the end of tapes, the animation forms again, and as the company address is uttered, the logo slides out to the bottom to show it.

FX/SFX: 2D Animation.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: Same as before, both opening and closing.

Availability: Extremely rare; seen on early Australian releases.

Legacy: Better animation than before, though not by much, as it is very choppy.

3rd Logo (1983-1985)

Logo: On a space background, a beam of light brings forth a spinning cube with various movies playing on each side from the upper left corner of the screen. A second later,Thorn EMI Video the movies morph into the Thorn EMI Video logo on a filmstrip, each playing on one side of the cube. As the cube rotates, it shrinks to the upper right hand corner of the screen, where another red beam of light takes it away.

Variants:

Before previews of movies, we start with the cube spinning and playing the Thorn EMI logo. The announcer says "And now, here are some preview scenes of other exciting attractions from Thorn EMI Video.". The cube disappears as usual.
At the end of tapes, we see the same animation as the previous variant, but with the announcer saying "We hope you enjoyed this Thorn EMI video presentation. For more exciting attractions, write in for our catalog.".

FX/SFX: The spinning box, the 2D thorn logo.

Music/Sounds/Voice-over: A synth theme which is actually "Flash", by Keith Mansfield, the 1984 pilot theme of Press Your Luck. This is accompanied by zapping sounds and a male voiceover who says, "Presenting a world of home video entertainment for your enjoyment from Thorn EMI Video. Movie blockbusters, action classics, children's films, top TV shows, and much, much more. So stay tuned for preview scenes of other exciting attractions at the end of this movie./So for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy!".

Availability: Seen on every Australian Thorn EMI Video release from 1983 onwards. In other words, it's extremely rare.