Tobis Entertainment

Background

In 1972, a former employee of Tobis Film, Horst Wendlandt, founded a new company with the same name, though it's unconnected with the original studio. In 2000 StudioCanal bought a 60% stake in Tobis, renaming it Tobis StudioCanal and creating a short-lived production subsidiary, but in 2002 the company broke free again.

1st (known) Logo (1971-2000)

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Nickname: "Weird Rooster", "Tobis Rooster", "The Rooster That Laid Eggs", "Egg-Laying Rooster"

Logo: On a black background, the line is drawn. Then the letters rise from it, reading "TOB S," which every letter lacks a bottom portion (except for B, which has a transparent half). A cartoon rooster flies in and watches around, standing between the "B" and the "S". The background becomes gradient blue and the letters turn black (except for B, which has its bottom portion the same color. The bird then lays a small egg, which forms "I". Then the rooster walks away, and the logo shines.

Variant: The background is beige or plain blue, and "TOB S" be formed by emerging on it.

FX/SFX: The cartoon animation of a rooster walking and laying an egg

Music/Sounds: A violin note, followed by a very dramatic fanfare. Halfway through, we hear the rooster. The early version doesn't have the violin note.

Music/Sounds Trivia: The fanfare is based on the opening theme to the 1936 Charlie Chaplin movie "Modern Times".

Availability: Seen on older German movie releases. Was spotted on Theory of Flight. Strangely, it was also spotted on an Albanian dub of "For A Few Dollars More", followed by the MGM logo.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (1982?-2000)

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Nicknames: "Tobis Elephant", "Better Than That Rooster!"

Logo: On a white background, the word "TOB S" from before emerges from it, with the bottom of the "B" is represented by lines. An elephant appears running, and drifts and stops on the place of the "I". The elephant kisses the B, as the B later turns red and a heart appears floating above the elephant. The elephant's trunk raises, facing the heart, making the "I".

FX/SFX: Cartoon animation; seems a bit more polished than before.

Music/Sounds: A violin note (similar to the beginning of the previous logo). Deep string/drum hits when the elephant runs, a braking sound, the kiss, and the elephant's sound, as the fanfare turns into a calm note with a "shining" synth.

Music/Sounds Trivia: Same as the previous logo.

Availability: Used in tandem with the previous logo and was seen on older German releases, such has Otto.

Editor's Note: The elephant looks very adorable.

3rd Logo (2000?-2002?)

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Nicknames: "Tobis Elephant II"; "Looks Can Be Deceiving"

Logo: The signature "TOBIS" text from the previous two logos emerges by sliding in from a clear blue surface. The camera stops zooming back, and the reflection of the "B" fades in on that surface. An elephant appears illuminated by a spotlight, moving with jumps. The elephant then looks at us. It starts jumping to the left, and then to the bottom of the screen. The elephant then starts to jump at the camera while yelling "Yah!", making it crash with the screen and a shattering glass effect happens.

FX/SFX: The text emerging, reflection fading, the elephant, and the shattering glass, all in good CGI.

Music/Sounds: A 2-note dramatic string theme when the logo appears. A dark sounder when the reflection appears. The sounds of jumping, the elephant yelling, and the glass breaking during the rest of the logo.

Availability: Very rare.

Editor's Note: When the elephant jumps to the camera crashing into the screen may catch some people off-guard, but still a good logo.

4th Logo (2002?-)

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Nicknames: "Tobis Rooster II", "Country Rooster", "Shadow Rooster", "Weird Rooster II", "The Rooster That Laid Eggs II", "Egg-Laying Rooster II"

Logo: On a sky blue-white gradient background, we zoom away from a shadow of a rooster walking on the shadow "TOB S", again without bottom parts. When the rooster's foot walks past the gap between the "B" and the "S", he stops for a bit and flaps his wings. Then he lays an egg, and then the "I" forms upward, lacking the bottom like the other letters. Then the rooster flies away, and the text "TOBIS" unveils itself and becomes gold. Then the logo shines.

Variant: There is a short version of the logo that starts when the logo shines.

FX/SFX: The rooster walking, laying an egg, and flying away; the logo unveiling itself and shining.

Music/Sounds: A catchy country music, which stops for a second when an egg is laid. A rooster crowing and flapping are also heard.

Availability: Seen on German movie releases. The short version can be seen on trailers.

Editor's Note: None.